Agency Checklists wanted to take a minute to give you five suggestions on how to get the most out of The Big Event 2011.
While this is Agency Checklists’ first foray into exhibiting at The Big Event, its Editor-in-Chief (and the author of this article) has actually been to a variety of trade shows over the course of her career. She has attended trade shows in New York, Las Vegas and Bologna and has exhibited at other shows in London, Birmingham and Madrid. She also attended The Big Event last year.
What really makes The Big Event special are the attendees, the independent agents. Massachusetts is a state unto itself regarding insurance largely because of its vibrant independent agency system. While you can dispute whether or not this is being diluted, nevertheless, the majority of insurance in this state is still handled by the independent agent. And in Agency Checklists opinion, in order for the independent agency system to stay strong here, it is vital that agents become proactive in improving their business acumen and knowledge about the industry. Enter The Big Event. What the MAIA has done in putting this event together is to create a unique opportunity for agents to obtain an incredible amount of information about their industry in a two-day period but more importantly to meet and network with a wide cross-section of people in this industry.
So in preparing for the weekend ahead, here are five things to think about in order for you to get the most of out this year’s Big Event:
Don’t forget your business cards. Nothing can dampen your day by forgetting or running out of business cards. And now that you have those cards, be sure to give and receive them freely. The whole point of a trade show is to make contacts.
Talk to people you don’t know. What’s the point of going to a show to only speak with people you know? Be brave and promise yourself you will introduce yourself to at least three new people this weekend.
Don’t forget to follow up after the show. Connect with people you meet at The Big Event. In this day and age, however, don’t do it with a phone call. Better to send an email, or a direct message via Facebook or Twitter. Or, better yet, invite them to connect on Linkedin.
Prepare an elevator speech that you are actually comfortable using. While you might think this advice is for exhibitors only, I know a couple of agents who are planning to visit some insurance companies this weekend. Nothing will help you more than by introducing an insurance company to your agency in a clear and confident manner. A good introduction which includes a couple of key facts will help you convince a company that this is an agency they want to do business with.
Learn something new. Visit all the exhibitors and ask them questions. A lot of these companies have put in a lot of time and effort to present their product to you. Whether or not you can actually use the product is beside the point. In our opinion, knowledge is power and the more you know about what is available in the insurance industry the better off you and your agency will be.
While there are many more suggestions we could make, we thought five was a good number to leave off with. The Big Event is a fabulous opportunity to mix and mingle with all types of businesses that make up our industry, that’s why we’ll be there. So please stop by and introduce yourself. We are also sweetening the deal by offering those who sign-up for our free email alerts the chance to win a shiny new iPad which will be raffled via our You Tube channel on Monday.
Visit Agency Checklists at The Big Event Booth #117.
