Salespeople often find themselves at industry conferences or other large meetings where they should be networking. However, in too many cases salespeople fail to optimize the opportunity because they aren’t sure what to do. So, by default, they end up spending time on activities like waiting in line to share a moment with a keynote speaker – which will be forgotten by the speaker and hence a waste of networking time for the salesperson.
So, what might a salesperson do? Here are four ideas:
Know who you want to target at the conference. Then think about what you might do to help them.
Think about thoughtful questions you might ask during Q&A sessions. It’s a great way to gain 30 seconds of airtime and create a basis for subsequent networking.
Use breaks as time to meet people – not snack on munchies or chat on your iPhone.
Be prepared – when you engage a target contact, know what you want to talk about … don’t waste the time discussing the weather.