1. Be identifiable: Make sure your name badge is easily viewable to others. This may mean attaching it up near your collar or face, so that people don't have to look down your body towards your navel to find it at the end of a lanyard. Make sure it doesn't twist and dangle there back-side out where nobody can read your name.
2. Be identifiable, part 2: Use your own button or name tag in addition to the event name badge. Nothing wrong with overkill here. For this, we use our Blog Squad bright pink buttons, and put them on our shoulders (of both our jackets and shirts in case we take off the jackets), our purses, the conference tote bag. (We haven't yet bought pink laptops and put our decals there, but this might be a good idea in a conference where everybody has a laptop open!)
3. Be identifiable, part 3: Hand out your biz cards to everyone you meet, right away, and ask for theirs. If you wait, there may be a distraction and it doesn't happen. Of course, be sure you have plenty on hand. (One enterprising woman we know left 3 kinds of biz cards with intriguing photos on them in all the ladies' bathrooms! Well, why not! For sure she got noticed, and maybe more than a few emails and web visits. Discretion advised.)
4. Be bold: Don't wait, go ahead and introduce your self to people at your table, in line with you, wherever you find yourself waiting. You never know who you'll end up introducing yourself to! (Cautionary note: we don't advise doing this in the bathroom line as people aren't really relaxed when they are on a mission. Use non-verbal queues as to how open they are to a meet-and-greet.)
5. Be prepared with a gift or handout. Use a CD if you have one of you being interviewed, or a booklet, or something of value that shows your knowledge. You can even give out your book, to special people you have a connection with.
6. Be sure to get other people's biz cards, and ask if you can email to them. Do not add them to your ezine list without their permission, and a good way to invite them is to follow up with them after the conference. "Here's that report I was talking to you about, and if you'd like to get more, we have an ezine you can subscribe to, go here…" for example.
7. Don't be afraid to ask people to remind you of their name, if you think you might know them. They will be glad you did, because they probably can't remember yours either and might be embarrassed to ask.(Note: you might want to make notes on the back of their biz cards about what you talked about for follow up later on.)
8. Ask them questions about their business, how they are finding the conference so far, what their most important take away has been, their best session so far, their recommendations, etc. Everyone attending a conference has an opinion, so ask them for theirs.
9. Withhold judgment based on dress, age, hair color and other physical attributes, especially when you are working in a field that is mostly done online. You never know who you might be missing.
10. Even when you are tired, and are suffering from information or conference overload,
remember to smile and look interested in others. Many other attendees may be experiencing the same burn-out, and by sharing these feelings, you can connect.
