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Have you thought about attending a national conference but just didn’t see the need for it? Do you live far from where the national conference is held? Do you struggle with justifying the cost of conference? Are you nervous because you don’t know anyone? Are you nervous because you have never traveled alone? Are you struggling to find childcare?  I have had hundreds of teammates ask me these exact questions. Have confidence in yourself! Lastly, if you struggle with self-confidence, PLEASE attend your companies’ conference. You will not regret it.

Attend National Conference.  Let FRIENDS help!

Friends.

Are you attending conference for the first time alone?  No worries.  You will meet new people at lunch, in your sessions, at vendor sessions, in the hallways, at dinner, etc.  Similarly, the first conference I attended I knew one person and stayed with someone in our group that I had never met.  We remain friends to this day.  Over the years, you look forward to seeing the same people over and over.  If you can’t bear the thought of going alone, take a friend or your spouse.  Typically, guests are allowed at a reduced fee.

Real Cool Tools.

With technology and social media changing at the speed of light, direct sales companies are staying competitive and sharing new tools with their teams. Usually, companies will roll out a new tool during the conference to spread excitement throughout the room. You will be the first to hear about any new technology and the first to experience the new tools. The tools might go live while you are sitting in the room or they might have hands-on stations for you to test the new tools. In addition, you might get to talk 1 on 1 with the technology expert, or they may have a seminar dedicated to that specific piece of technology.

Nevertheless, I cannot believe how much technology has changed in this industry in the past 12 years. I love the simplicity of sending invitations, sending videos, and sharing social media content.  Above all, I love that we have professional graphics to post to social media in seconds.  Genius.

Invest in Yourself.

As the saying goes, if you don’t invest in yourself, who will? It’s important to invest in yourself as a direct seller. You work from home the majority of the time maybe chasing kids or caring for elderly parents, or maybe you have a “full time” job too. Attending a conference sets you apart from thousands of others that don’t attend their conference. They may not see the big picture while you do.

What is the big picture? In some cases, it’s a path to financial freedom. Immersing yourself at a national conference not only provides education, networking, motivation, but also gives you the ability to combine all of that information, share it with your team (if you have one), share the excitement with your friends/family, learn exactly what you need to do to reach your goals, learn how to reach your goals, network with those that you never ever in a million zillion years would meet, and so much more!

Education.

Even if you are not an education junkie, you will have fun learning this content. Many times, they intertwine incentives (like trips, freebies, etc) with new content. So much of the time the content comes from others you meet such as teammates you often don’t see, other conference attendees, experts or influencers that speak.

Do you immerse yourself in blogs, podcasts, cd’s, and books? Yep, me too! I cannot think of anything that replaces building relationships while learning. Going to a conference and receiving so much fantastic content that  it takes two months to perfect is exactly why I go every year.

Network with Experts & Influencers.

This is a terrific time to meet other leaders, trainers, corporate executives, and influencers. You want them to remember you and your conversation so take a picture and share on your social media platform, friend them on facebook (or other social favorite), or get their contact information. Many times, you will have a chance to meet the key-note speaker as they will have a table selling their products just outside the venue. In short, giving you the opportunity to ask quick questions and get their information and product. I had the pleasure of meeting an influencer, Claudia Krusch at the last conference. She shared social media tips with us at the lunch table. It was awesome because you could tell she genuinely cared for us as women and as successful business owners.

Direct Motivation.

Typically, you hear stories of overcoming obstacles. The company always picks stories that tear your heart apart requiring you the need to squeeze your butt cheeks together so you don’t cry.  As you can imagine, if you share mutual experiences as that of the speaker, it’s painful. I’m not gonna lie. When you hear stories of losing everything, then starting again, building again, and doing the little things every day to build your business, you know YOU CAN DO IT TOO.

We need those stories to know that we are not in this alone in this big crazy world, and that we can do the same small things every single day. Some people are motivated with incentives such as free product, trips, vehicles, etc. As expected, they always announce the fun incentives at the national conference and, sometimes, give away free product. Interestingly, some companies give away multiple items while others give away none. I have been a part of both. It depends on the company and the product.

Setting yourself up as an Expert.

This is the name of the game. Stories sell and knowledge is power. You gain both at any conference. You are hearing stories that you can use as your own. You are gaining a wealth of knowledge to share with your team and customers.

Ultimately, I hope you attend your national conference this year!  Here’s a quick reference list on what to take to make your stay comfortable! I cannot wait to connect.  Please sign up for our newsletter to receive new tips and tricks every month. XM style helps business owners get noticed through style, personal branding, and communication.  Think ABC – Appearance, Branding, Communication.

Lastly, do you want to learn more about direct sales and how it can work with your lifestyle?  Contact XMstyle