I think I’ve said this in the past but having just got back from Robert Puddy’s UK IM conference, I’m going to say it again.
There is nothing quite like going to one of these conferences in person. I still haven’t been to one of the mad ones in the States yet, so this was the biggest show so far and I’m just starting to understand fully why everyone says the deals are done in the bar!
So, short and sweet as conference reviews go. I’ve finally got to the point where I feel like I know a bit of every technique and I just have to get down to doing only one of them until I make some money!
Standout sessions included Jonny Andrews – not sure if telling him he’s as mad as a box of frogs really translates across the Atlantic divide, but a great exposition on using “The hero’s story” in selling. One of the 7 stories that go back through all of human history, Jonny spoke about how it has changed hs own approach to the sales offer process.
Second up for comment was Sterling Valentine. He came across as very “sensible and understated” but was an excellent speaker…I’m still not sure if the comment about his slide being in the wrong currency was planted in the audience (it was in dollars at a UK conference) but his reaction – just flipping the $ to a £ on the pre-prepared slide – was one of the finest bits of showmanship I’ve seen for ages! Not only that, but his “change the offer in order to change the price” gambit at the end of the pitch was something I’ve already made a note of for my own use.
Finally, there was Ambar Hamid. He spoke about taking your offer to the world of B2B deals rather than B2C. This has been an area that I’ve felt for some time that the IM world is missing out on. My old life in corporate IT left me very comfortable in that world so I’ve signed up for Ambar’s UK training on all of his techniques…..feels like a good investment.
So, plenty of material and even more making of new friends and generally drinking until ridiculous times. I really felt like I was involved with it all this time….
What can I say, make it happen for you too….you just need to find something going on nearby and treat the travel and accomodation as an expense item for your new business. Let the tax man take some of the strain of making new partners.
