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All right! You just went to a conference and it was awesome (or not so much) and now you’re back at the office facing what was on your plate before you left.
Now what do you do?
If it hasn’t already, a key question to ask yourself before the conference afterglow fades is this:
How to make the most of attending a conference you chose to attend by design or were asked to go to on behalf of your company?
Whether you attended a conference on your own dime or your company’s…
Whether it was the greatest event you’ve ever been to…or it was worse than sitting naked on bare pavement in 120 degree heat…
There are three things you can do right away to make the most of what you just experienced:
#1: Take Advantage (in a Good Way) of the Connections You Make
Unless you remained locked away in your hotel room for the entire trip, you met and connected with people. Make sure you reach out to the ones who made an impact on you in a way that compels you to serve them. You probably collected a bunch of business cards; chances are good that at least one of those cards symbolizes a person who you could help get something done so their life is better. Send a specific, personalized request on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter or whichever social media channel is your favorite flavor. Remind them of what you discussed. Tell them why connecting is a good idea for both of you. Be real.
And no, there is no rule saying you have to connect with everyone whose business cards you have in your purse or pocket. You should already be practicing strategic selectivity; if you aren’t, now would be a great time to start!
#2: Take Time to Reflect
Set aside 30 to 45 minutes for writing about all the big ideas, all the insights, all the a-ha moments that you had while at the conference. If you don’t capture these thoughts while they’re fresh in your mind, they will be gone forever. I’m amazed at how many conference notes have led to the development of new projects, initiatives, and revenue streams in my own business. You never know when something you wrote down six months ago becomes the spark to your Next Big Thing.
Even if your conference experience wasn’t so great, write down what happened. Sometimes terrible conferences provide the best insights or solutions moving forward.
#3: Take Action on Something, Anything!
Commit to taking action on one new thing you picked up at the conference. One of the biggest challenges conference or workshop participants have is being overwhelmed when they get home by all the stuff they collected, all the notes they took, all the receipts they gathered for tax write offs. Remember: the goal is not to immediately implement everything you learned in three days.
The goal is to make one small shift or change that can start getting you new results.
Conferences, live events, and workshops are tremendous resources of what’s working and not working right now. Don’t let the time and money invested in attending your last conference go up in smoke. Make a deal with yourself to do something with your experience, however big or small. It could really pay off one day — maybe even sooner than you think.
