3 tips to get the most out of attending a seminar or conference by Debbie Weil in WordBiz Report

By Debbie Weil

In the past week I’ve spent three full days attending 2 different seminars. Was it worth the cost, the hassle of traveling and the time out of the office? You bet.

Here’s why and here are my 3 tips for getting more out of a seminar or conference:

1. Take active notes

Do you ever feel your mind wandering when you’re at a conference? You may be listening to step-by-step instructions on how to set up a Google AdWords campaign – and suddenly find yourself thinking about how you can use multiple Google campaigns to drive targeted traffic to every product or service you’re offering. It’s OK - go with it!

Let yourself – nay, prompt yourself – to think about how you can apply what you’re learning to your business. Ralph F. Wilson, whose Best Practices Briefing I attended in Washington DC, recommends that you star To Do items in your scribbled notes every time you think of something.

In other words, translate the tips and tactics you’re learning into specific action items you can execute when you get back to the office.

2. Review your notes immediately afterward to see what pops out at you

I’ll admit it; I’m a bit of a conference junkie. Depending on the setup of the room and the availability of an electrical outlet, I may bring my laptop and type furious notes as I’m listening.

Some larger conferences offer wi-fi (wireless) access so you can browse the Internet when a speaker mentions a specific site. Trouble is you tend to check your email and wander other places online. And then you’re not actively listening. So beware of being too plugged in.

No matter what the setup, you will return to your office with pages of notes, either scribbled or typed. If they’re scribbled, consider spending an hour to re-type the highlights. (I don’t always do this myself, despite the best of intentions.)

Do set aside time to review your notes. Pay special attention to your starred action items. Which ones will have the most impact on your total revenues or bottom-line profits?

3. Draw up a realistic Action List with a time line

Organize your list of action items (you’ll probably leave some out) and make up a calendar. What 3 things can you execute in the next week? Month? Quarter?

After attending Marcia Yudkin’s excellent Marketing for More workshop with a small group of attendees, I found myself surprisingly energized.

Within 24 hours, I had completed the first item on my To Do list: rewrite the copy on my home page. Both Marcia and the seminar participants had critiqued the page for me. And I suddenly saw clearly what copy changes would focus the page and better explain what WordBiz does.

Caveat: don’t try and do everything on your To Do list the first week. Select two or three items you can complete. Then insert the others into your marketing plan for the next six months.

You do have a marketing plan, don’t you? If not, don’t despair. Just add it to your action list as something you’ll create in the next two months.

It can be as simple as a short list of business goals (double the size of your opt-in email list; increase monthly sales by X percent) followed by the marketing tasks you’ll use to achieve them. Hopefully, the new tactics you picked up at the seminar will be part of your plan.

Hey, even I’m excited about next week’s teleseminar (Thursday, Feb. 26) on how to sell your services through an e-newsletter – and I’m the one organizing it!

Guest experts Michael Katz and Ilise Benun will share several dozen specific tips on how to “sell without selling” so that your e-newsletter or ezine consistently generates new business for you.

If you’re already publishing, you know how tricky it is to walk the line between content and promotion. If you’re launching an e-newsletter this year, learn how to avoid some of the most common mistakes.

Warm regards,