Starting tomorrow — Writers Worth Month!
Come by every day for advice, strategies, and stories on how writers like you improved their businesses by embracing their worth. And don’t forget to read the posts from years past for even more inspiration!
Good morning. Miss me?
I’m just seven hours back from the convention, this year in New Orleans. Never have I had a show go so well so consistently.
It seems every time I sat down (in fact, it was nearly every time I sat down), I’d get in a conversation with someone and they’d hire me. This was indeed the most relaxed at a show I’ve ever been. I went with four appointments. I came home with eleven leads — seven of them strong leads, four of them are as definite as it gets without a contract.
It pays to get out of the office.
In more than a few cases, I was stopping by to say hello, give a hug (you go to the same show and hang out with the same people for nearly 15 years, you hug), and see what’s new in their world. There were three cases of doing that and the contact was telling me “We were about to call you…” and proceed to describe a need.
In one really cool case, I was walking by a booth not paying attention and not realizing it was someone I knew, and I hear “Lori, Lori…”
It was a guy I’ve been chatting with for six years. It feels really good when A) they call out to you, and B) they hang up their cell phone call to tell you they need you for projects.
Yep. This was one great show.
It’s not always that way. I’ve been to a few where the mere mention of what I do and how I can help them causes them to shuffle nervously as though I’ve trapped them in the very same sales pitch they give out (I don’t — I’m very casual about it).
What changed? Maybe the economy, but more than likely it was a combination of the attitude and the name recognition I now have.
My attitude was “I’m meeting and greeting and interested in making friends.” It’s always been that, but maybe this year was the perfect alignment of all the ingredients. More on that later.
I’m working on one cup of caffeine and seven hours of sleep, so I’ll avail you of my travels later. There are many stories, and one in particular where a rude person was standing in front of me eating crow (figuratively). Another time. Right now I have to get to an appointment, and then come home and settle in.
How was your week?
Category: Uncategorized
Welcome back, Lori! So glad it went well for you. I have a one-day Symposium at the end of May. Much smaller scale but if I have even a sprinkling of what you experienced, I'll be a happy camper. 🙂
Thanks, Cathy! Glad to be back.
I wish you the same experience, too! I know you — you'll be bringing them in, too. 🙂
Back just in time for the start of Writers Worth Month, too!
Things sound like they're really well aligned for you right now, Lori. But if the stars are aligned in your favor, it's not by accident. You worked your tail off to line them up.
Thanks, Paula. It did take work. Years of it, in fact. But there is power in the name-face recognition. This show was proof of that.