How To Meet Speakers at Conferences

I attend a lot of conferences and it’s our single best way to get new business. Business conferences, technology conferences, social media conferences, you name it – they are all lead pools for us and most people we know.

I attended and spoke at the annual American Association of Inside Sales Professionals (AA-ISP) Conference in Chicago in 2014 (and again in 2015) and this story comes from I did to capitalize on that experience. See the speakers and understand why I was so excited to be there.

I was also looking for new ideas and I was not disappointed. In the process I looked at the speakers and the conference in a new light. I believe what I learned, combined with some analysis, will help have a more "rewarding" experience from conferences you attend.

Break a conference into its elements

First of all, conferences have a pattern – online registration, keynote sessions, break out sessions, exhibits, evening entertainment, awards and best of all – the lobby bar. There is a schedule and you must pay attention. Note who is on what stage and when (especially which day). It is easy to miss a key speaker session because you are watching something less interesting (but perhaps more convenient) in a different room. It will happen, just try and minimize it by being more on top of the schedule, which itself may be subject to change.

I have developed some great practices for getting to know the speakers and most of these ideas work whether you are a speaker yourself or not. Remember – speakers have an hour on stage and then they are side by side with you in the audience the much of the time.

1 – Reach out to select speakers ahead of time

Focus on the speakers you really want to see most at the show, the ones that you will try REAL HARD to see on stage. A list of speakers can always be found on the event web site, along with their bios and even links to their social media sites (in many cases).

LinkedIn is best for reaching out to the speakers, although you should follow them on Twitter as a matter of course. If you invite them to connect, send a nice, customized thank you note when they accept. They will remember you and be looking for you. This message can have links and even an email address while the invitation itself cannot.

2 - Sit where the speakers can see & interact with you

This means about rows 2 thru 6. I suggest the middle area, in front of the speaker, or on an aisle. I like an open space next to me to spread out a bit, but that's not always possible. When I go to rock concerts the aisle seat is mine! It’s similar here.

3 – Make Eye Contact with speakers on stage

Speakers make note of who is engaged with them, who is supporting them and who asks good questions. The header image shows Ken Krogue, co-founder of InsideSales.com, a super big hit at any event he attends. He's one of the most interesting, insightful and humble speakers there is (in this space at least.)

I know its fashionable to share content (like tips) in real time from a session, but it doesn’t boost your position with a speaker as much as paying attention to whet they are saying will.

If you are up front, it’s a teeny bit rude to be creating content, even less than 140 characters of it, instead of paying attention to the speaker most of the time. They will remember the way you make them feel more than the Tweet.

BRIGHT IDEA? Bring a scribe who can take notes for you and “tweet” on your behalf during the presentation. If only we could all do that!

ANALOG IDEA - Take written notes so you can pay closer attention. When the speaker is looking your way, stop writing and look up, make eye contact. The speaker cannot tell if you are taking notes, tweeting  a tip you just learned or doing unrelated email.

4 – Hit the Lobby Bar afterwards and stay a while

Each night the speakers migrate to the lobby bar, some right after the day’s activities, some after dinner. They are in the lobby bar and they are very accessible. You might see slightly different badges on the speakers too. This is me with super duper speaker Antarctic Mike Pierce.

Now, since you have reached out ahead of time, you know what they look like and know a bit about them, right?

5 – Get a picture with your favorite speaker(s)

They love it and they will remember you, even without seeing the picture, The picture taking PROCESS is what cements the thought. Like the photo above.

6 – Reach out to speakers after the event

Tell them what you enjoyed most and what you learned that you will put to use. The sooner after the event the best. I suggest a LinkedIn invitation, one that mentions something from their address (if you can).

Special Tips for Speakers

See what VIP-type activities you can attend. Hosts love to have speakers attend their special functions. It adds value for everyone. It’s free dinner and drinks much of the time – nice deal. These activities are usually held the NIGHT BEFORE the conference and they conclude in the Lobby Bar.

So, these are some of the techniques I use to get to know speakers at conferences, even when I am not speaking myself. I hope they help you create more and better relationships with speakers, presenters and panelists.

About the Author

Mike O’Neil is The LinkedIn Rockstar. He is the world’s first-ever LinkedIn trainer (2006) and he has taught over 500 LinkedIn training sessions, mostly to sales teams that want to learn how to attract more inbound business and sell more effectively using LinkedIn, social media and social selling.

Visit the Integrated Alliances Web site and learn how to help YOUR TEAM sell more effectively with classic rock-inspired social selling programs that can "teach old dogs new tricks" while bring in millennials and other generations as well.