How should you show up at an association event or conference?
I had the privilege of attending the LeadingAge California BOLD Age Annual Conference this week. Jeannee Parker Martin, Kevin Tuuaga, Soua Vang, and so many others orchestrated a remarkable environment that fostered learning, growth, and most importantly, a sense of community among industry professionals.
As a sales professional, I've often pondered about the best way to approach these events. What are my priorities? What do I hope to gain? What can I contribute? These questions have led me to some valuable insights over the years.
Let me offer three suggestions . . .
1) Focus on making friends. Over the course of the 10 years that I have attended this conference, I've made lifelong friends. Individuals who would share a meal with me, visit me in the hospital if I was sick, and join me in celebrating some of the significant accomplishments of my life. This is the real value of these conferences—the friendships you develop over the years.
2) Make a contribution. Mary Muñoz from Ziegler received the Award of Honor because of her contribution to the association and its members over her long and distinguished career. I was inspired by how she “led to” and worked with the members side by side to elevate the experience of older adults. Yes, she sold her service and earned some business along the way, but not because of her slick one-minute pitch, but because she used her gifts, skills, and abilities to make a contribution to the members of the association.
3) Offer encouragement. Instead of leading with what you do, commend others for their work, their contribution to the industry, and their impact on others' lives. Most people don’t hear those things often enough (thank you, Tiffany Karlin)
Play the long game. Invest. Help. Encourage. Support. And then, I think you'll find that good business, the right business, comes as a result.
Day 2 of LeadingAge California's BOLD Annual Conference & Expo was a roaring success! 🎉 We kicked things off with an insightful #panelofpundits, delved into a variety of enlightening sessions, celebrated our exceptional 2024 LeadingAgeCA award recipients, and ended the night with the ultimate #BOLDBASH, #PardiGras style! 🎭✨
Thank you to everyone who made this day incredible. Stay tuned for more coverage as we continue to #TransformForTheFuture at #BOLD24! 🙌
#LeadingAgeCA #LeadingAgeCA24 #TransformForTheFuture
#PROUD 😍