I’m at a conference and like many of you, I would usually ask myself, “What is the best use of my time here? How do I get the most out of this conference? I left my family at home, paid for the conference registration, plane tickets and a hotel room. How do I get the biggest return on my investment?”
I want to tell you three quick things you can do at every conference to make sure that you get the most out of it. You have to realize it’s not all about the content. That’s the mistake I used to make but, there’s so much more to the conference than that.
1.Pay attention to the content.
You’re going to learn tricks and tips and hacks and how other people get the stuff done. You’re going to learn something new that’s going to help you propel your life at the next level. So, you need to pay attention to the content with the intent of taking action. When I go for conferences, I literally do not take notes of what the speaker says. I write action steps. As a result of that, when I leave the conference I leave with the page of action steps that I can start working on right away and If I will take those actions, then I’ll have a big return on my investment from the event.
2. Pay attention to the people hosting the conference.
Pay attention to what the people who are hosting the conference are doing. If you attended the same conference before, take note of how much they have grown. Watch the power of someone else’s vision. You want to watch the growth of the event in terms of number of attendees quality of speakers and the experience so you can be inspired. You should be inspired to think that if they could move from a hundred to five hundred in attendance, you can move from 10 viewers on your YouTube video to a thousand. Leave with inspiration based on their stories.
3.Network
The third thing you want to do is to network. Some of the biggest returns on your investment for any conference would be networking. Connect with the speakers. Connect strategically with the attendees. Connect with the hosts of the event. This is something that most people are afraid of but you need to step out of your comfort zone.
I know your entire life, you were told: “Don’t talk to strangers.” However, when you become an adult, you need to talk to a lot of strangers. Why? Because the inspiration, money and clients you’re looking for are in the hands of people. Make new contacts, get phone numbers, connect on Instagram, on Facebook and get their cards.
When you meet people, remember that everybody is tuned to a channel called W-I-I-F-M, ‘What’s In It For Me?’So, in conversation, tune into their channel. Be interested in them and be interesting.
Sit at the front of the room. If you can, stay in the hotel where the event is being held.
I hope this encourages you.
I hope at the next event you go for, you will get a lot of action steps from the content, be inspired by what others are doing and meet people who will help you along your journey.
If you do this, you will rock the conference like a boss and get a huge return on your investment.
Thanks for reading my blog #EntreMD.
Please share it and leave me a comment below.
Until next time, it’s Dr. Una.
#EntrepreneurialDoc # EntreMD #MDnotEnough
