Creating Authentic Connections

Five strategies to improve the way you interact with customers at events.

By Shannon Semler and Helena Lehman

Whether reaching out to a customer one-on-one or hosting a large convention; engagement and connection are vital to a long-lasting relationship. Here are five methods to rethink your connection strategy. Use these tips during IFA 2019, Feb. 24-27 in Las Vegas, and throughout at franchising community events and conferences throughout the year.

Method 1 - Embrace Uniqueness: You Be You

In striving for perfection, event planners often sacrifice personality for polish. What your audience craves is both. Showcase what makes your company different and create ways to generate authentic content that gets to the real issues through purposeful interaction. Many groups are using interactive technology to build a high-energy and honest conversation in their meetings. 

Does your organization have an initiative or an issue that would benefit from an authentic discussion at a live event? Rather than pre-programming everything to go smoothly, build in some suspense or even controversy to get participants engaged in a dialogue. Program formats such as debates, “rapid-fire” sessions, live customer focus groups, choose your own panel discussion adventures, and closed-door fish bowls are gaining in popularity for their ability to deliver new ways to look at topics.

Create a tailored experience for your audience, not a cookie cutter event. Tap into what makes you and them different – culture, operations, customer habits, branding – and provide a space to hold authentic two-way conversations on the issues that matter most to them. Seek out leaders with individuality and tap into their perspectives. Forget about trying to be shiny and perfect; what matters most to attendees and consumers is acknowledgement and having their voices heard.

Method 2 - Be a Daredevil: Just Try

Sometimes we can overthink an idea and ultimately talk ourselves out of it. Whether testing the waters with a small marketing idea or diving headfirst into a new session concept for your event, take the results – good or bad – and alter or expand pieces to try again.

Identify the areas of your event that would most benefit from a tweak or an additional investment of resources. Are you receiving feedback that sessions are nothing more than talking heads? Flip the script with the attendees doing a day-in-the-life role-playing exercise. Purposefully group attendees with diverse backgrounds and have them complete a task or project together. Incorporate restaurant-inspired trivia competitions into a legal refresher course.

Attendees are often waiting for event organizers to take the first step to freshen things up, and a well-executed risk is the one that leaves the largest imprint on the attendee.  Take an “anything goes” approach for the initial idea, and then tailor it for your audience.

Method 3 - Find Your Community: People Need People

Now more than ever, there is a need to support the communities we’re immersed in. This can be
in your franchise community or your hometown.

Consider developing longer-term partnerships with groups needing ongoing financial or services support. Sponsor a local event that aligns with your company mission and have a team on hand to participate or volunteer. Work together with similar groups to take a unified message and concern to local councils or even Capitol Hill. Launch a pilot project at your annual event with instructions and support systems for individual business owners to take back and roll out in their communities. 

In addition to connecting your brand to a worthy cause, there are other benefits. Your attendees will feel energized and inspired, and these volunteer efforts deliver great networking, outside the walls of a hotel or convention space.

Method 4 - Networking circa 2019: Put Your Phone Away

The building blocks of longevity across an industry include effective communication and understanding the big picture. Getting one segment of your business to meet and talk with other segments (i.e., distributors and manufacturers or suppliers and end-users) is key when trying to educate on the entire life cycle of your product and experience of your customer.

Take networking beyond a cocktail reception, and instead think about touring nearby facilities/offices that represent various sectors, lead ice-breaker exercises at events, create mentoring opportunities or simply hold a gathering in your business space to introduce yourself to a group that you want to get to know more. The connection you’re providing promotes professional and personal growth to the individuals you’re reaching. And, you get credit for making it happen.

Method 5 - Leave Them Wanting More: Post-Event Pen Pals

Simply put, if you’ve successfully made a connection through a product, an experience or a service, customers, clients and prospects will be energized and motivated for the next time you interact. 

Think about your convention, for example, as a single touch-point in a 365-day-a-year conversation. It may be the most expensive and visible touch-point, and, as such, should be mined for learning and opportunities to extend its impact. Attendees are coming to learn something new they can use and institute moving forward in their businesses. If you can touch on that one thing, they’ll yearn for more knowledge and time with your organization.

Take the initiative to actively continue the conversation post-meeting with outreach through social media, networking and email. Share stories of success or growth that has taken place since the last meeting, seek to start new conversations as the industry changes, and build on the inspirations that sparked new ideas when you last gathered.

Shannon Semler is Vice President for LAI Live and has been producing live events for more than 20 years. Helena Lehman is Senior Vice President for Leading Authorities, Inc. and specializes in event design and brand strategy development. Learn more at LAILiveEvents.com or franchise.org/leading-authorities-inc-supplier.