| Consultant's Corner |
by Bill Cowley |
Congratulations. You have registered for the conference. You read all the brochures, checked all of the updates on the website, weighed the costs and benefits, and justified the expense. The Expandable promotions made it easier to get approval for the trip. You are ready to go. Money is tight and you need to squeeze every ounce of value from the conference. What do you do now? |
I know what you are feeling. Every year (and it has been many-many-many years) I must consciously prepare myself for the conference. There is too much going on and too much at stake to get distracted and forget something. Sessions, old friends, new friends, food, great questions, sessions, great answers, food, Expandable support friends, tips & tricks, future direction, sessions, food, inspiration, solutions to old problems and then <BANG> you are back on the plane going home. The next morning your boss asks you, “What did you find out about [fill in the blank]…” Your blood pressure drops when you realize you forgot to ask the question. Let’s review some methods to minimize the risk. |
| Pre-Planning: |
You are on a mission. You need to know your objectives before you leave. Gather your team before the conference and identify the subjects you need discussed, the questions you need answered and the problems you have been facing. It can be a process question or a Crystal report issue. Write them down. If you have representatives from other departments (accounting, operations, material and sales administration, etc…) attending the conference, they can focus on their area of expertise. If only one or two of you are going to the conference, be sure to interview members of the other departments to understand their needs. Ask them to write down the issues in detail. You may come back from the conference with an answer or a name of a person to contact. Check your supply of business cards. Order extra if you can. |
Sessions:
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Every June, the board reviews the session evaluation sheets. We note the bulls-eyes and the near misses. The attendance figures give us a feel for the subject matter interest and the comments indicate how well the session exceeded expectations. A large part of the board time is spent suggesting, discussing and debating session subjects and themes. This year’s focus on Reporting and Data Analysis sprang from the comments and discussions.
The sessions are presented by users with success stories to share, Expandable experts, 3rd Party resources and roundtables will mix all of the above. Usually, there is time for questions and answers. Make use of the Q&A. |
Make your session choices in advance. Don’t wait until you are at the conference. There is too much happening to choose on the fly. Go to the IEUGA website and review the schedule. http://www.ieuga.org/conf2009/schedule.html Print it out and start marking it up. For the most part, there are three choices for each time slot. Mark the ones you want to go to and then mark a backup option. You will find conflicts and you can’t be in two places at once. The best solution is to “Tag Team” with another attendee from your company. You can split the responsibility and then regroup to debrief each other. This is Teamwork in action. And remember, the books are for you to take back to the office and use again and again. Take notes. They may not make sense to anyone else but you, but they will help jog a memory of the discussion or the presentation. I know of many people still referencing the old conference books. |
After you register at the conference, double check the session descriptions and time-slots. There may have been changes since the last time you looked. Be prepared. |
Free Help:
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The conferences attract helpful people. And they are all captive from the Sunday night reception until the last session on Tuesday. Expandable support people are available to answer your questions for FREE. (No billable hours). The sales people can discuss the product and can introduce you to their customers with similar circumstances. Many of our users are eager to share what they have learned. You may even find a consultant or two walking around. They have been known to talk your leg off, so watch out. There is a wealth of knowledge to tap. Hint: don’t hang around with your co-workers only. (You already know their issues). You are here for solutions. |
| Don’t be afraid to ask your questions. It has already been asked before. Look the sales rep or support person in the eye and ask, “Does the system do that?” You may be surprised to find the answer often is “Yes, it can do that. Let me show you”. This is much better than believing it doesn’t do something just because it hasn’t been explained. |
There are many opportunities to meet your victims helpers. Have your business cards available. Start on your issue list right away. Do not be fooled into thinking that you will have time to ask your question later. The person you are talking to now will be talking to someone else when the “better” time arrives. Morning breakfast is not just about the food. Hit them early. Breaks between sessions are a good time to introduce yourself and make arrangements to meet later. The lunch tables will seat many different companies. Pick a different table each day. The food is great but no one needs 1-1/2 hours to eat. You have bonus time to work the issues. Did you notice how much time there is between the last session and the Monday Night Mixer? PLENTY. The mixer is a great time to meet and get to know new people. Another hint: if you only talk about your issues, people will learn to run away. Ask them about their issues. You might be able to help. |
After the conference, jot down your notes and update your contact lists. Send a follow-up email to the people who helped you. These are people you want to keep close to you. Don’t forget to schedule your free training classes. Don’t lose them. This helped to justify your conference expense. In addition to classes in Santa Clara, there are web based classes that do not require travel expenses. It doesn’t get much better than that. |
Now go get ready and start planning. I will see you at the conference and don’t forget to bring extra business cards…wc |
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