How to succeed at conferences

Florin Tatulea discusses the common mistakes SDRs and AEs make during conference seasons, especially with follow-ups, and offers practical tips to improve:

1. Have a plan: Don't rely solely on marketing for leads. Instead, collaborate with your SDR/AE to create a target list of 25-50 accounts that will attend the conference and develop a strategic plan.

2. Avoid generic messages: Customize your messages. Generic content from marketing doesn’t engage well. Focus on being helpful with information about the conference, interesting sessions, and relevant after-parties.

3. Don’t just stay at your booth: Actively walk the conference floor rather than waiting at your booth. Plan which accounts to approach each day and make personal connections.

4. Utilize evening events: Use after-conference events to connect deeply with 2-3 prospects. Prioritize quality interactions over quantity.

5. Take notes for follow-up: Write down key details from each interaction to personalize your follow-up messages. This helps you stand out when you reach out after the conference.

Crush your next conference

Armand Farrokh shares ideas on how to excel at conferences, using his experience from Dreamforce 2023:

Before the conference

1. Schedule meetings early: Pre-arranging 10+ meetings can give you an advantage in a busy event.

2. Identify key events: Prepare a list of important happy hours and mark them in your calendar.

3. Plan to meet important people: Take advantage of being in the same place to meet high-level executives easily.

During the conference

1. Stay sober and alert: Avoid alcohol at happy hours to keep your energy up.

2. Focus on customers: Spend every minute engaging with customers rather than chatting with colleagues.

3. Empower your champions: Help your key supporters shine at the event; they will likely help you in return.

In the meetings

1. Arrive early: Show up 30 minutes early to account for any delays.

2. End meetings early: Give CXOs their time back to make a good impression.

3. Focus on discovery: Prioritize understanding execs’ needs over pitching solutions right away.

Get actively involved in the conference. If you're just going to socialize and eat, you might as well stay home and prospect.