Conferences offer a golden opportunity to sharpen your skills, stay updated on trends, meet potential clients, connect with referral partners, and ideally grow your practice. But too often, accounting firms will spend a good deal of money on registration, travel, hotel, and even exhibit materials without seeing much in return. To maximize your attendance impact, and stand out from the crowd, you've got to be strategic.
Beyond the expense of registration, sponsorship, and exhibiting is the price of your time away from billable work. If you are going to invest in this marketing opportunity, here are a few things you can do to ensure your effectiveness and improve your ROI.
The power of pre-conference planning
Look at target-rich conferences as an optimal business development environment where you can grow your practice and build your brand.
The importance of pre-conference planning cannot be understated. Don't just go to the workshop sessions and hope to meet a good contact on a break. Review the speaker and attendee list and create a manageable list of top targets that align with your niche and expertise. Spend time researching the individual contacts as well as the businesses they work for to identify common ground and create a path for meaningful conversation.
For example, a regional accounting firm that was heavily involved in affordable housing attended a multifamily conference focused on low-income housing tax credit topics. Through websites and public information sources, they were able to identify and schedule meetings with six real estate development firms that had a full pipeline that would require tax credit expertise. Familiar with LIHTC intricacies, this firm was able to demonstrate expertise from initial outreach through completed meetings and follow-ups.
Don't focus too narrowly
Don't be so focused on client business that you overlook contacts that would be excellent collaborators, referral sources or cross-selling opportunities. Your strategic planning approach should be holistic and incorporate a broad range of individuals that support your niche.
The same firm additionally met with a real estate attorney, a lending officer, two general contractors, and an architect who designed LIHTC housing to code requirements. These five additional meetings led to an expanded network, introductions to three additional developer contacts, and a new meeting with the CFO at one of the general contracting firms. This underlines how thinking beyond clients who sign your engagement letter can lead to business growth and meaningful relationships.
A networking goldmine
Don't wait until the conference begins to start making connections. With your pre-conference plan and ideal target list at hand, start contacting those on your list before the conference and introduce yourself. You can shine here by briefly referencing something you learned in your research about them. Express your interest in connecting at the conference and schedule a brief meeting or plan to meet up over a scheduled lunch or coffee break.
If you take this step correctly, you will walk into the conference knowing you will be engaging with the right people. Don't leave this networking goldmine to chance. You will likely find others will appreciate that you took the time to get to know them and reach out. After all, they are also attending the conference to expand their network and connect with business resources in the industry.
So don't be afraid that this step is too forward or out of line. Often taking the first step is hard for people who don't do this all the time, so in essence, you are doing them a favor by breaking the ice.
Stick to a schedule
Your time at the conference is limited, so make the most of it. Create meetings on your calendar that include top-priority sessions, booked meetings, open networking, and some downtime. Conferences are grueling when approached correctly, so do yourself a favor and block time to go to the hotel gym, take a quick nap, or just have some quiet time in your room so you can refuel.
It's important to block your calendar with all these activities, including downtime, so you receive your reminders and tackle the event in a methodical and planned manner. If it's marked on your calendar, you are more likely to stick to it.
Conferences can truly be game-changers for accountants who take a strategic approach and go beyond showing up to get the CPE. Don't forget, your presence at the conference is also an extension of your personal brand. By planning in advance, booking time with contacts, and following a schedule, you will be on the right path to making your brand shine.
So, this conference season, implement this strategy and get ready to make your mark. Your future clients and business associates are waiting to connect with you!
