Two of the best ways to grow your business are speaking and attending live events. It’s that simple! It’s what I coach my clients about all the time – and it’s how I grow my own business, too.
I have been to many LIVE events and have come away with some observations that I want to share with you. I recognize that, for many entrepreneurs, this can be a new experience so here’s your chance to learn from a veteran.
1) Set goals and intentions before getting there. When you have no clear cut goals, it’s easy to be distracted. I was speaking in Las Vegas recently and was scheduled as the closing keynote speaker on a Saturday afternoon. Not my favorite spot – EVER! Las Vegas, people – LOTS of distractions – I even recorded a video about it from down in the Casino. I spent the 2 days of the event talking to participants encouraging them to set goals through to the absolute end of the event so that there would be people in the audience when I spoke. If you are the kind of entrepreneur who attends and you haven’t set any goals – and then can be found in the Casino or elsewhere – what does that say for your professional reputation? Why would you want to be seen like that? Boost your credibility – be the one who is there, who is engaged, who has goals and who will learn.
2) BE PROMPT. Pay attention to the schedule. Be on time – in fact, arrive early. Show respect for the speaker – get in the room, get settled and get ready to learn. For those who wander in and out while someone is speaking is just plain rude – and you will lose credibility. It’s disrespectful and it really reflects on YOU. Don’t be THAT person.
3) AVOID SIDE CONVERSATIONS. This was happening constantly at the event I attended last week. If you’re not interested in the topic and want to have a conversation, then leave the room. Be the professional that you are and show respect, again, for the speaker. There were so many people coming in and out of the room, and chatting at the back of the room by the coffee – it was annoying and distracting for those of us who were there to listen and learn. Guard your professional reputation and don’t participate in that kind of behavior.
4) AS THE ORGANIZER, STAY PRESENT. I felt so bad for some of the speakers at this one particular event because they were on stage, using a PPT for their presentation and the ‘clicker’ wasn’t working. The slides weren’t advancing – and there was no sign of any of the organizers to come and help this poor woman. It was embarrassing. It was uncomfortable. It was disappointing. I know many entrepreneurs are hosting events these days – and I do know what it takes behind the scenes to keep things moving – however, you can easily lose credibility when you all decide to leave the room to take care of other business. Not good, people! Not good. Do not leave your speakers without support.
5. DO NOT ‘CHEAP OUT’ ON YOUR EVENT. This is one of the fastest ways to lose credibility – and I’m not talking about spending thousands of dollars to impress people. I’m talking about the fact that if you are not an event planner yourself, then hire professionals to do the job – and to do a good job of your event – so that you don’t lose credibility by running around like a chicken with your head cut off. Hire professionals. Then you can remain in the room for your event – be the host – support the speakers – network with your participants – get the vibe of the experience for people and take charge. You WILL lose credibility by trying to be all things to all people – it’s just not possible. Putting together, and hosting, LIVE events takes skill and expertise. Outsource it!
It takes a lot of skill and expertise to run a business these days. And it takes a lot of hard work and effort to build credibility in your industry. It doesn’t take much to destroy all that – it often comes from a scarcity mentality! Yes, we must host and attend live events. No question that it serves us well as we build our business.
But it’s critical that we focus on our core competency – and guard our credibility. Avoid these 5 mistakes so that you continue to grow your business, attract ideal clients and make more money.
What has been your experience with/at live events? I’d love to hear…….
