#064: Are Events Worth It?

Read time: 2 minutes

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Travel Broadens the Mind, But Conferences Broaden Your Network (And Your Pipeline)

Sales tools have transformed how we connect and engage with clients, often from the comfort of our desks (definitely our desks, not our armchairs—right?). But in a world increasingly driven by digital interactions, could in-person conferences and networking events offer more bang for their buck than ever before?

In this week’s newsletter, we explore the unique value of in-person events, why they’re worth your time and budget, and how to maximize your ROI from these opportunities. Plus, I’ll share my favorite tips and a podcast episode for deeper insights.

The Unique Value of In-Person Events

Why should you pack your bags and step out from behind the screen? Because conferences deliver what virtual tools simply can’t:

• Accelerated Relationship Building: Face-to-face interactions create trust and rapport far faster than emails or video calls ever will.

• Deeper Customer Understanding: Conversations at conferences naturally flow beyond the agenda. This helps you uncover unspoken challenges, goals, and opportunities.

• Networking with Impact: Casual dinners and meetups foster meaningful connections that can grow into valuable partnerships.

The ROI of Showing Up

Even with tighter budgets and a focus on direct returns, in-person events are gaining renewed importance:

• Preferred by Attendees: A whopping 82% of event-goers favor in-person attendance for its authenticity and interpersonal value.

• High ROI: Nearly 47% of event marketers say in-person events deliver the best ROI compared to virtual channels.

Maximizing Your Event Success

Pre-Event:

• Research who’s attending and set goals—whether it’s meeting prospects, learning industry trends, or building brand visibility.

• SciLeads is a great tool to get attendee lists ahead of events.

• Come up with a compelling reason why someone should come by your booth or meet with you.

• Work with an agency to put together an exciting book/event strategy to make you stand out from everyone else.

• Book meetings in advance with key contacts.

During the Event:

• Be active in sessions: ask questions, take notes, and approach a mix of attendees (don’t underestimate junior staff—they hold surprising influence).

• Attend social gatherings around the event. Relationships often form over casual conversations.

• Don’t just sit at the booth. Be active out in front and draw people in.

• Have a way for someone to book a meeting with you right there on the spot (aka a Calendly link).

• Write down something unique for each person you talk to so you can reference it later in your follow-up.

Post-Event:

• Everyone else is going to send the same boring follow-up messages. Write something unique to stand out.

• Follow up quickly with personalized messages, segmenting contacts into High, Medium, and Low priorities.

• Continue to follow-up over multiple channels. One email isn’t enough.

• Share your findings from the event on LI and share that with your prospects. They likely couldn’t attend every talk, so give them additional details they might find valuable.

• Share your insights and feedback with your team and evaluate how the event aligns with your goals.

Overlooked Opportunities: Junior Staff Influence

Everyone chases VPs at conferences, but don’t forget the other 6+ decision-makers involved in every deal (the average deal involves 7 people). Junior employees often have a surprising influence over purchasing decisions. Building relationships with them can open doors and strengthen your standing throughout the buying process.

Your Next Move

Conferences aren’t just about immediate ROI—they’re about fostering connections, building trust, and ensuring long-term growth. Ready to step up your game? Check out this SalesDNA podcast episode with Alison (also linked below) for pro tips on making the most of your next event.

Remember, every encounter counts. Let’s get out there and make them count even more.

Some of my favorite conferences and networking events

ELRIG - A great conference series that focuses on not only delivering great Scientific content, but its key to success is delivering value to its vendors!

Apple Podcast | Spotify | YouTube

1. Lead Generation: We’ll build target lists, write scientifically relevant messaging, and send messages on your behalf to book qualified sales meetings with biotech and pharma companies.

2. Succession for Reps: A skill development platform for life science sales reps who want to improve their sales skills, exceed their quota, and take the next step in their career.

3. Succession for Teams: If you want to upskill your team around prospecting, driving to close, key account management, AI, or any other topic, we can put together a training plan specific to your organization’s needs.

4. Strategy Call: Need more than training? Want help implementing and executing your sales strategy? In a 30-minute call, we will assess your company’s current situation and identify growth opportunities.

Special Offer: If you’ve made it this far, you can use the coupon code NEWSLETTER to get 20% off an individual Succession membership.

Recommended Products & Tools: We’ve used every one of these products and can highly recommend them to you. Everything from CRMs to AI tools.

Join SAMPS: A free community of sales and marketing professionals of the sciences. They run in-person events and put on regular webinars packed with great content.