Three things that guarantee success

Want to do really great things with your conference? If you follow these simple rules you will get off to a great start.

Firstly, you need to present a conference that captures the imagination and is:

Interesting and well positioned
With a leading edge agenda
That is fantastically well written
Is free from spelling and grammatical errors
And has genuine leaders as nominated presenters

Secondly, nominate a topic or panel that engages your prospect and is:Firstly, you need to present a conference that captures the imagination and is:

Appropriate to the company and the speaker
Their known hobby-horse / favourite subject
Forward-looking and creates positive industry profile and credibility for the company and the presenter
Stimulating and exciting
Peer rich

Thirdly, personalise your communications and flatter your prospect. And communicate extremely professionally at all times.

By doing these Three Things – necessary conditions – you will create an excellent conference.

These are writing things – the better and more creatively you write the conference the easier it will be to confirm presenters.
These are research things – the more you know about the industry (and it’s food chain and pecking order), the company and the prospect, the easier it will be to get presenters.

Presenter psychology

You need to put yourself in a prospect presenter’s shoes.

Imagine you are one of the world’s leading executives in one of the world’s leading corporations and a globally recognised expert in a particular discipline. You:

Have incredible professional demands – making money for your company
Are often asked to promote best practice throughout your company
Are in constant demand in marketing and other disciplines in your company
Are in demand as a speaker for company conferences
Are continually asked to contribute to professional bodies and associations
Are asked to present at 50 professional conferences a year
And you will probably have a very full personal / family life

So in a very demanding world with incredible event and conference noise, you need to present a very interesting and attractive proposition.

So Ms Big Cheese, why should you agree to be a panelist at an IMAPAC event?

It will improve my professional standing in the industry – maybe leading to a pay rise or a job offer
It will extend my high peer network
It will create profile / marketing for the deals we are doing
It makes my job easier (We are all marketers and deal makers)
It is an extremely cost-effective way of achieving company and personal goals
It enables me to make a big statement to the discipline / industry / government / suppliers
It puts me in contact with innovation and new business ideas
It keeps me at the forefront in a competitive environment
It promotes the advancement of the industry / discipline

There needs to be a big cost / benefit pay-off. It really is that simple!

Invitation channels and rules

Always telephone the office of the prospect and, if possible, speak to her. The bigger the prospect the less likely it will be that you will make direct voice contact.
Immediately follow up with an email invitation with the conference agenda attached.
For Keynotes and very senior executives snail mail invitations. In a very noisy world this is extremely effective.

Invitation letter

At a minimum your invitation letter should consist of the following:

The eight word expression of the conference proposition / USP.
Embellishments – confirmed big gals or previous success
Flattery - “why we are inviting” the prospect
Presentation of topic
Brief explanation of what is required – keynote, panel, case
Other confirmed speakers
Who will be attending
About the brand / about IMAPAC
Interest in sponsoring
Wrap and deadline for acceptance

Running the numbers

Inviting and confirming speakers is a numbers game – the more you invite the more success you will get. As in most sales related activities. Confirmation/Invitation Conversion Ratio. Typically this will be somewhere between 10% and 30%. Top-line. If you need 36 presenters on your program and your conversion ratio is 20% you will need to invite 180 prospects. Per slot. If you need five panelists you will need to invite 25 prospects. But it is not just about numbers – it’s about quality too. The more you know, the more connected you are the higher the conversion ratio and the easier it will be to do your job, and do it well.

Getting past the gatekeeper

Be respectful.

Make an enemy of the PA, and you’re making your job ten times harder…the decision maker will listen to what the PA has to say about your attitude or approach and will probably not take your call no matter how relevant it might be.

Sound confident and professional

The gatekeeper needs to believe that you are a serious enough individual to warrant a conversation with her boss. In other words: you need to sound like her boss. Don’t sound evasive: explain the purpose of the conversation and what you’re trying to achieve. Keep it simple and business focused.

Project your voice – “Hello I’m Ross Campbell. I’m the Director of the …”

Use your knowledge

Any knowledge you have of the organisation or individual’s priorities will be helpful. Especially if you have a quote or have seen the person’s name in an article connected with the event’s subject matter or audience.

Keep control and use questions

Ending your sentences with a question is one good way of keeping control as it encourages the gatekeeper to give you information. Eg instead of “My name is John Smith” ask “This is John Smith here. Is Mary available?”

Find and use additional points of contact in the organization

Identify and approach other individuals. Build up your contact base and knowledge of the organisation. Establish potential relevance. They may be able to introduce you or suggest an alternative approach.

Use your broader network

Ask colleagues, associates, other vendors. Reach out for assistance, information and introductions wherever possible.

Try early, middle, or late

An old method but a good one: try outside of normal business hours or during lunch when the pa is less likely to be at their desk.

Project confidence and professionalism at all times.