How To Meet Speakers at Conferences
I attend a lot of conferences and it’s our single best way to get new business. Business conferences, technology conferences, social media conferences, you name it – they are all lead pools for us and most people we know.
Most recently I attended and spoke at the annual American Association of Inside Sales Professionals (AA-ISP) Conference in Chicago. See the speakers and understand why I was so excited to be there.
I was also looking for new ideas and I was not disappointed. In the process I looked at the speakers and the conference in a new light. I believe what I learned, combined with some analysis, will help have a more "rewarding" experience from conferences you attend.
Break a conference into its elements
First of all, conferences have a pattern – online registration, keynote sessions, break out sessions, exhibits, evening entertainment, awards and best of all – the lobby bar. There is a schedule and you must pay attention. Note who is on what stage and when (especially which day). It is easy to miss a key speaker session because you are watching something less interesting (but perhaps more convenient) in a different room.
I have developed some great practices for getting to know the speakers and most of these ideas work whether you are a speaker yourself or not. Remember – speakers have an hour on stage and then they are side by side with you in the audience the much of the time.
1 – Reach out to select speakers ahead of time
Focus on the speakers you really want to see at the show. A list of speakers can be found on the event web site, along with bios and even links to social media sites (in many cases).
LinkedIn is best for reaching out, although you should follow them on Twitter as a matter of course. If you invite them to connect, send a thank you note when they accept. They will remember you and be looking for you.
2 - Sit where the speakers can see & interact with you
This means about rows 2 thru 6. I suggest the middle area, in front of the speaker, or on an aisle. When I go to rock concerts the aisle seat is mine! It’s similar here.
3 – Make Eye Contact with speakers on stage
Speakers make note of who is engaged with them, who is supporting them and who asks good questions. This is Ken Krogue, co-founder of InsideSales.com, a super big hit at the event.
I know its fashionable to share content in real time from a session but it doesn’t boost your position with a speaker as much as paying attention will.
If you are up front, it’s a teeny bit rude to be creating content, even less than 140 characters of it, instead of paying attention to the speaker most of the time.
BRIGHT IDEA? Bring a scribe who can take notes for you and “tweet” on your behalf during the presentation. If only we could all do that!
ANALOG IDEA - Take written notes so you can pay closer attention. When the speaker is looking your way, stop writing and look up, make eye contact.
4 – Hit the Lobby Bar afterwards and stay a while
Each night the speakers migrate to the lobby bar, some right after the day’s activities, some after dinner. They are in the lobby bar and they are very accessible. You might see slightly different badges on the speakers too. This me with super speaker Antarctic Mike Pierce.
Now, since you have reached out ahead of time, you know what they look like and know a bit about them, right?
5 – Get a picture with your favorite speaker(s)
They love it and they will remember you, even without seeing the picture, The picture taking PROCESS is what cements the thought.
6 – Reach out to speakers after the event
Tell them what you enjoyed most and what you learned that you will put to use. The sooner after the event the best. I suggest a LinkedIn invitation, one that mentions something from their address (if you can).
Special Tips for Speakers
See what VIP-type activities you can attend. Hosts love to have speakers attend their special functions. It adds value for everyone. It’s free dinner and drinks much of the time – nice deal. These activities are usually on the NIGHT BEFORE the conference and they conclude in the Lobby Bar.
So, these are some of the techniques I use to get to know speakers at conferences, even when I am not speaking myself. I hope they help you create more and better relationships with speakers, presenters and panelists.
Copied from Linkedin written by Mike O'Neil on 17th April 2014 at 1.32 pm SGT