3 things women can do at conferences that men can’t do

October 1, 2008 by Janet Beckers
Filed under: Business Skills, Joint Ventures, Offline strategies for online business, events

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In this week’s audio class I share with you very specific strategies you can use to make the most of off-line internet marketing events, such as conferences and workshops. I have used these techniques to create many Joint Ventures with experts and clients and can honestly say that these techniques are largely responsible for the rapid growth of Wonderful Web Women.

So, I suggest you take the time to listen to the audio class today. In this article I’d like to share with you 3 strategies that I use that are specific to women at events. 2 of these strategies can be adapted for men (though need to be used carefully) and one one can only be used by women (men can only use this if they are prepared to be thrown out of the event!).

An “untapped resource” – the women’s bathroom

Excuse the pun. I couldn’t help myself.

All women’s bathrooms at events have something in common that men’s bathrooms do not have. A queue! Honestly this is where I have done some of my best market research and networking at events. In fact , when I was researching to see if there was a demand for Wonderful Web Women in the beginning, I did some of my best research in the women’s toilets.

This how it works. You have a captive audience of women interested in similar things to you as you are all at the same event. While women wait for the toilets to be free you tend to the following – you fix your make up or you talk. Okay, most of us can do both at once. So make the most of the opportunity.

Just to show you that I still do some of my best networking in the women’s bathrooms, here’s proof. At the recent Bridging Heart and Marketing Conference in Los Angeles where I presented, I had a few people I really wanted to meet. One of them was Therese Skelly from www.acceleratingyoursuccess.com . She is a friend of Mary Pat Kavanagh who recommended I should seek her out. We finally met in the women’s bathrooms, swapped cards, stories and ideas on how we could work together – all in the women’s loos. So what better place to snap our photo?

Wear something unusual or gorgeous

I always make a point of wearing something creative, distinctive or unusual to an event. This can be as simple as some groovy ear rings, a beautiful scarf or unusual coat. I still look professional but I always include something that is a conversation starter. It works without fail. Most people do not know how to initiate a conversation with strangers so make it easy for them by wearing something they can compliment you on. Then you can move the conversation to business after you have broken the ice. This is so much easier for women than men because we have so many gorgeous accessories available for us.

Comment on something unique a person is wearing

This follows on from my tip above. The safest and easiest way to break the ice with a stranger is comment on something they are wearing. Examples are “I love those earings, what are they made of / where did you get them” etc. Or “that is such a great colour it is one of my favourites / it really suits you” etc.

Be honest of course, but this is so much easier for women than men. Women do this all the time, we can’t help ourselvess. It is harder for men because they are often reluctant to make such comments because they don’t want to seem to be “picking up” in a professional setting.

There are so many tips I share with you in our audio class but these simple tips are ones I really recommend you make the most of if you are a woman. They work every time and the nice part is, for women, they come very naturally.

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