The Ultimate Guide to Getting Your Money’s Worth from Conferences

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As a sales and marketing professional, it’s my job to find points of connection between people and between business. That’s why I laud conferences like Inman’s Real Estate Connect, for their ability to bring together a diverse set of people focused on one industry or topic and dedicated to mutual learning and networking.

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“It’s all about people. It’s about networking and being nice to people and not burning any bridges.”

— MIKE DAVIDSON, B2B MARKETER AND MICRO-BLOGGER

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That being said, I understand that, for many of us, conferences can seem a lot like unnecessary distractions, taking precious time and energy away from work more firmly aligned with putting money in the bank. On top of that, it can cause a lot of anxiety and stress around planning and, worse, socializing. Though real estate is all about people-work, networking with colleagues in the industry can always seem daunting. From my experience, however, conferences do a lot of behind-the-scenes work, beyond outright marketing, advertising, and, of course, selling. It helps create relationships, builds brand awareness, and increases the chance of word of mouth praise that extends far beyond a single weekend. Still not sold on the importance of getting out of the office and making real connections? Check out these statistics from Get Ambassador:

• 43% of consumers are more likely to buy a new product when learning about it on social media. (Nielsen)
• 77% of consumers are more likely to buy a new product when learning about it from friends or family. (Nielsen)
• 49% of U.S. consumers say friends and family are their top sources of brand awareness, up from 43% in 2009. (Jack Morton)
• 81% of U.S. online consumers’ purchase decisions are influenced by their friends’ social media posts versus 78% who are influenced by the posts of the brands they follow on social media. (Market Force)

So I promise it’s not just me waxing philosophical! Conferences and other meetings can have a huge impact to your bottom line and you’ll reap endless benefits if you look beyond immediately hitting the bottom line. To that end, here is an infographic we’ve put together to help you prepare for your next business conference, have fun, and make the most out of your experience.