Crush Your Next Conference 5 Small Ways to Make a Big Impact on New Contacts

Crush Your Next Conference 5 Small Ways to Make a Big Impact on New Contacts Chances are youve attended at least a few conferences in your career and already know the basic tips and tricks to make them successful Go for drinks with people youve met after the conference dont be shy know your elevator pitch plan out your schedule etc.This is basic advice any Google search can give you.That isnt what this article is about.Rather, this article is focused on the micro-details the very small things that make all the difference at conferences. Check out five of them below1. Hold Your Drink With Your Left HandLets imagine the scenario You go to a conference after-party and someone wants to shake your hand, but alas, your right hand is occupied by a freezing cold drink You switch your drink to your left and remove any remaining moisture from your right by wiping it on your pants. Smiling awkwardly (and probably apologizing), you finally meet hands with the pe rson standing across from you, welcoming them with a cold and slightly wet mitt.Does this sound at all familiar?If so, then join 90 percent of people. The good berichterstattung is theres a simple fix. All you need to do is hold your drink with your left hand.This means no more cold hands, no more water marks on your pants, and no more awkward first impressions. Plus, now you get to chuckle to yourself every time you see someone else performing the handshake shuffle.2. Learn How to Toast ProperlyThis one is primarily for North Americans. When they raise a glass, they usually look at the glasses as they clink and then proceed to take a healthy sip of their beverage.No problem, right? Well, thats fine if youre only meeting with people from your continent.In many European cultures, however, its very rude to not look someone in the eye when you toast. If youre superstitious, its considered incredibly bad luck.If you want to make great, lasting impressions, then you need to stay informed on cultural customs and standards. Every country has slightly different traditions, so educate yourself especially if you know you plan on meeting with an executive from outside your country.3. Never Discredit AnyoneIts a small world, and you never know whom youre talking to or whom that person might know. Making a great impression on someone who is lower down in the company can be a way either to learn more about the inner workings of the geschftliches miteinander or to get a foot in the door to talk to more senior members.Tim Ferriss has a great speech on this. He describes going to a conference and talking to a gentleman for 10-15 minutes, not expecting to get anything significant out of it. As fate would have it, the mans cousin was Morgan Spurlock (Supersize Me, The Greatest Movie Ever Sold), which earned Tim an introduction and led to him being featured on Spurlocks show, A Day in the Life.The point is simple Dont dismiss anyone, because you never know whom theyre connected to. Dont discredit anyone orlook over your shoulder for someone else to talk to. Instead, devote your full attention to the conversation youre in and figure out a way to ask the right questions. When you feel its time for the conversation to end, politely excuse yourself.4. Use Mnemonic Devices to Remember NamesIf youre one of those people who hears a name and instantly forgets it, dont worry. Youre in good company. Its highly common to meet someone and immediately have their name escape you.Your solution? Mnemonic devices.A mnemonic device is a technique a person can use to help improve their ability to remember something. In this case, word association is the technique.People have a tendency to make snap decisions based on the way people look and act. In a study, researchers suggested it takes one-tenth of a second to make a judgement about someone. Thats fast, and it means youre already making snap decisions about people as soon as you meet them. You can actually use this to your benefit.Say you meet someone named Betty who looks like a sweet older lady. You can instantly relate that sweetness with letzter gang and dessert with Betty Crocker. Yes, this does require just a little bit more effort, but youll thank yourself later when its time to go through your business cards and you have names saved to faces.5. Clean Up Your Social Media PagesIf you havent done this already, get on it now. This is an important tip for any professional especially those who are about to attend a conference. Its almost guaranteed you will have one or two people go to add you on social media, and there is no telling which page that will be. Twitter and Facebook are just as likely as LinkedIn.Do an audit of your internet presence. If your Myspace account is still up, its time to get those photos taken down. Its great if you made an awesome impression on people at the conference, but if they go to your Facebook and see pictures of you from your college days partaking in unflatteri ng activities, then you can say goodbye to any clout you may have earned.In addition to deleting inappropriate pictures, its also good to update your profile picture and maybe even create a few posts that are loosely business-related in the days leading up to the conference.Taylor Kerby is a film buff, a photographer, and the creative director at Cave Social, an international marketing agency with offices in Fort Lauderdale and Toronto. You can connect with him on Twitter or via his weekly marketing series In The Cave on YouTube.