How to sell a business conference
In 2016, I was given an amazing opportunity to take ownership of a global community called Responsive.org.
After running my first ever business event early in the year, I decided to create my first business conference, Responsive Conference, 9 months later.
I'm a circus performer. I had never attended a business conference, not to mention produced one, so that first year of selling tickets to Responsive Conference was a madhouse.
That was also the same year that I started Robin’s Cafe, so any moments that were not spent behind the counter, or hiring and firing baristas, I was on the phone with everybody I could think of asking for advice.
This distinction is key: I wasn't trying to sell tickets to the conference at first. Instead, I asked for advice.
Ask for advice
I brought 275 people to Responsive Conference 2016 by asking people for advice. It is really that simple. I turned to the founders of Responsive.org, everybody who had come to my free event earlier in the year, and everyone else I could think of.
When you ask for advice, you create the opportunity for excitement and support from people who might not otherwise be open to purchasing. People get enthusiastic about your cause, regardless of whether they’re interested in spending money – or attend my conference.
By asking for advice, you create advocates who want to see you succeed.
Practice telling your story
One of the things that making those hundreds, even thousands, of calls in the first months of Responsive Conference gave me was practice telling my story.
I was new to Responsive.org. By luck and good timing, I was able to bring together 150 people for a free event at the start of the year and there was a lot of interest in our topics. But I was no expert!
By asking everyone I could think of for advice, I got a lot of practice telling the story of the ecosystem and why I wanted to create Responsive Conference.
Build a network
When you are beginning to sell something new, you probably don’t have a network or a reputation. But what you lack in network you can make up for in short calls with strangers.
Ask everyone you talk to refer you to three other people. Quite quickly, the size of your network grows!
It takes time and effort to take calls with so many people, but you'll also go from no contacts to hundreds of potential prospects in a very short time.
The final step is to ask
The final phase of this saga, once you have enough experience telling your story and have built out a network, is to begin selling. Change your pitch from “Will you give me advice?” to “Would you be interested in purchasing a ticket?”
Several months into asking for advice, I’d talked with hundreds of people and generated a list of prospects in the thousands.
It takes courage to ask people to purchase. You can’t hide behind the “I’m just learning how to do this” anymore.
The final step is to muster up the courage and ask, “Would you like to buy?”
A word on authenticity
This approach to learning how to sell something new only works if you are sincerely interested in what people have to say.
If you go into an “advice call” with the desire to sell, the other party will know and be turned off by the experience.
Be humble, stay curious, and look to learn.
Homework
If you don’t need to, I don’t recommend spending hundreds of hours on the phone with strangers asking for advice. That said, the practice of building a network is incredibly valuable. This is the same process I use anytime I'm starting a new business or exploring a new opportunity.
Your homework is to call one person in the next two days and ask them for advice. The rules are simple:
- It can’t be someone you normally turn to for advice.
- It can’t be a topic that you’ve asked for advice for previously.
- The advice you're looking for can be business-related or personal, so long as it is real.
- At the end of the call, ask them if they would like to hear updates on your situation as it continues to evolve.
And just like that, you’ve landed your first advocate.
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3 Things I’ve Loved This Week
We just celebrated my nephew’s 11th birthday, which is apparently the age at which he starts lending books to me, instead of the reverse. He just finished reading The Wager, written by David Grann. The Wager tells the story of a British vessel that washes up off the coast of Patagonia and the ensuing controversy and court martial that follows.
I'm always impressed with really well told narrative non-fiction and, so far, The Wager doesn't disappoint.
David Grann is also author of the better known and #1 New York Times bestseller Killers of the Flower Moon, which is now at the top of my reading list.
I'm two weeks into an elimination diet consisting of just three ingredients: lamb, zucchini, and quinoa. It's called the GAPS diet and it is pretty extreme. So I'm being especially diligent in supplementing, including with fish oil. But I particularly love Nordic Naturals Jr. strawberry flavor! They have nearly the same ingredients as the Nordic Naturals adult version, but the strawberry aftertaste lacks any fishy flavor!
I love a good kitchen implement. I also like the backstory of CUTCO, which started off as a door-to-door or direct sales company. But I was skeptical when a friend recommended these kitchen shears, because as a connoisseur of great kitchen knives, I don't like the shape of a lot of CUTCO knives.
These Super Shears are my new favorite kitchen tool. The hand-feel is superb, they're incredibly sharp, guaranteed for life, and even come apart of easy cleaning.
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Announcement
Yesterday, I taught the first in person Snafu workshop!
A small group of courageous readers came together, each with a specific thing that they're focused on selling. I shared content that I haven't shared anywhere else, we practiced, and we all got a lot of feedback.
Attendees walked away with a new confidence in their ability to sell. (Several have messaged me today to say so!)
I'm going to teach a lot more, bother virtually and in person. If you're interested in joining for a future event get on the Waitlist here.
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Support Snafu
This newsletter is free and I don’t run ads, but I do spend dozens of hours researching and writing about selling each week. If any of these offers are useful or interesting to you, here’s how you can support Snafu.
Attend a workshop - I've just started teaching and have several in-person and virtual workshops planned for later this year. Get on the waitlist to learn more!
Schedule a consult - I’m working with a small handful of folks to improve their selling. In February, I’m doing these for free, but they won’t be free forever. Book a 15 minute call and I’ll give you feedback on your pitch or a specific sales skill.
Refer Snafu - Do you have a newsletter and think this newsletter would be valuable to your readers? I'm now on SparkLoop and ConvertKit's Creator Network so you can get paid for referring Snafu.
Books by Robin - I’ve written two books (so far). Neither one is about selling, but if you’re interested in learning to do a handstand, check out How to Do a Handstand. If you’re building a company or want to improve your company’s culture, read Responsive: What It Takes to Create a Thriving Organization.
Your consideration means the world!
Until next week,
Robin
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