By Bill Farquharson, Sales Vault – Read this week’s tip below or watch the video here
[Sign up for the May Short Attention Span Webinar, “Where to Look for New Business”, May 11th at 11:30 am

If there is any one time period in my life I’d like to do over, it’s college.

Among the many things I would change, I’d make a concerted effort to connect with my professors. I truly believe my life would have gone in a different direction had I made it a point for them to know my name, thus giving me a chance to better learn the material I was studying, and not just memorize it.

This week, I’ll be attending a conference in St. Louis: Dscoop. It’s the users group meeting for HP Indigo owners. I’ve been to a couple of these events, including the very first one, 12 or 13 years ago, and always remember them being highly interactive, highly educational, worth every nickel it cost to get there, and a lot of fun.

Follow Dscoop on Instagram and you’ll see what I mean.

In addition to presenting, one of my goals for conferences like these is always to make as many connections as possible.

Network. Network. Network.

That process began last week. I don’t know who will be attending, but I do know who will be presenting and it’s those subject matter experts I reached out to on LinkedIn prior to getting on a plane. I introduced myself, mentioned we’d both be at the event, and even added, “Look for the wicked tall guy from Boston,” just for fun.

I’m sure there will be lots of other connection requests afterward as I go through the business cards collected in my time there, but reaching out ahead of time gives me a head start and something to talk about when I bump into these people.

The most important part of LinkedIn—my daughter the marketing expert tells me—is the profile page.* After that, it comes down to connecting with as many people as possible.

You never know where it might lead.

This needs to be a habit of yours. Whenever possible, find out in advance who will be attending your events. Then, a quick LinkedIn search will help you to identify and make a connection request.

What better way to demonstrate your professionalism and dedication to your industry?

*On the subject of curating your LinkedIn profile, you can find a brilliant free Sales Vault workshop replay link at the top of SalesVault.pro. It’s cleverly labeled, “Free workshop.” Enjoy!

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Learn what other sales reps are doing. Find out what works and what doesn’t. Join The Sales Vault and unlock sales best practices. Go to SalesVault.pro or call Bill Farquharson at 781-934-7036.  Visit salesvault.pro/partners to get the PGCA member discount on the Sales Vault monthly subscription.