Quash imposter syndrome and optimise the business opportunity

Mar 22, 2018 | Blog, Business Development, Insight

Attending a ‘World Leading’ Event can be very daunting.

Don’t let being a little fish in a big pond overwhelm you –  Gary Williams shares how he addressed his concerns and went prepared to optimise the opportunity.

I recently attended #MIPIM2018. It was my first time and I thought I would share some experiences and pass on some tips to anyone venturing to something similar and next year’s newbies.

Held at the Palais des Festivals in Cannes with over 24,000 visitors and more than 3000 exhibitors, Mipim (which I learnt stands for Le marché international des professionnels de l’immobilier) is the international property event of the year.

It is safe to say I felt some trepidation which only grew after booking…

‘Would it be worth it? (it’s expensive), a week away from work, would I meet the right people, how does a small business like mine find a ‘voice’?’ People were already teaming up – there was a whole contingency cycling down!!

Time to focus, follow my own Questas BD philosophy and prepare to address my concerns.

Preparation

Would I meet the right people? Well to meet them I had to tell them I was going. Using the database made available to registered visitors I created a realistic target list of people (around 50) I wanted to see and contacted them. I received several replies, some of which were “great, lets catch up when your there” plus a few who were happy to book a specific time.

Once I had a few meetings booked in advance, I looked at the list of speaker events and chose a couple that looked interesting leaving space in my diary to be flexible.  I was starting to feel better.

The Reality

The first meeting went very well which boosted my confidence and lead to an invite to an event later in the week!  I was off and running…. The realisation that everyone is there with similar objectives – to develop existing and to make new relationships was reassuring. Add to that the fact that most people I spoke to seemed to be interested in my ‘story’ it meant that my Imposter Syndrome was quickly quashed.

People were happy to introduce me to others and I was able to do the same for them.

Three days and a lot of coffee and croissants (plus the odd beer!) later I am very glad I made the decision to go.

My Event Takeaways

  • Reach out to people you want to see before the event. It settles nerves, gives you focus and even if they don’t connect beforehand there is a good chance they will have seen the request come in and will be primed if you do bump into them.
  • Don’t expect to stand still. The way I described it to someone was that you tend to ‘bounce’ from one event to the next and you have to be open to allowing things to develop that way.
  • Spend time with existing clients as well as looking for new. I was able to really develop relationships with some existing clients as I was getting to know them in a completely different environment.

Some practical tips for an event in Cannes

  • Stay within a 20min walk of the Palais if you can
  • Taking the train from Nice airport to Cannes saved about €100 each way!
  • The old town is lovely but restaurants are very busy and very expensive, better to try restaurants on the Quay-side.

What next?

You have returned from the event with a stash of business cards, it is time to follow up the good ones and managed to get a few meetings in the diary with some really interesting people from companies you’d like as clients… Make the most of these golden opportunities!

Download our free GUIDE TO EFFECTIVE BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MEETINGS

Optimise your selling Opportunity

Creating a possitive impact at that first client meeting.
Effective Business Development Meetings - free training guide from Questas Consulting

Get it now

BD Training in Law Firms: Overcoming Barriers and Driving Effectiveness

In my two decades of training lawyers in the art of selling, I've witnessed both triumphs and pitfalls. Let’s dissect why traditional Business Development (BD) training often falls short and uncover what truly propels success in law firms. Barriers to Effective BD...

You win some, You lose some, You decide!

In the competitive world of law firm business development, the adage "you win some, you lose some" rings truer than ever. It's a landscape where victories and setbacks often go hand in hand. But what separates the successful firms from the rest? It's not just luck,...

Bridging the Gap: Legal Education vs Practical Business Development Skills

The legal profession is undergoing a transformative shift, and as law firms navigate the complexities of reduced client loyalty, greater pressure on fees and a fight for talent, the need to bridge the gap between traditional legal education and practical business...

Effective BD Meetings

In the competitive landscape of business development, your initial meetings with potential clients or new contacts at existing clients are pivotal moments. These interactions can either pave the way for years of collaboration or leave your firm with no work at all. At...

Tools for Difficult Client Conversations

SUMMARY This episode looks at the inevitability of difficult conversations happening with clients and how we manage them so as not to damage (and even improve) relationships. In this episode, Gary has an EASY chat with his Questas colleague Paul Brady about what to do...

The Importance of Well Trained Leaders

SUMMARY Business development and client relation management is part of a trinity with leadership and management. That’s the glue that holds organisations together that Gary will be discussing this week on Work Winning Ways. Find out why training in business...

The Right Way To Win And Maintain Clients with Frank Lippert

Summary On this episode Gary speaks to Frank Lippert - one half of the PSM (Professional Services Marketing) Podcast. Frank is based in Sacramento California and in this discussion they look at the differences in marketing and business development between the UK and...

Winning More Than Your Share Of The Pie

Summary On this episode Gary speaks to Mark Anders, who is an Operations and Framework Director at Mace. Mark tells a great story about how he came to be doing what he does today (you would never guess!). He shares his many years experience in managing Client...

An Interview with Gurminder Sagoo, Client Director WSP Middle East

Summary This is a fascinating interview with someone who has worked in the Middle East for more than 10 years. Gurminder shares some insights about winning work in the region as well as busting some myths about how the building industry works. If you work in the built...

Mastering The Client Experience

Summary How do we win the right kind of work from the right kinds of clients? This week on Work Winning Ways, Gary brings you an episode from a series of webinars about how you can master the client experience. Find out how you can win over clients, build and maintain...

Get in touch