Tweet

Smart Women Get Out of the Office

Guest post by: Joy Chudacoff

Article Overview: This article is about the value of in-person networking at conferences and live events. This is a great way to market your business, products and services. This one marketing strategy allows people to interact with you and easily see how they can support your business and make referrals.

Smart Women Get Out of the Office

With summer behind us and kids back in school, women entrepreneurs are flocking to conferences and events to connect with other entrepreneurs and discover new ways to grow their business. Whether you're in a startup phase or you've been in business a few years, getting out from behind your desk and showing up at events is one of the most effective "offline" marketing tools you can use.

One of the "pitfalls" I see in my work with women entrepreneurs is they spend a lot of time marketing online and they let their "offline" strategies fall away. Let's face it, having an online business sounds fun and exciting and it sure does feel like it's a lot less work-right? There's no travel involved, it's cost effective and you don't even have to get out of your pajamas! Online marketing should definitely be one of the tools you use to grow your business. I love online marketing as it's a wonderful way to reach your ideal client (you are most likely reading this article online right now!), but it's not enough. After being an entrepreneur myself for over two decades, I will share with you that having both an online and offline marketing plan is essential to reaching your goals and milestones.

Making a conscious choice to attend conferences and events is key to creating the momentum and visibility that your business needs. As I look back over the years that I've been in business, most of the big "wins" for me came out of attending events. Here are a few smart solutions to use when you attend your next event to grow your business:

1. Dress with Intention - Think about the impression you want to make with the people you meet at the event. Many times, I see people show up dressed in a way that does not resonate with the image they are attempting to create. This does not mean that you need to have expensive clothes or jewelry, but you need to dress professionally in order to attract your ideal client. Put some thought into how you want to show up and be remembered.

2. Arrive on time - or even a few minutes early - This is a must if you feel a little uncomfortable going to events where larger groups feel a little overwhelming. This will allow you to select the seat where you feel most confident and you can greet people as they trickle in. It's also a great way to meet the organizers of the event who are typically centers of influence.

3. Find your "tribe" - As you move around the room, listen to conversations and join in where you find like-minded people. I never try to meet everyone in the room when I go to large events. My intention is to meet like-minded entrepreneurs with whom I can form a relationship. ("A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush")

4. Prepare to share - This is where you need to have your marketing message well-honed. Make sure you have your ideal client defined. Share exactly what the benefits or transformation people receive when they work with you. Be prepared with business cards or other marketing materials. Don't forget to ask people for their cards as well so you can follow-up.

5. Follow-up after the event - This is the main key to success but often the one that's most overlooked. When you get back to the office, spend some time following up with the people where there was a real connection. It's important to take this action step 24-48 hours after the event. This one step can create momentum for potential joint ventures, referrals and partnerships in the future.

Getting out of the office and attending events that attract your ideal client is a smart solution. It allows you to interact in person and give people a feel of who you are and how you can help them. It has been an effective marketing strategy for my business and it can be for yours as well. I invite you to get a date on the calendar today to attend your next event and use the solutions above to increase your visibility which translates into more clients and more income.

Anything is possible. Everything is waiting for you.

*****

Related Articles
  Are Men Smarter Than Women
  1.2 Mission Objectives: Support for Growth-oriented Women Entrepreneurs in Tanzania, 2005
  11.1 Recommended actions – business support and information: Support for Growth-oriented Women Entrepreneurs in Tanzania, 2005
  Women and Financial Security
  Franchise Businesses Appeal to Women Entrepreneurs
  How Smart Women Stay Connected
  Smart Women and Their Relationship With Money
  Smart Women Celebrate Their Independence
  Are MLM Companies For Women Only?
  Smart Women Serve It Up The Right Way
  7.1 Recommended actions – policy coordination and leadership: Support for Growth-oriented Women Entrepreneurs in Tanzania, 2005
  Silence is NOT Golden
  Stress Management: Ladies, Lose The Guilt!
  4.0 The state of women’s enterprises in Tanzania: Support for Growth-oriented Women Entrepreneurs in Tanzania, 2005
  Smart Women Live into and Find the Flow
  Oh, By The Way, FYI, and Other Messages of Great Importance
  Its Time For Women To Lead in America in Entrepreneurship
  Recognize This Growing Market
  Women in direct sales – Five Reasons I Love It!
  Smart Women Practice Quality Not Quantity

Article Tags: business, business products, conferences, marketing, marketing strategy, networking, referrals, visibility, women



Related Forum Posts
Re: History of Women in Business in the United States - Yes. Women have increasingly made positive economic contributions to society and their position is being recognized more and more as seen on the Forbes List of Executive Women. In general, women can be a bit more practical in their approach as entrepreneurs too.
A ton of Great Women - You might want to profile Teresa Cascioli of LakePort Brewery. She has an amazing story! I met her at at the celebratory luncheon for the Profit/Chatelaine Top 100 Women Business Owners. The Top 100 list is also a great resource for inspirational stories of Women Entrepreneurs.
Re: Are entrepreneur women more organized than men? - Women are generally more organised than men. They have good instincts more than men. Women are generally aggressive when it come to business. You don't want to mess up with them.
Re: Are entrepreneur women more organized than men? - The issue of women being more organized than men is true, start from you home, just see how messy the boys are. Women are also very cautious, unlike men who take any risk, a woman will analyze the risk first. Women are also go getter when it comes to business, once they make their mind, then they go for it.
Books for Women Entrepreneurs - There's a thread for good books in the Resources folder, but it doesn't target books for businesswomen particularly, so I figured I'd start such a thread here. It doesn't matter how successful you are in your business - it's always possible to learn something new. In subsequent posts I give Table of Contents and brief descriptions for various titles - most of them devoted to the businesswoman - and sometimes a review. If anyone else has read a review, or has read the book and found it useful, please comment! 1. The Old Girl's Network 2. Mother's Work 3. The 7 Greatest Truths About Successful Women 4. Pitch Like A Girl 5. Workplace Warrior 6. Treasure Hunt: Inside the Mind of the Modern Consumer 7. Contingency Planning & Disaster Recovery 8. She Wins, You Win 9. Napoleon On Project Management 10. Why Good Girls Dont' Get Ahead, But Gutsy Girls Do 11. Comeback Moms: How to Leave Work, Raise Children, and Restart your Career even If you Haven't Had a Job in Years 12. The One Minute Millionaire 13. Talking From 9 to 5 14. Soloing: Realizing Your Life's Ambitions 15. 101 Best Home Based Businesses for Women: Everything You Need to Know About Getting Started on the Road To Success 16. Work With Passion: How to Do What You Love for a Living. Revised and Expanded 17. Fail-Proof Your Business: Beat the Odds and be Successful 18. Confidence: How Winning Streaks and Losing Streaks Begin and End 19. Women Don't Ask: Negotiation and the Gender Divide 20. Millionaire Women Next Door: The Many Journeys of Successful American Businesswomen 21. Start Small, Finish Big: Fifteen Key Lessons to Start - and Run - Your Own Successful Business 22. Rewired, Rehired or Retired: A Global Guide for the Experienced Worker 23. The Martha Rules: 10 essentials for achieving success as you start, build or manage a business 24. The Essentials of Entrepreneurship: What it takes to create Successful Enterprises 25. Net Ready: Strategies for Success in the E-conomy 26. The Promotable Woman 27. Leave The Office Earlier: The Productivity Pro shows you how to do more in less time and feel great about it 28. The Work At Home Balancing Act: The professional resource guide for managing yourself, your work, and your family at home 29. Secrets of Six-Figure Women


Share this article with your friends. Fund someone's dream.

Leave a comment below or share on the left and you'll help support entrepreneurs in Africa through our partnership with Kiva. Over $50,000 raised and counting - Please keep sharing! Learn more.

Newsletter

Get advice & tips from famous business
owners, new articles by entrepreneur
experts, my latest website updates, &
special sneak peaks at what's to come!

Name:
Email:

Popular Articles

Four Reasons Why Entrepreneurs Should Blog

Starting A Set of Books

ROSI Return on SUNK Investment

Suggestions

Email us your ideas on how to make our
website more valuable! Thank you Sharon
from Toronto Salsa Lessons / Classes for
your suggestions to make the newsletter
look like the website and profile younger
entrepreneurs like Jennifer Lopez.