Last week I wrote about Charles, who is a high performer in the sales industry but struggles at trade conferences. In general, Charles spent a lot of time preparing for his sales calls, but he didn’t know how to prepare for the unstructured nature of a conference floor.

If you want to feel confident at a conference, preparation is everything. When Charles and I looked at why conferences felt overwhelming, we realized it wasn’t just the people, it was the unpredictability. So we developed a blueprint to prepare for typical situations he was likely to encounter.

Know Who’s Coming

If possible, check the attendee list, LinkedIn groups, or event app. Make a list of 5 – 10 people you’d love to meet. Look them up on LinkedIn, not to stalk, but to gather enough context to start a real conversation.

Set Your Own Realistic and Clear Goals

You’re probably not going to close a sale at the conference. So what is your actual goal? Are you hoping to schedule follow-up meetings with potential new clients? Are you trying to learn about the company’s pain points? Is a reasonable objective just to have their contact information so you can start sending them offers or notices of events? What’s a realistic goal?

Know how to begin the conversation. You might want to try some version of:

• “What brought you to this event?”

• “How’s your experience been so far?”

• “That last speaker had some interesting points, what stood out for you?”

Once you have established some rapport and the person you are speaking with hasn’t hidden under the table, you can move to more substantive topics:

• “How do you typically approach [insert challenge]?”

• “Have you seen any solutions here that caught your eye?”

• “Would you ever have a need for…?”

Have a short, memorable sentence that explains what you do. Weave what they told you with the solutions you solve for your clients. Mine is “I help employees work better together” but I modify it to include what the person I am speaking with just said. Back it up with one or two quick examples of how your organization solves problems.

Know How to End  

Don’t fumble when someone asks how to stay in touch. Have your QR code, business card, or LinkedIn profile ready to go. Be prepared with all three if you’re unsure what’s most common at your event.

Next week we will talk about follow-up. Without follow-up, attending the conference may be pointless for you. Don’t waste your time as I did earlier in my career by attending conferences and making great connections, and then not staying in touch!