We’re
right
in
the
middle
of
conference
season,
and
it’s
time
to
take
stock
of
how
(or
even
if)
you’ve
benefited
from
these
activities.
As
you
may
already
know,
conferences
can
be
time-consuming,
expensive,
and,
in
the
end,
net
little
to
no
actual
new
business.
Considering
all
those
factors,
it
seems
to
defy
logic
that
anyone
still
goes
other
than
to
obtain
CLEs.
Einstein
is
well
known
for
his
definition
of
insanity,
“Doing
the
same
thing
over
and
over
and
expecting
a
different
result.”
Is
that
true
for
you
as
it
relates
to
the
way
you
work
or
don’t
work
a
conference?
The
real
value
in
attending
conferences
occurs
when
the
participant
is
well
prepared.
Devising
a
plan
that
includes
being
added
to
the
agenda
as
a
presenter,
obtaining
an
attendee
list
in
advance,
and
making
a
point
of
scheduling
coffee
meetings
with
prospective
decision
makers
prior
to
the
start
of
the
conference
are
a
few
of
the
insider
tips
on
which
you
must
focus.
With
a
well-thought-out
plan
in
advance,
proper
execution,
and
prompt
follow-through,
you
can
change
the
lackluster
conference
experiences
of
your
past
into
results-oriented
time
where
you
actually
generate
new
business.
To
make
my
point
crystal
clear,
think
about
it
this
way;
would
you
willingly
head
into
a
courtroom
for
trial
without
preparing
first?
Of
course
not.
Just
as
there
are
tried-and-true
trial
preparation
tactics
you
learned
in
school
and
on
the
job,
there
are
some
key
“success
elements”
to
obtaining
new
business
from
attending
professional
conferences.
Here
are
three
“no-brainer”
tips
to
get
the
most
value
from
any
and
all
conferences.
Tip
1:
Develop
A
Strong
Conference
Plan
Or
Strategy
-
Do
background
research
on
past
conferences
to
determine
which
sessions
and
receptions
might
include
the
best
prospects
for
new
clients
or
strategic
partners
you’d
like
to
meet. -
Have
a
thorough
review
of
the
guest
list,
if
you
can
obtain
it
in
advance,
in
order
to
understand
the
background
of
the
attendees.
Review
the
list
and
place
a
check
next
to
the
people
you
most
want
to
meet. -
Arrange
pre-event
meetings
(breakfast,
lunch,
or
drinks)
with
some
of
the
prospective
attendees.
Reach
out
proactively
by
telephone
or
email
to
schedule
these
meetings
so
you’ll
have
a
context
in
place
before
the
event. -
Have
discussions
with
peers,
colleagues,
and
friends
who’ve
attended
the
same
(or
a
similar)
conference
in
the
past
to
get
the
“inside”
scoop
on
the
opportunities
available. -
Organize
a
conversation
with
the
event
organizer
to
get
more
information
about
the
meeting
and
to
arrange
introductions
when
attending.
This
can
pay
big
dividends
if
that
person
is
open
to
helping
you
connect
at
the
conference. -
Set
goals
for
the
number
of
contacts
you
plan
to
meet
each
day.
Be
aggressive
with
your
numbers
to
ensure
you’ll
meet
enough
people
with
whom
you’ll
actually
want
to
follow
up
after
the
event. -
Have
a
completed
and
well-rehearsed
infomercial
or
elevator
pitch
to
ensure
you’re
seen
as
focused
and
polished.
Be
prepared
to
improv
or
change
things
up
based
on
with
whom
you
are
speaking. -
Use
a
list
of
relationship-building
and
business-focused
questions
to
ask
those
you
meet. -
Practice
role-playing
to
ensure
you’re
ready
to
ask
effective
questions
that
can
lead
to
the
development
of
strong
relationships.
Tip
2:
Be
Sure
To
Execute
Your
Plan
At
The
Event
Thorough
planning
before
the
conference
matters,
but
just
as
important
is
the
next
element
—
execution.
When
conference
day
arrives,
you’ll
want
to
avoid
becoming
a
wallflower
or
shrinking
violet.
No
matter
how
introverted
you
might
be,
it’s
critical
that
you
show
up
and
perform
with
energy.
Advance
preparation
makes
this
level
of
interaction
more
comfortable
and
natural.
Luckily,
there
are
several
tips
you
can
implement
to
increase
your
“performance”
at
any
conference.
When
meeting
someone
new,
try
to
be
the
first
to
ask
questions.
In
the
beginning,
you
should
focus
on
listening
to
your
contact
and
learning
more
about
this
individual.
The
more
quickly
you
take
in
meaningful
data,
the
more
quickly
you
can
determine
if
this
person
is
someone
you
want
to
invest
more
time
with
or
if
you’d
be
better
served
by
moving
on
and
meeting
others.
At
some
point
during
your
conversation
it
might
be
appropriate
to
ask
your
new
contact
if
any
of
his
or
her
colleagues
at
the
conference
might
benefit
from
meeting
you.
Sometimes
the
person
you’re
talking
to
may
be
better
suited
to
connect
you
to
a
prospect
than
to
become
an
actual
prospect.
Try
to
understand
your
contact’s
business
role,
position
level,
and
circle
of
influence.
These
factors
can
prompt
the
contact
to
effectively
introduce
you
to
his
or
her
contacts.
In
addition,
your
contact
may
know
about
a
cocktail
reception
or
other
similar
event
that
could
put
you
in
a
room
of
possible
prospects
that
you
never
would
have
met
otherwise.
Be
open
to
connections
this
contact
can
facilitate.
Don’t
let
a
good
contact
slip
away.
If
you
meet
someone
who
strikes
you
as
interesting,
well
connected,
or
a
prospective
client,
be
sure
to
get
his
or
her
card.
Try
to
make
arrangements
with
this
person
later.
You
could
do
so
by
saying,
“It
was
really
nice
meeting
you
and
hearing
about
all
that
you
do.
If
you’re
open
to
it,
I’d
really
like
to
meet
again
and
discuss
ways
we
might
be
able
to
help
one
another.
How
about
breakfast
tomorrow?”
If
the
individual
isn’t
available,
make
sure
you
collect
all
of
the
person’s
contact
information
so
you
can
follow
up
accordingly.
Schedule
as
many
quality
meetings
with
other
attendees
as
possible.
You’re
not
building
your
book
of
business
when
you’re
in
your
hotel
room
watching
bad
movies.
Review
the
one
to
three
days
that
you’re
there,
and
commit
any
free
time
to
holding
more
one-on-one
meetings.
No
comma
needed.
Just
as
when
attending
any
networking
event,
label
your
collected
business
cards
with
an
A,
a
B,
or
a
C
to
ensure
that
you
remember
whom
you
met
that
you
thought
might
be
most
valuable
to
your
network.
This
also
will
help
ensure
follow-up
with
the
A’s
and
B’s
directly
after
the
conference.
Connect
with
your
new
friends
on
LinkedIn.
This
will
help
you
better
understand
each
new
contact’s
background
and
who
else
they
know.
This
little
step
can
make
your
follow-up
meetings
even
more
interesting.
Schedule
follow-up
calls
with
attendees
before
you
leave
the
conference.
If
you’re
speaking
with
someone
and
it
makes
sense
to
speak
again,
pull
out
your
phone
and
schedule
the
time
while
that
contact
is
right
in
front
of
you.
This
is
better
than
getting
back
to
them
when
they
might
be
too
busy
to
take
your
call.
Speak
to
the
people
sitting
next
to
you
at
each
meal
and
workshop.
Sometimes
the
best
opportunities
happen
when
you
least
expect
it.
You
can
easily
double
or
triple
your
chances
of
meeting
a
valuable
connection
just
by
doing
this
one
thing.
Tip
3:
Seize
Your
Window
Of
Opportunity
After
The
Conference
The
third
element
of
being
successful
at
a
conference
happens
after
you
leave.
Remember
that
when
developing
new
business
you
typically
have
a
short
48-hour
window
to
follow
up
in
order
to
get
the
best
possible
results.
You’ll
need
to
get
moving
straight
away
when
you
return
to
the
office.
Some
of
my
attorney
clients
will
wait
weeks
before
making
follow-up
phone
calls.
Don’t
leave
to
chance
that
your
new
contact
has
a
good
memory;
you
can
lose
the
chance
to
make
a
connection
with
even
those
who
do
once
they
get
back
to
their
“daily
grind.”
Additionally,
communicating
early
is
important
because
the
energy
of
the
conference
is
still
fresh
for
your
prospects.
If
you’re
looking
for
one
way
to
help
make
a
follow-up
call
or
email
stick,
say
the
following
to
a
valuable
connection
before
leaving
the
conference,
“I’d
really
like
to
follow
up
with
you
again
to
continue
this
conversation.
Is
it
best
to
reach
you
through
email
or
just
to
call?”
This
way
you
also
ensure
you’ll
be
touching
base
using
the
contact’s
preferred
manner
of
communication
Success
Tactics
For
Following
Up
With
Potential
Strategic
Partners
-
Review
the
person’s
LinkedIn
profile
to
see
your
second-degree
and
his
or
her
first-degree
connections.
This
will
help
you
better
qualify
possible
introductions
you
might
ask
your
new
contact
to
make. -
Develop
questions
to
better
understand
the
individual’s
business,
including
your
contact’s
target
market.
Try
to
think
of
connections
you
could
foster
for
this
new
acquaintance.
Always
remember
that
networking
is
a
two-way
street. -
Ask
questions
to
understand
whether
meeting
face-to-face
or
by
telephone
to
follow
up
makes
more
sense.
Disqualifying
potential
contacts
is
just
as
important
as
qualifying
them,
and
doing
so
can
conserve
your
valuable
time. -
Set
a
“loose”
agenda
for
your
next
meeting
to
ensure
both
parties
will
get
value
and
walk
away
with
concrete
plans
to
help
one
another.
Success
Tactics
For
Following
Up
With
Prospective
Clients
-
LinkedIn
is
an
excellent
tool
for
following
up
with
new
contacts.
Look
for
common
first-degree
connections
to
determine
connections
you
have
in
common.
This
helps
with
relationship
building
and
finding
natural
affinities.
Then
you
can
reach
out
to
your
new
friend
with
a
personal
message
and
invite
them
to
a
lunch,
drinks
or
a
follow-up
call. -
Take
a
few
minutes
to
develop
rapport.
It’s
fine
to
talk
about
the
conference
or
acquaintances
you
may
have
in
common
with
this
person.
Hopefully,
you
jotted
some
quick
notes
about
your
new
connections
while
still
at
the
conference
so
that
you
have
topics
to
chat
about
afterward
that
you
can
tie
back
to
your
initial
conversation.
For
example,
compare
notes
with
your
contact
about
who
you
thought
was
the
best
conference
speaker
or
which
was
the
best
reception
you
attended. -
When
you
get
to
the
phone
call,
be
alert
for,
and
even
gently
probe
for,
any
legal
issues
or
problems
with
existing
vendors
your
prospect
might
be
having.
Anytime
someone
shares
this
type
of
information
with
you,
this
is
an
opening
for
you
to
move
forward
and
help
the
person
improve
the
situation.
If
you
do
identify
problems
you
could
ask
what
issues
in
particular
are
causing
the
contact
and
their
company
the
most
frustration.
Make
sure
you
know
if
they
are
interested
in
discussing
this
with
you
before
asking
this
question. -
Schedule
a
full
meeting
during
this
follow-up
call.
The
goal
isn’t
to
“close
a
sale,”
but
rather
to
gain
commitment
to
the
next
step:
a
full
meeting. -
Try
to
understand
whether
your
contact
is
a
decision
maker
for
the
company
or
newer
counsel.
If
not
the
main
decision
maker,
ask
subtle
questions
about
the
contact’s
business
to
find
out
who
the
decision
makers
are. -
Set
an
agenda
for
your
meeting.
This
will
set
up
the
meeting
to
accomplish
both
your
goals
and
those
of
your
contact.
Keep
in
mind
that
relationship
building
takes
time.
Unless
your
new
contact
has
needs
for
your
services,
it
might
be
months
or
years
before
the
business
comes
your
way.
The
good
news
is
that
with
strong
relationship
building
skills,
questioning
skills
and
follow
up,
you
have
a
much
better
chance
of
landing
the
business
than
if
you
did
none
of
the
above.
Like
with
any
good
story,
there’s
a
beginning,
middle
and
end.
Think
of
each
conference
the
same
way.
There’s
planning,
execution
and
follow
through
needed
to
have
a
happy
ending
with
your
conferences.
I’m
sure
if
you
think
back
to
the
conference
you
attended
most
recently,
you’ll
see
a
number
of
my
suggestions
would
ultimately
have
“filled
the
gaps”
that
existed
without
any
processes
being
utilized.
Use
these
methodologies,
and
you’ll
experience
a
dramatic
shift
in
your
results,
which
is
the
name
of
the
game
here.
Steve
Fretzin
is
a
bestselling
author,
host
of
the
BE
THAT
LAWYER
Podcast,
and
business
development
coach
exclusively
for
attorneys.
Steve
has
committed
his
career
to
helping
lawyers
learn
key
growth
skills
not
currently
taught
in
law
school.
His
clients
soon
become
top
rainmakers
and
credit
Steve’s
program
and
coaching
for
their
success.
He
can
be
reached
directly
by
email
at [email protected].
Or
you
can
easily
find
him
on
his
website
at www.fretzin.com or
LinkedIn
at https://www.linkedin.com/in/stevefretzin/.