Conferences are great places to meet new clients and gain valuable business contacts. I know because I'm about to end 2011 strongly and my 2012 already has several projects scheduled, all thanks to knowing how to work a conference.
Depending on your specialty, there are any number of conferences available for you to attend. If you're a generalist, even better. You can go where your interests lead. Finding conferences can be as simple as going to places like All Conferences.com or searching for conferences in your city ("conferences in Las Vegas", for example). Also, check with your local convention center or visitor's bureau for lists of upcoming conferences. If you specialize, search for your particular specialty (such as "healthcare conferences").
There's no investment necessary beyond the airfare, hotel reservation, and some meals. Most conferences will admit members of the press for free. Just ask well before showing up or booking that airline ticket. The investment is minimal, and the payoff can extend years out.
Once you know where you're going, it's time to put together your strategy.
Plan it. At least six months in advance, start with the conference exhibitor lists. I locate companies I'd like to do business with by visiting their websites and researching them. Using an Excel spreadsheet. I note the company name, contact name, emails, phone numbers, and several columns to record when I contacted them.
Get on the press list. Let the organizers know your contact information. That way you'll receive invitations to events and hospitality suites.
Make contact. That first note is crucial to getting your foot in the door. Start by mentioning you're heading to the conference, which is now just six months away, and would like to gauge their interest in using your writing and editing skills to get some of the conference projects completed. Note that a number of larger companies will undoubtedly have their materials already together six months prior to a show, but not all companies will. That's where you can gain an advantage.
What to include in that first note - mention of your background, especially how it relates to their business, links to samples (don't send attachments on first contact), and plenty of mention of their business. Your job is to show them you're paying attention, not to impress them with your background. If they don't have press releases or they have an active blog, mention these as potential areas where you may be of some assistance.
Follow up. Two weeks have gone by and they haven't responded. Is it too soon to follow up? Not if you want the job. Depending on the timeframe and communication method, I've contacted companies anywhere from two weeks after first email contact to four weeks after first letter and brochure mailing. You can use the same communication method for your follow up, or you can try calling, writing, emailing, whatever you prefer. Clients don't all share the same fondness for your preferred communication method. Mixing it up can help you find the best way to reach each client.
Schedule it. Once you've gained their interest, request a meeting time. Most clients will ask to wait until a week before the conference so they know their schedules better. Jot it down on your tracking sheet and put an appointment on your calendar to get back in touch.
Show up armed. With brochures, that is. I like to have a stack of brochures with my business card (two of them) clipped to the inside. Those I'm meeting with will see my portfolio, which I've prepared in advance. (I use a simple presentation book from Staples to give them a snapshot of my background.)
A word of caution - don't take several portfolio books with you. No one enjoys carrying home one more thing from a show, and the chances of your portfolio landing in a hotel trash can are great. Offer to send it to them the following week. They'll be happy and you'll create one more point of contact with them, and one more opportunity to tailor your presentation to their needs.
Let them talk. When you arrive at the client's booth or at your lunch meeting, smile, introduce yourself, then ask them about their business. Listen. Take notes. Ask pointed questions about what they'd like to be doing with their communications, what has worked (or hasn't) in the past, and what they think their biggest obstacles are to getting their message across. By asking smart questions, you come across as someone who's knowledgeable about communications and interested in improving their business. You can tell them about your skills, but make sure you do so in the context of what they're needing. Make it about them. Always.
Visit others. Chances are you'll have plenty of free time at a conference. Use that time wisely. Visit various booths, say hello, then ask them to tell you about their product or service. Remember to let them talk first, and mention what you do only after you've asked at least two questions about them.
Attend free events. Hospitality suites, breakfasts, press announcements are great places to meet clients. I met a few clients once in a submarine tour in the Caymans sponsored by one of the companies exhibiting at the show. Take advantage of every opportunity to meet people in that industry, and always have business cards handy.
Follow up. Now that you know them, stay in front of them. Send them a note the Monday or Tuesday following the conference. Offer again to send additional information or to speak further about projects. Continue that contact. In four to six weeks, send them another note asking how they are, what they're working on, how you can help. Don't push. Just remind them you're a valuable asset waiting to help them reach their communications goals.
Lori Widmer is a veteran freelance writer, editor, and co-founder of the About Writing Squared Five Buck Forum, a members-only writing business resource center. She blogs regularly at Words on the Page.
