Getting the Most Out of Conference Attendance

It's that time of year when budgets are being decided for 2011. One of the necessary elements in a budget is conference attendance. Attending conferences has a dual benefit: learning or keeping updated in a substantive area or industry, and business development. Both are critical to a successful practice. As a scholarly profession, and because most states mandate it, conference attendance is an excellent source for Continuing Legal Education (CLE), so it can be an effective use of funds. That being said, to get the most “bang for the buck,” think about how to maximum your conference attendance time.

Seek Out Your Clients

Even if your main goal is to learn something new and acquire CLE credits, pick a conference that will have potential clients in the audience and on the panels. If you are going to spend one day or multiple days attending an event, it's best to attend a program that can satisfy both needs. Thoroughly read the brochures and look for panelists you would like to meet because they could be resources, referrals or possibly clients. Be sure to attend their programs, speak up during the Q &A session, and linger afterwards to introduce yourself.

Identify the Key Players

Review the speaker, attendee, and vendor list to identify a handful of people you would like to meet while attending the conference. Ask your marketing department or do an online search to discover more about them, their company and possibly even their legal needs. By playing “six degrees of separation,” figure out who will be at the conference that you know, and determine if they can introduce you to your selected prospects. Be direct and ask them to make the introduction.

Set Up Meetings

There will be people to catch up with, so call them ahead of time and set up a meeting or ask them to join you for a drink or lunch. It's easier to reconnect than to make new connections, so be sure to mine this source as well. If you have a specific area of concentration that you would like to investigate, plan to meet with those individuals primarily. Have something new or innovative to share so you ignite a renewed interest in you, your practice area or your firm.

Be Prepared

It might seem obvious to mention but check your stash of business cards to be sure your cards have all current and correct information and bring plenty of them. When handing out the card, write a note on the back to remind the person of the conversation and a follow-up activity. If your card does not have your personal cell phone number printed on it, an inviting technique is to handwrite it on the card so when you give it to a contact, it feels that you are giving him or her direct access to you.

At the conference, talk to everyone. Introduce yourself to everyone seated around you at sessions and at meals. Make an effort to sit with people you don't know and ask open-ended questions, which encourage people to give details and speak at length on a topic rather than to give short answers. Ask for business cards and write a note on the back as to where and when you met. Be sure to include any follow-up plans and keep those with the highest potential on top so you will respond to them immediately after the conference.

Practice Your Approach

If talking to strangers makes you queasy, then start before the conference by practicing around the office and when you are out and about. Ask the person down the hall from you what he is working on while standing in the elevator as you leave the office. Ask the person in front of you at the grocery if he likes the brand of ice cream you see in his basket. Overcoming the discomfort of talking to people will make your conference experience that much more enjoyable and hopefully successful in business development.

Learn the Trends and Issues

Networking is important at conferences, but so is learning about new trends or issues. Therefore, stay focused and take notes. In today's world, with I-pads and laptops, it is easy to capture information and file it for future use (if you are cutting-edge, then Tweet what you have learned to your followers; this increases your credentialing). Try not to get so distracted by your electronics that you miss some valuable content. Link ideas you are hearing to client needs or work-related issues so you can identify if content would be good to share with clients or others back at the office.

Share Your Knowledge

After the conference, share your knowledge. A memo can be written or a short presentation can be made at monthly meetings. You can choose to write a summary or make a formal presentation to educate your group. By sharing what you have learned, you give your firm extra benefit from sending people to conferences.

Conference

As a result of selecting and preparing for a conference, you will streamline the use of your time. By knowing ahead of time who you want to meet and making arrangements to do so, you have a captive audience. And finally, by participating and learning, you have expanded your skills and knowledge in an area to better serve your clients. All in all, spending money on conferences is an effective use of firm money.

Sharon Meit Abrahams, a member of this newsletter's Board of Editors, has been training lawyers for over 20 years. Her second book, “100 Plus Pointers for the New Partners,” was published earlier this year by the American Bar Association Young Lawyer Division. She is a regular speaker at top law schools, legal associations and for many non-profits in the areas of communication skills, management, leadership and business etiquette.

It's that time of year when budgets are being decided for 2011. One of the necessary elements in a budget is conference attendance. Attending conferences has a dual benefit: learning or keeping updated in a substantive area or industry, and business development. Both are critical to a successful practice. As a scholarly profession, and because most states mandate it, conference attendance is an excellent source for Continuing Legal Education (CLE), so it can be an effective use of funds. That being said, to get the most “bang for the buck,” think about how to maximum your conference attendance time.

Seek Out Your Clients

Even if your main goal is to learn something new and acquire CLE credits, pick a conference that will have potential clients in the audience and on the panels. If you are going to spend one day or multiple days attending an event, it's best to attend a program that can satisfy both needs. Thoroughly read the brochures and look for panelists you would like to meet because they could be resources, referrals or possibly clients. Be sure to attend their programs, speak up during the Q &A session, and linger afterwards to introduce yourself.

Identify the Key Players

Review the speaker, attendee, and vendor list to identify a handful of people you would like to meet while attending the conference. Ask your marketing department or do an online search to discover more about them, their company and possibly even their legal needs. By playing “six degrees of separation,” figure out who will be at the conference that you know, and determine if they can introduce you to your selected prospects. Be direct and ask them to make the introduction.

Set Up Meetings

There will be people to catch up with, so call them ahead of time and set up a meeting or ask them to join you for a drink or lunch. It's easier to reconnect than to make new connections, so be sure to mine this source as well. If you have a specific area of concentration that you would like to investigate, plan to meet with those individuals primarily. Have something new or innovative to share so you ignite a renewed interest in you, your practice area or your firm.

Be Prepared

It might seem obvious to mention but check your stash of business cards to be sure your cards have all current and correct information and bring plenty of them. When handing out the card, write a note on the back to remind the person of the conversation and a follow-up activity. If your card does not have your personal cell phone number printed on it, an inviting technique is to handwrite it on the card so when you give it to a contact, it feels that you are giving him or her direct access to you.

At the conference, talk to everyone. Introduce yourself to everyone seated around you at sessions and at meals. Make an effort to sit with people you don't know and ask open-ended questions, which encourage people to give details and speak at length on a topic rather than to give short answers. Ask for business cards and write a note on the back as to where and when you met. Be sure to include any follow-up plans and keep those with the highest potential on top so you will respond to them immediately after the conference.

Practice Your Approach

If talking to strangers makes you queasy, then start before the conference by practicing around the office and when you are out and about. Ask the person down the hall from you what he is working on while standing in the elevator as you leave the office. Ask the person in front of you at the grocery if he likes the brand of ice cream you see in his basket. Overcoming the discomfort of talking to people will make your conference experience that much more enjoyable and hopefully successful in business development.

Learn the Trends and Issues

Networking is important at conferences, but so is learning about new trends or issues. Therefore, stay focused and take notes. In today's world, with I-pads and laptops, it is easy to capture information and file it for future use (if you are cutting-edge, then Tweet what you have learned to your followers; this increases your credentialing). Try not to get so distracted by your electronics that you miss some valuable content. Link ideas you are hearing to client needs or work-related issues so you can identify if content would be good to share with clients or others back at the office.

Share Your Knowledge

After the conference, share your knowledge. A memo can be written or a short presentation can be made at monthly meetings. You can choose to write a summary or make a formal presentation to educate your group. By sharing what you have learned, you give your firm extra benefit from sending people to conferences.

Conference

As a result of selecting and preparing for a conference, you will streamline the use of your time. By knowing ahead of time who you want to meet and making arrangements to do so, you have a captive audience. And finally, by participating and learning, you have expanded your skills and knowledge in an area to better serve your clients. All in all, spending money on conferences is an effective use of firm money.

Sharon Meit Abrahams, a member of this newsletter's Board of Editors, has been training lawyers for over 20 years. Her second book, “100 Plus Pointers for the New Partners,” was published earlier this year by the American Bar Association Young Lawyer Division. She is a regular speaker at top law schools, legal associations and for many non-profits in the areas of communication skills, management, leadership and business etiquette.