In Part 1 of our three-part Conference ROI series, we covered how to prepare for being away from your MSP and choose which events to attend. In this article, we’ll focus on preparation in the days right before the event and while at the event itself.
Putting together an action plan before your arrival at an industry event is essential to maximizing your ROI. However, building a quality plan of attack goes beyond just glancing over the event itinerary. Here’s how to build a conference action plan—and see it through—to get the most value possible out of your time away from your MSP.
Choosing Which Sessions to Attend
Most industry conferences have several tracks with different focuses and countless breakout sessions and peer groups, all happening simultaneously. While attending main stage sessions and keynotes is a no-brainer, it can be hard to narrow down which other sessions are most valuable to attend.
Dawn Sizer, co-founder and CEO of 3rd Element Consulting, starts by looking over the complete agenda and marking any session that she might want to attend, regardless of track. As for how she narrows it down from there, “It’s all about what [her] goals are this year,” Sizer says. “[I’m looking at whether the sessions] are going to align a lot with that. If there’s something very specific inside of the business that we’re looking to improve, like a process or a policy, those are the sessions that I’m going to go to.”
Additionally, Sizer makes a point to attend sessions put on by associates. “If I know them, chances are I’ll show up to lend support. Cheerleading is just as fun to do, quite frankly,” she says.
(Don’t Just) Get Technical
Lisa Shorr, owner of Shorr Success and co-owner of Secure Future Tech Solutions, advises against just sticking to technical sessions. “Please go to some of the professional development sessions,” she says. We need to grow ourselves and build our skills and our leadership abilities. You’re a leader at an MSP. Everyone has a leadership role, regardless of title, so make a point [to attend] a couple of technical sessions, and a couple of sessions on the professional development, management, marketing, leadership, and business development side of things.”
Shorr also stresses not waiting until the last minute to choose your sessions. “It’s so overwhelming to do it the day of, or when you get [to the conference],” she says.
In a similar strategy, Antwine Jackson, founder and president of Enitech Solutions, chooses his sessions by looking over the agenda a few days before the event. “One thing I may look at is whether there’s a session that’s going to change my perspective of how I run the business day-to-day,” he says. “So, I may look for something from the operational bucket, because that’s one of our weaknesses as an organization. For things that we’re OK at, like sales and marketing, I may find something to add to my skill set, or that may challenge what I think I’m good at.”
That said, it’s still important to keep up with technology trends. Jackson will sometimes send one of his technicians to cover tech track sessions. Or, if he’s attending alone, he’ll sit in on a tech track if it’s “something that can help one of our technical leaders on our team. Then the following year, I bring them to the event.”
Make Time for Networking
Networking—with both your vendors and other MSPs—is one of the most important, yet most often neglected topics when it comes to building a quality action plan at industry events. Jackson’s action plan includes scheduled plans with important contacts: vendors, account managers, and other MSP leaders. For Sizer, networking with her peer group members or other MSPs is a top priority—she typically messages them via LinkedIn prior to the conference to schedule time to grab a drink or coffee.
As for why networking is so important, Shorr (pictured right) says that it is “a great opportunity to not only network with your vendors, but also to meet other MSPs who are partners and are using that product, and can potentially share best practices.” She says that forming relationships with vendors can also help build rapport, increasing the chances of MDF or escalated tickets when issues arise.
Out of the hundreds or sometimes thousands of MSPs in attendance though, it can be hard to know who to form a relationship with. Shorr recommends, “someone who is at [your] level of revenue, who is experiencing what [you’re] experiencing. I look for that because they’ll either go through the same problems [as I do], or they’ve already experienced and solved them.” Shorr also looks for MSPs who can be “boots on the ground” for her, allowing her MSP to support clients outside of their usual service radius.
Other Advice, From One MSP to Another
“Make every moment count,” says Jackson, but not in the Disney movie sort of way. Instead, since his MSP has clients all over the world, he plans to arrive at a conference a little early or stay a little late, and schedules meetings with any clients located in that city. This allows him to get double the return on his travel costs, and bolster his client relationships while bettering his business.
Shorr strongly advises not having a vacation mindset while traveling for your MSP. “Work like this is an amazing opportunity. What are you going to learn? That should be your mindset.” Shorr mentions that every show, she sees MSPs who are stuck on their laptops missing sessions, or who miss keynote speeches because they’ve stayed out too late socializing the night before. “It’s a missed opportunity,” she says. “I try to be mindful of all of that, because I’m building my brand; I’m building my credibility.”
Shorr also offered advice from her perspective as an image consultant: “Think about what you’re going to wear to the conference. Dress professional; give the perception of someone who has a successful business and values their brand image. Think about your posture, eye contact, and tone of voice. A strong handshake, a smile, and breath mints go a long way. You don’t know who you’ll be talking to or what conversations you’ll be having. You want to be remembered for a bright smile and engaging conversation—don’t let those other things become distractions.”
Stay Tuned for Next Time…
Creating an action plan is the best way to make the most of your conference ticket. Next week, we’ll be covering how to take all that high-value information you’ve learned at the conference and actually apply it to your MSP—not just leave it getting dusty in the someday, maybe folder. If you missed our first installment in this series, check out how to get the most ROI out of your conference ticket here.
