Events – but prepared
Are there any events that are familiar with your niche? Great. Visit them. But don’t even think about talking to as many people as possible and hand out business cards. Be different! Networking works differently today, and you have to stand out. We all know that the initial excitement vaporizes in dust after two days. And if you did not take any action that leads to new customers, you will ask yourself why.
I was at an event in Florida this year with one of the most famous speakers in the world and 2500 like-minded business owners. It was great and not only because I was prepared. So how do you adequately prepare for an event?
Prepare like a pro
Is there a list of members, a Facebook group, a forum or any source where you can find out who the participants are? If not, build the facebook group, create a google docs spreadsheet and create your list, except if the organisators are willing to send it to you. Be an active part of the event, instead of just watching it happen. I also connect with the people before the event via LinkedIn. If a Facebook group exists, then also via Facebook. This raises the attention and people will know you before they meet you. You will run into people that already know you.
Create your event profile
If you don’t have a website yet that explains who you are, create one. A LinkedIn profile is a good way to start, but a landing page describing you, without any distraction, containing a brief overview and a CV will not only show who you are but also give you the opportunity to place your latest products, services and social links. You don’t want anybody without a LinkedIn or other social media profile to miss the opportunity to get in touch with you, don’t you. Don’t assume that people use those things, give them a helping hand in finding you before and after the event. And as you usually will have to fill out a profile at the events online member area, you can always copy-paste it from your website.
“Slavi, did you do this for yourself?”… everything I unveil here I practice. It is do as I do not do as I say :-)… here you go .
Prepare a gift!
Next time you order business cards, make sure to add this link to it: “events.yourdomain.xyz”. Under this domain, you will always have a clickfunnel ready for the upcoming event. I always prepare a giveaway that fits the event. Most of the times it is a chapter or a few of my book “Time to getLaunched“. Why? People love gifts! Anything for free is a great way to stay connected, so we mastered that. To download the book, people will leave the email address (yes, they do this even if I thought this would never happen – your beliefs are not the beliefs your potential customers have!). And the great combined with the great opportunities clickfunnels offers, you can initiate a first magical $ transaction already at this point! Once the people Opt-In, you have to stay in touch. Therefore I prepare an email sequence before I participate at the event. By doing this, you can avoid writing the same emails over and over again and actively acquire your customers. I use Active Campaign and an alternative is MailChimp.
How do you think about events now? No worries, you don’t have to do all that on your own. I am sure that Adam Moody (who is a partner at getLaunched and listed clickfunnels expert) is willing to support you.
