How to Identify Key Contacts at Conferences

I checked out the Sales subreddit the other day and saw a new salesperson asking for advice for going to their first conference. Here's the advice I gave them: If you're expecting to just "work the event" at the event, you'll miss a lot of opportunity. My recommendation is to use the weeks leading up to the event as a chance to prospect for meetings that you'll hold at the event. Ideally, you get the list of attendees and work that, but if you can't: 🟢 Hit up prospects in that Geo. If you're flying to SF, contact all your SF prospects. 🟢 Prospects who are part of the trade association that hosting the event 🟢 Prospects who have attended before. Worst case: Just assume that people are going! Better to assume and be told "Not attending" than not hit them up at all. You goal with these meetings should be to get a coffee meeting on the calendar. Not a "discovery call" or a "product demo". Keep it casual. Aim to pin down a time that works; you're gonna have a lot of people who will say "I'll stop by the booth" which isn't the worst outcome in the world, but ideally you get a time on the books. A lot of folks won't commit to a meeting, so you need to get ready to "floorhunt". Floorhunting is simply finding a way to make in-person contact with the key prospects you wanna meet. Here's what to do: 🟢 Make a list of the people you want to meet at the event. 🟢 Put 'em all on a list and get their photograph from LinkedIn so you know who to look for. Plan to be where they're gonna be: 🟢 Happy hour events. 🟢 Speaker sessions. 🟢 Walking the floor of the exhibit hall at certain times. Your goal at the event should be to seek out these people; don't wait for them to come to you. Introduce yourself and have an "opener" as to why you wanted to talk with them. ___ What other advice would you give this new salesperson?

Job seekers, here’s a hack I 𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 hear anyone talk about...but it seriously works 🔥 Going to a conference? Connect with 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘭𝘦 𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘢𝘬𝘦𝘳 on LinkedIn. Yes, literally all of them. 👉 Bonus points if you include a short message about why you're excited for their talk. This works really well for multiple reasons: 1️⃣ 𝐌𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐡𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠. One of my design managers told me that she speaks at conferences specifically to scout talent. 2️⃣ 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐬𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐥𝐤𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐲 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬. Even if they're not hiring, they're the kind of people who can unlock your next opportunity. (I messaged Miggi from Figgi for Figma Config in 2023, and not only did he accept my request, he enthusiastically responded, telling me to come say hi!) 3️⃣ 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞'𝐬 𝐛𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐭-𝐢𝐧 𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲. 𝐁𝐨𝐭𝐡 𝐰𝐚𝐲𝐬. Let's be real. I don't accept connection requests unless I know someone is real. But if they're speaking at an industry conference? Pre-vetted. And if you're attending that same conference? You're pre-vetted too. They're legit. You're legit. 4️⃣ 𝐒𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐡𝐮𝐦𝐚𝐧 𝐭𝐨𝐨. Even the most seasoned pros get nervous. 𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘪𝘧 𝘯𝘰 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘸𝘴 𝘶𝘱? 𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘪𝘧 𝘯𝘰 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘴? I know, because I've been there. So, to get a thoughtful message from an excited attendee? Instant serotonin. 5️⃣ 𝐘𝐨𝐮'𝐥𝐥 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐮𝐭. As a speaker myself, I get flooded with connection requests 𝘢𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘳 the talk. But 𝘣𝘦𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘦? Crickets. Sending a thoughtful message ahead of time instantly makes you stand out from the crowd. 6️⃣ 𝐈𝐭 𝐠𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐚 𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐦 "𝐢𝐧" 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐮𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞. Once you're connected through the conference, you're no longer a cold message...you're a familiar face. When you reach out later, they'll see that you've already had a thoughtful exchange. That history makes them way more likely to respond. (I messaged Harrison Wheeler about a talk he gave in 2020, and a year later, he referred me to a role at LinkedIn!) I’ve never seen anyone else give this advice, but it’s been a total unlock for me. Try it at your next conference. Let me know how it goes 😎 #career #careeradvice

Most people tell you to network, but they don’t teach you how. Here’s what you can do: 🔹 Quality Over Quantity: Before attending, study the event's attendee list and identify 2-3 people you want to meet. This focused approach can lead to deeper, more meaningful conversations. I’ve recently done this myself at a TED event. 🔹 Adopt a Giving Mindset: Offer to share your expertise or resources. For example, if someone is working on a project you have experience with, volunteer to provide insights or introduce them to someone who can help. This shows you're invested in their success. 🔹 Research Smartly: Look into their recent projects or publications. If your contact has recently published a paper or given a talk, read it and mention specific points you found intriguing or valuable. This demonstrates genuine interest and sets you apart. 🔹 Make the First Move: Send a message acknowledging a challenge they mentioned in a public forum or LinkedIn comment. For example: "Hi [Name], I saw your post about the challenges of remote team management. I've faced similar issues and found that regular virtual coffee breaks helped. Would love to share more if you're interested. Best, [Your Name]" 🔹 Build a Habit: Set a weekly reminder to engage with your network on social media. This could be liking, commenting on, or sharing posts from your contacts. Regular engagement keeps you top of mind and builds a foundation for deeper connections. Tomorrow’s newsletter is packed with actionable insights to turn casual contacts into valuable connections. ➡ Sign up here: https://lnkd.in/eE-aFmFy 💜 Career Well-being is the best work-life newsletter, according to my readers! Join us! #NetworkingTips #CareerDevelopment #ProfessionalGrowth #careerbutterfly #CareerWellbeing

I hear this complaint way too often. “I’m attending networking events but can't meet any helpful contacts”. But when I ask people what they’re doing. Their answers lack any sort of clear direction. It usually looks something like this: - Attend random networking event (have no agenda) - Strike up conversations (with all the wrong people) - Ask for contact info (never follow up) All that hard work and their strategy comes down to luck? No wonder they’re frustrated. Try this instead: 1. Define your ideal contact (Who do I want to meet?) 2. Choose events carefully (Is this one they'd attend?) 3. Focus your time (Exit bad conversations quickly) 4. Be an active listener (Ask insightful questions) 5. Don’t overstep (You’re building a contact, not getting a job) 6. Ask for their contact info (Follow up the next day) 7. Schedule a 1:1 coffee chat - - - - - 📌 If this was helpful, follow me (Samuel Sheridan) for daily posts on building your best career. Thanks for reading and I hope you have a wonderful Wednesday!