Making the Most of Your Conference
Statistics show that people who attend their leadership conferences grow their businesses at a much faster rate than those that don’t. Let’s reverse engineer that and see if we can find out why that is and be intentional with our time there.
First off, this is a business trip not a party trip. So there’s no need to spend a lot of money. We’ve paid for ourselves to be there, and we’re there to have a super fun BUSINESS trip.”
Since we each own our own businesses, we have to be the head of every department. When we do facial parties, we have to know what products to use and in what order. When we host healthy living workshops, we have to know how to do that. But when we go to our conference, we need to become a completely different department head altogether. We have to become media heads. Journalists. Reporters. Photographers. Producers. And students.
No matter where you are in your business, people from home and virtual home are watching. We may say we don’t care what they think, but in this business, you actually do care what people think. You want them to think about you, and how great it is that you have your own multi-million dollar business.
If you just signed up yesterday, your warm market may still be wondering what you’re doing, and if it makes sense. They may be excited for you, or they may be cynical. This is a chance to show them what Arbonne is about.
If we look at going to Vegas as if we’re going on location, on assignment, we can take this experience and share it with everyone who follows us. Whether you’re sharing on Facebook or Instagram or twitter or in an album of printed photos, you want to capture it.
One of the things we are warned against is puking Arbonne on people. Over sharing. One of the things we are encouraged to do is share what we do anecdotally. What does that mean? It means just sharing where we are, who we are with and how much fun we’re having doing our business. It’s more authentic to snap a photo of you checking in then it is to have a random photo of 16,000 people in the arena. In the first instance people may say “Oh look at her, she’s on a business trip,” or “Good for him, he’s really making a go of it.” If they see just a random photo of thousands of people, they may want to stage an intervention.
Take advantage of this time to get real-time shots with key people. How do you do that? You don’t need to stalk people. And a key person doesn’t necessarily mean Kay Napier. It can be national VPs from other countries. What your market needs to see are the PEOPLE who do this business. They need to see that no one has horns or a tail, and that the people you do this business with look just like them.
Another thing– even if you are a team of one or two, you are always part of a bigger team. Capture that. Another thing you can do is record 15-second clips of you actually talking with people you meet. A woman I met in an elevator line changed my life. I wish I’d gotten a shot of me with her. Often it’s the moments that happen in the hallways that are life changing, just as much as at the trainings. This is where you meet your sidelines so that when you sign that consultant from New York, you have someone to send him to.
Place yourself in the role of producer. Pretend that someone has told you that there are a lot of people making money in this industry and you are going to be embedded with one of the really interesting ones for four days. Tell that story.
Also, don’t forget that we are a product-driven company, and this is where the new products launch. You will have a chance to see them before anyone else. Take notes on what those special botanical properties are. Report in live time. Then, when you get back to your room, you will have key words, so when you reach out to your clients, you can collect orders from them right away.
Prepare for interfacing with your clients before you leave. If you don’t have clients, prepare a group of people who you hope will become your clients. Before you leave town, create a text group of your absolute best clients and write to them individually and tell them you will be sending them preview pictures of what is new. Then, in real time, text them shots and messages of what you know they will want.
Here are a few ways you can do that. Take a photo of you packing. Share how excited you are. Share how smart you are to be investing in your business. Once you arrive, hopefully you will have a media buddy, but you want to make sure that when you have a chance to be in a photo with say your CEO, you don’t have to miss the moment b/c no one is there to grab the shot. Be intentional in covering your trip.
Also, and this should go without saying, book a product launch party for the first few days after you return. Keep the momentum. Ask your key people if they will host a product launch. We have been given a convention, a product launch, amazing speakers. It is out job to create the buzz. If you are not attending, no doubt you have people who are, so track them, and be excited for when they come back. Prepare your events, so those people who have been on the road merely have to turn up and demo what’s new.
On a personal note– it’s cold there. Bring a wrap. Walking happens a lot. Bring comfortable shoes. On the money side, you will want to buy the new products. Check your finances before you leave. If you have special relationships with people who are close to you, people who you know will want what is new, make sure you have the prowess to get them what they want. There are a few people who I order for, a very few, but I have their info with me because they want what they want when it’s brand new, and they want me coming back with it in the car.
Make your clients at home part of your trip. Wonder in a text to them with something like, “I bet we get a whole new line of lipsticks,” or “I’m betting a hundred dollars we’ll see an expansion of the baby line.” These are the someday maybe people who are the key to your success, who are closer to joining your team or introducing you to people who may than anyone else. Include them in. They are your audience. You are the show. Be the journalist. Expect your mind to be blown and keep your batteries charged. See you guys there!
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Brook Dougherty
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