We're back from "Scaling New Heights" and learned a ton, made new friends and even have some new potential business opportunities. When you return from a conference you may need a few days to absorb the whirlwind of information you just received as well as get some much needed rest.
When you're back in the office you don’t want to lose the momentum and excitement built around your conference experience.
This is when everything is fresh in your mind. Now is the best time to make a list of items you want to tackle and be sure to follow up with any leads. You want to make the most out of your investment when considering the opportunity cost from taking time away from the office and losing a week of billable work.
In addition to that you have the conference fees, travel costs, meals and entertainment. To maximize your ROI you should take action steps now! Here are some things to consider in reviewing your time at the conference:
- Did you meet anyone that you need to follow up with? If so schedule a zoom call and chat. Face to face virtual calls work best.
- Did you learn a new app to test in your own setting? Take the time to try it out so you can confidently recommend it to your clients.
- Are you leaving money on the table? Sign up as a partner or affiliate for products you plan to recommend. For QuickBooks products, find the Intuit Resellers that offer a partner program. They can coach/mentor you and share commissions and merchant service residuals. There were several of us there at SNH that you may already know.
- Did you take certification classes? Have you completed your tests? Go ahead and get that scheduled on your calendar so that you can knock out these certifications. This will help you improve your find a ProAdvisor listing and get you to the top of the list.
- Did you collect business cards from other colleagues? Do you remember why? Add these contacts to your CRM and make a note as to why you may reach out to them again. Are they the go to expert for a particular niche or product? Find them on Facebook and friend request them so you can stay in touch throughout the year. Find them on Linkedin so you can learn more about their business.
- Did you sign up for "Scaling New Heights" for next year? There are two dates that are the ideal time to sign up for the discounted rate, one is the last day of the conference and the second is the Monday after Thanksgiving.
- Did you create an action list of things you can do in your own company to improve your workflow and save time? Now is the time to start implementing those during a reasonable time frame. Don’t take on too much at once, spread it out over the coming weeks so you can continue to do your billable work at the same time.
- Did you win any awards? Now is a good time to look at your bio’s, your ProAdvisor listing and do a refresh. Would you like to win one next year, make sure you have all the requirements to get yourself nominated next year.
A huge benefit from attending conferences is to find experts you can collaborate with and partner so you stop leaving money on the table from lost opportunities. You can't possibly know everything so do what you love and be the very best at.
Business will naturally flow to you. What are some of your action items? Make yourself accountable when you get back to the office. Create a to do list and make a reasonable goal. This will ensure your practice continues to flourish and afford you the opportunity to attend again in the future.
Carrie Kahn is a QB Product Expert and the founder and CEO of the Complete Business Group. Her firm delivers Intuit-based solutions that simplify the lives of end-users, ProAdvisors and partners nationwide. CBG now is considered one of the largest and fastest-growing Intuit Premier Resellers in the world. Carrie serves as a host for the Accountants, Bookkeepers, and Business Owners (ABBO) Facebook Group as the QuickBooks Product Expert. She was named top "100 QuickBooks ProAdvisor of the Year" for 2014, 2105 and 2016. She also is a voice to the IRP channel and serves on the Advisory Council. She has been in the top "10 Intuit Premier Resellers" (IRP’s) since 2012 and currently is ranked No. 1 in the East.
https://completebusinessgroup.com/