12 Lessons I Picked Up from Attending Seminars

So you just dropped a tidy sum to attend a seminar or some other three-day event. Now it's over and you're exhausted. Your client work is backed up. You have a fistful of business cards to connect with. And your family would like some face time. Time to get back into the swing of life, right? Wrong.

I go to A LOT of seminars. Rubbing shoulders with my colleagues, talking over dinner and debating our hottest industry issues at a live event is honestly one of my secret weapons to success.

Here's a checklist of 12 lessons from any seminar you can apply to future events to maximize your momentum:

  • Collect business cards - Just remember these are not "business cards". They are "people". Each card you collect is attached with an obligation to listen to that person and follow up.

  • Write a note to niggle your noggin - Take a second right then and there to write something on the back of their business card that will remind you of your conversation. Don't trust yourself to remember. These events can be draining. Just make a note.

  • Categorize each business card - Take 4 rubber bands and put each card into one of these categories: a) potential client, b) joint venture, c) general and d) stalker/creepy person (hopefully this is a small pile). Piles "a" & "b" should be a priority for you to follow up with when you get home. Pile "c" can take a few days but don't forget them. And pile "d" you can destroy privately.

  • Keep a portable notebook or recorder with you - You're going to get some brilliant ideas. Save them for posterity immediately. Also make sure you make a note of any follow up action you promise. Personally, I keep a spiral bound index card booklet with me. The paper is firm enough it doesn't rip. Then I can detach them at home and sort out my thoughts.

    • Some people actually keep a small digital recorder around their necks. Great idea!

  • Take lots of pictures and upload online - I have the tiniest little Casio Exilim camera that's no bigger than a credit card! And I take a ton of pictures. People LOVE seeing them later. Be sure to get their name, business and website (A lot of folks have more than one website. Ask first).

  • Show genuine curiosity - You never know when you are a good fit for someone's business. Or if you might form a new friendship. Ask about them. Then shut your mouth and really listen. (It's good practice).

  • Do something unexpected - This isn't just some karmic ideal. It's a very real business (and life) principle. A great example of that was what my husband, John did for Marlon Sanders. In a nutshell, John was just being John -- paying attention to his surroundings and responsive to people. He had no idea who Marlon "was". Well he helped get Marlon out of a bind before his presentation without any expectation. Marlon not only mentioned my business from the stage in front of over 400 people, but he dedicated an entire ezine to lionizing John, including a link to my site. (Thanks to Marlon, John now has god-like status in our house).

  • Get away from the same old crowd - It's tempting to hang with the people you know. Especially when you don't see your online friends that often. That's fine. Just make sure you take some spins around the hallway and forge some new friendships, too.

  • Take mini breaks - You're getting bombarded with a lot of information and a lot of different energies. It's easy to get depleted. Mini breaks will keep you going. But don't miss an entire presentation if you can help it. You will undoubtedly miss the biggest aha moment of the seminar.

  • Do NOT make deals or promises - The excitement makes this a hotspot of deal-making, but don't. Not yet. Talk about it. Brainstorm. Come up with different scenarios. But don't talk money or legal issues until you're back in a sane, stable environment -- like home.

  • DO buy extended packages from the speakers - I didn't "get" this when I first started going to seminars. First of all, you will never remember everything you heard from a speaker. Total immersion is the only way to really get those lessons to soak in.

    • Secondly, you always get a much better deal onsite! If you're moved by a speaker, then let that person teach you his or her expertise. Seminars are the best places to find and connect with your mentor. (Now that I think about it, every mentor I've had I met in person at a seminar first. Hmmm. I don't know if that's so for everyone, but I believe in the power of taking a piece of a dynamic, successful speaker home with you.)

  • Plan to take 1-2 days off work for follow up -Here is where 90% of the people miss the boat. You have all those business cards and connections. Remember the categories and the notes we made? Now it's going to be easy for you to follow up. Send out a short, friendly email to categories, "a", "b" and "c". (I try to add a personal touch to each one, but you don't have to. It's time well spent, though. Taking that extra minute really separates you from the masses.) However, if you send out a group blast, be sure to use the BCC (blind carbon copy) so you don't expose everyone's emails - that is a huge pet peeve of mine. This is a nice time to have those photos uploaded.

    • Warning: Do NOT sign them up automatically for anything, even f~ree stuff like an ezine or e-course. It's okay to include a link to your site in your signature line or the P.S., but don't assume they want your materials unless they opt in. A phone call or a postcard will make you stand out even more.

    Like I said, seminars have become my business bread and butter. They can work for you too. Will I see you at the next event?

    International copywriting trainer, author and speaker, Lorrie Morgan-Ferrero has been a freelance writer and journalist for over 25 years. Her words have made her clients hundreds of thousands of dollars. Now she focuses her vast experience on teaching others the skill of copywriting. Lorrie is the author of a highly acclaimed copywriting course, creator of the Red Hot Copywriting Bootcamp and founder of Copy Campus, a unique membership resource site designed to support copywriters and entrepreneurs on all levels. Visit her site to learn more at http://www.red-hot-copy.com.

    In The News:

    pen paper and inkwell


    cat break through


    The Benefits of a Marketing Plan

    What is a Marketing Plan? Marketing is to do with... Read More

    Developing a Contact List- Part One

    One of the most essential things to successful networking is... Read More

    How to Add Warmth, Color & Texture to Your Advertisements

    "?A powerful agent is the right word?" --Mark TwainAnd what... Read More

    How to Start a Big Mail Service

    A BIG MAIL SHOULD CONTAIN:At least three to four Mail... Read More

    Are You Guilty Of Interruption Marketing?

    You muted the commercials on the TV last night because... Read More

    Communication Breakdown - Dont Let It Happen To You

    Do you have Communication breakdown?How are you communicating with your... Read More

    Marketing Strategy and Template for Independent Professionals

    Having a marketing strategy and marketing approach is very important.... Read More

    What Can Star Wars Teach You About Creating a Buzz for Your Business?

    Many people think marketing is some type of mystery that... Read More

    After Your Postcard Mailing: Follow Up with Finesse

    I've heard a lot of people lament the fact that... Read More

    FREE Means MORE Business

    Why give freebies?We have all seen freebies at trade shows... Read More

    Is It Time To Revisit Your Marketing Strategy?

    Small & Mid Sized Business owners, have you revisited your... Read More

    Testing Your Way To Prosperity

    I have always enjoyed talking to a Realtor friend of... Read More

    The Anatomy of Hype

    On a copywriting board I frequent, someone expressed bafflement that... Read More

    How A Tiny 10 Year Old Girl Can Throw A 20 Stone Man - 3 Key Lessons In The Gentle Art Of Business

    Half my immediate family trained in Judo and excelled in... Read More

    Color Part 1: Accuracy

    Color is one of the most difficult parts of a... Read More

    What You MUST Understand About Your Web Numbers

    Two years ago, when I first started selling online, I... Read More

    11 Powerful Marketing Tips

    Each of these 11 marketing tips is based on a... Read More

    Ten Crucial Questions

    Ten Crucial Questions for Your Business Future I'm... Read More

    Service Marketers; How?s Your Packaging?

    When a shopper picks up a product in a store,... Read More

    The Information Publishers Secret Resource Guide To Blow Customers Away!

    Have you ever heard the saying, "Give and you shall... Read More

    The Easiest Marketing Plan Youll Ever Find

    When it comes to marketing there's simply too many choices.... Read More

    Practice Marketing: How to Answer What Do You Do? to Increase Prospects, Publicity and Profits

    "What do you do?""I'm a CPA. What do you do?""I'm... Read More

    Marketing Strategy - Getting the Marketing Groove

    Wouldn't it be great to have a year where your... Read More

    Custom Lanyards - The Perfect Solution for Promotion, Branding, and Marketing

    Lanyards are fast becoming the new "must have" promotional item.Events... Read More

    Your Secret Marketing Weapon

    As a professional service provider, you're paid for what you... Read More

    The M-Word

    It was a real eye-opener to hear the perceptions people... Read More

    The M-Word (Marketing) Phase 2

    Last month we looked at what you need to do... Read More

    Writing Marketing Copy That Sells

    When your prospects see your marketing materials, your brochure, your... Read More

    Your 30 Second Commercial

    This tip is so simple, that many people we've talked... Read More

    The Illusion of Print Mail Services

    If ever there was a lazy way to easy profits... Read More

    How to Save Thousands on Your Marketing

    Marketing can be expensive. It doesn't have to be, but... Read More

    What Does Your Business Card Say About You? - Making A Great First Impression!

    Interesting article in USA Today that I read this week... Read More

    Trade Show Marketing ? Getting Prepared for the Big Event

    With the increase in number of tradeshows being held across... Read More