Conferences are to networking what marathons are to running. This is a networking environment that is extended in fomat, includes multiple opportunities and options and has the ability to deliver incredible dividends when used effectively.

Conferences or annual meetings, whether for an organization, association or corporation, usually have a theme and are organized around a specific target market. That means attendees are pre-disposed to being there, creating a positive emotional atmosphere.

Most of these events are for a larger, broader audience that can number from less than a hundred to thousands. The larger the group, the more important it is to manage  individual contacts because you may not interact with this individual again.

Conversely, conference networking ususally offers a much stronger relationship-building focus because of the shared context, longer interaction timelines and extended schedule.

How can you maximize your next conference investment? Follow the tips below for best results:

1. Set clear, written objectives. Conferences are usually important events that require a substantial investment in time, effort and money. Prepare properly by reviewing and writing out what you expect to accomplish.

• Review the conference schedule to identify professional development topics, events or contact opportunities you can utilize. Focus on a prioritized approach that highlights events early on in the schedule . Your enthusiasm and energy will be their highest.
• Check the attendee list to discover individuals or companies you want to connect with. I also use this to remember the names of people I may have met but have lost touch with. Addressing them by name always has a great impact and reduces my stress.
• Separate objectives in three areas: professional development, business/career development, relationship-building. Review your list every morning and every evening to evaluate progress and results.

2. Develop and use a positioning statement. You will meet peers, suppliers, customers and experience prospective career opportunities during this event. Be sure to have a short statement that communicates who you’d like to connect with and the value you represent.

3. Utilize every opportunity. Think of every event during the conference as a networking opportunity. Use keynotes, luncheons, training programs as well as the formal networking events to meet others. Sit with strangers rather than close friends.

4. Collect business cards. Every conference networking interaction, no matter how brief, is a relationship-ignition point. Leverage this fact by developing the habit of asking for business cards (or getting contact info if the other person doesn’t have a card).

5. Expand your perspective. Accept that there are a number of benefits from networking at conferences. Discover new points of view, ideas and information about others. Ask about personal areas that others wouldn’t think of.

6. Keep the social side in perspective. Many conferences take place in exotic locations. There is a myth that the social side of conferences is to let loose, kick back and let off steam. Resist this temptation as it can have a negative effect on your energy as well as your professionalism.

7. Follow the link. Conference attendees have a shared context, interest or point of view. They are pre-disposed to liking one another . Discover what the link is between you and the other person, then follow it to see how you both can benefit from this.

8. Seek to be helpful. As you meet with others, try to be of service. Take notes when others are speaking, offer help where possible. Being helpful to others is one of the most powerful ways to develop meaningful and lasting relationships.

9. Regroup. Review your results partway through the conference. Invest in quiet time to sit and reflect on your accomplishments so far. This will permit you to benefit from your activities and build on them for additional results.

10. Post mortem. A necessary part of your conference investment is to do a final review of activities and results. This will ensure you have achieved your objectives and can use this exercise as a learning experience for future conferences.

11. Follow up. Make follow up calls within 48 hours. This is how you will leverage your conference contacts to build credibility. Others will be pleased to hear from you and you can use this as a basis for addtional follow up.

12. Build relationships. Relationships require investment, take time and need to be nurtured. Be prepared to take responsibility for growing those conference contacts you feel hold value for you and for the other person.

I’d love to know what tactics have working for you at conferences.

Canada is a country of seasons. There’s something about the first snow fall that brings out the kid in me. It always has.

I’m classifying today as the first official day of Winter. Why? Because we woke up this morning with about 15 cm (6 inches) of snow already on the ground, and another 25 cm (10 inches) scheduled to arrive over the next twenty four hours.

The best part of today for me was the chance to play with my new toy. After twenty years of shovelling, I bought myself a new snowblower. It’s 9.5 horsepower job, with a 28-inch wide capacity. I ended doing my driveway and almost three others as well (one neighbour was halfway through when I got there).

It was geat fun! I was out there with my snow boots, snow pants, heavy gloves and fur hat. I didn’t even feel the cold. Every time I moved the scoop too high, the snow flew back in my face, like in a snowball fight.

And boy, did it make cleaning my 40-foot double driveway easy. It’s amazing how a chore turns into a game when you have the right equipment. I even called my mom to tell her how much fun I had.

Who says only kids can have a snow day?

P.S.: it’s only 9 am. I get to do it all over again this afternoon.

Last week I went public with my objective of publishing my first book by January 31st, 2008. It’s a dream I’ve had since starting my company sixteen years ago. But I’ve procrastinated, rationalized and side-stepped going through with this.

Oh, I know all the great reasons why writing a book is a crucial part of success, both from a professional as well as a personal perspective: marketing, passive income, credibility, self-esteem, confidence and personal satisfaction to name a few.

I know I have solid material that has value. Readers of my eBooks and eXecutive Summaries and those who’ve listened to my audio programs or participated in my seminars have told me I have practical information that impacts others’ results and lives.

And I’m quite familiar with the issues and obstacles to achieving the end result: costs in time, effort, energy and resources. I’ve looked at them all, and used each to delay getting the job done.

Now I pretty well have to go through with it.

But I’m really struggling with where to start. Do I take existing information areas and patch them together into one global networking encyclopedia? Should I simply take one networking content area and expand on it to create an expanded document? Or do I create a new area or focus that I can address through my expertise and experience on this topic?

I must admit I’m a little stuck right now. So I’m using my new blog resource as an outlet to experiment with a number of options as I move forward. I plan to make this a buffet of different information pieces out of which I can see the best option.

My only commitment to myself right now to write, every day if I can, and populate this site with as much of my material in as many differing variations as seems to make sense. So check back often, and let me know what informs, excites and motivates you.

Well over 95% of professionals who attend my networking seminars and workshops admit that they have a problem remembering names. Most people realize that using someone’s name is beneficial, yet just about everyone admits this is something they don’t do well.

Remembering someone’s name is a fast way to establish rapport by making the other person feel important. Just about everyone knows this. So why is it that we can’t remember names?

The issue has more to do with timing and value than anything else. Remembering names is not easy, particularly during an introduction when focus is on eye contact, smiling, shaking hands, and stating names.

Here are some ideas to help you be more effective at remembering names.

Increase your awareness. Most people are not aware that the main reason they cannot remember names is due to the timing of the information. By increasing your awareness you will tend to listen better and remember more.

Recognize the impact of names. Remembering and using a person’s name is one of the simplest and most powerful ways of building trust. We love the sound of our own name and hearing it out loud makes us feel warm and comfortable.

Increase the value of a name. If the person were a long-lost cousin who was going to leave you a million dollars, would you remember his/her name? By focusing on the value of the other person, you will remember her/his it more easily.

Get into the habit of remembering names. Remembering a name is simply developing the ability to retain information at a more conscious level. Developing the discipline of consciously retaining this information really helps.

Focus only on the first name. Instead of trying to download and remember both a person’s first and last name, try to initially focus on just the other person’s first name. This simplifies the process and allows you to reap the benefits with half the pressure.

Repeat the name. Finding a way to repeat the person’s name within the first few seconds of hearing it is an excellent way of helping lock this information into your longer-term memory. Adding the name to your first question increases your chance of remembering.

Relate the name. Relate the other person’s name to someone in your personal database. As you think through your list of contacts or friends, you will identify better with it. Mentioning “I have a sister named Sue” will help you greatly.

Associate the name. Sometimes it is easier to try and associate the other person’s name to some physical object or issue. Associating the name to their profession (Len the lawyer) or a physical attribute (Harry has a hairy beard) can be helpful.

Use tools. Look at the person’s name tag, ask for a business card then keep it in your hand to refer to while speaking or listening. In fact, asking for a busienss card at the first opportunity can easily eliminate the whole name issue.

Accept reality. Accept the fact that you will never be able to remember every name you hear. When you forget someone’s name, simply apologize, ask for their name again and use one of the techniques above to help retain the name.

Do you have additional tactics to remember names? I’d love to see them so we can add them to the list.

Imagine this.

You’re sitting at your desk the morning after a networking event. You met a number of new contacts, had some great conversations and collected a dozen business cards. You sit there, staring at the cards and have one, or a number, of the thoughts below:

I hope they call. Most sounded like they were really interested.

If they want to work with me, they’ll call.

The last time I followed up no one bought, wanted to meet, or even called back.

I followed up and got no business. It’s waste of time.

My job was to give them my info. I don’t need to call.

I don’t have time for all theses calls. And if they do buy, I can’t handle the business.

These thoughts just keep rolling around in your head until the phone rings, the boss walks in or something urgent grabs your attention. At that point, you put the cards in your drawer, promising yourself you’ll call them once you get things caught up. Two weeks later, you open the drawer and find the cards. You pick them and think,”it’s probaly too late to follow up” and throw them in the wastebasket.

Now, we both know the story doesn’t relate to you, but the truth is that very few professionals follow up. In fact, reasearch has shown that about 90% of people who attend networking events don’t follow up.

If the premise of business networking is to connect with others who may want, need or have the ability to buy from us, why don’t we follow up? Doesn’t this fly in the face of common sense? Why invest the time to attend an event, overcome the stress of an intial contact, exchange contact information if you’re going to have the courtesy, let alone the professionalism to build on that connection?

Could it be most people have it backwards? Let’s look at some business facts:

1. It’s been consistently proven that networking is the most cost-effective strategy for growing a business, driving sales or building revenues.

2. People do business with people they like, know and trust. We buy people first, ideas next and things last, in that order.

3. Most networking conversations occur in under three minutes.

4. Very few people (if any) will buy a product or service in under three minutes. As consumers today, we’re all too informed, aware and cautious.

5. Relationships are the basis for success in business and in life. Most often, doing business with someone is a by-product of a relationship.

6. When used effectively, a three-minute conversation can create an incredible bond and act as the launch pad for a relationship.

7. Relationships take time, require investment and need to be nurtured.

8. Following up after a networking conversation is an opportuntiy to create additional contact, which can have a direct impact on building and strengtheing a relationship.

9. Using this logic, souldn’t a primary objective of a networking conversation be to discover opportunities for the other person to want to stay in touch?

10. Once areas of common interest or complementary value are discovered, follow is not perceived as an intrusion, rather it is welcomed as a sign of professionalism, adding to trust, integrity and respect.

What’s your biggest follow up issue?

Many people believe the upcoming holiday season means networking becomes unproductive. Nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, holiday networking is one of the most effective strategies for accelerating business results.

Too many professionals see the non-business emphasis of events such as Christmas parties, gift exchanges or formal holiday banquets as a waste of time. They either skip them entirely or skip out early, once they feel they’ve made the show of being there.

The dichotomy of business networking is that it’s about developing relationships, not driving revenues. Doing business with others is, in fact, a by-product of relationships. So participating in holiday events is an opportunity to develop more and deeper context with clients, colleagues and contacts, and accelerating your chances for success.

Here are five strategies to maximize holiday networking.

Embrace these events. They are powerful and productive relationship-building experiences due to the shift in focus from business to personal areas. Meeting spouses, asking about family or sharing holiday plans are excellent opportunities to demonstrate you care and develop new areas of interest. And people are naturally more open about these areas at this time of year.

Prepare for holiday networking success. Discover who will be in attendance that you might want to meet or connect with. Can you arrange to sit with an influential colleague or key prospect? Remember, investing an evening with someone, especially when it focuses on personal areas, creates an incredible connection. What better way to jumpstart your revenues for the new year?

Maximize the holiday networking process. Accept that this is not a night off, it’s one of your most important and effective business development activities when used properly. Be on your best behaviour; limit (or better yet, abstain from) alcohol intake; keep conversation topics positive; watch your table manners; respect your table partners. And lastly, make this an evening to remember for those around you. You, will then be remembered.

Accept that business is secondary. Put business on the back burner. You will, of course, be asked what you do. Have a strategic and succinct positioning statement prepared and ready, But resist the temptation to expand on your product or discuss your company. Rather, ask for a business card or your conversation partner’s contact info and suggest you will follow up after the event. That way, you won’t bore others and keep the focus in the right place.

Follow up after the event. It is proper etiquette to thank the host/hostess. Send a personalized note or call to thank the person for inviting you, even if it’s a company event. Express appreciation and compliment something relating to the event. This should be done within 48 hours. And don’t forget to contact those people you connected with, They’re waiting for your call. Use the common interest areas you discovered to create additional contact.

Holiday networking is an excellent opportunity to renew relationships and create new ones. They hold incredible potential when used wisely. What ideas or insights do you have to help others maximize networking during the upcoming holiday season?