Just like that, it is conference season again, and Tom Ferry’s 20th Success Summit is less than a week away. The excitement has been brewing, the group chats are popping off about the parties, the restaurant reservations are filling up and way too many attendees have yet to find a hotel, yet somehow all the agents know exactly when the BAM BASH is!
This three-day, Dallas, Texas real estate conference is one of the industry’s biggest events of the year, so I thought it would be best to cover some tips on how to prepare, enjoy, and avoid making a fool of yourself, all while getting the most out of the conference.
Whether you are a first-time attendee or you have so engulfed in the TF ecosystem that you understand what the dude in the banana suit is doing, the following list will help you get the most out of this year’s conference.
Pre-Conference Prep
You are about to have a whole lot of fun—but this isn’t a vacation
Real estate never sleeps, so scheduling in time to prep for a conference seems a bit ridiculous and quite possibly impossible. Plus, why in the hell would we take time to prep for a conference that is basically a three-day party with industry friends?
Here is how you should properly prepare for the conference and consume all of the greatness out of the week in the Lone Star state:
1. Set Clear Objectives
Make a clear list of things you want to walk away with from the conference. You want to be specific on the tactics, strategies, and ideas that will help you grow but also be open and looking for new information, stats or even relationships. There will be so many learning opportunities that you must focus on what will help you continue to grow and build a profitable business—without being overwhelmed.
2. Research the Speakers
Check out the schedule in advance, start following the speakers on social, look up some of their work on the internet and if they have written a book, jump into it on the plane to the conference. This will not only give you insight into their background, story and why their story matters but it will highlight the speakers that align with your objectives list.
3. Listen or Take Notes?
This comes down to comfort level and retention. Some people love to take down insane notes filling pages with shorthand, graphs and hieroglyphics while others just tune in, listen to the speaker and jot down their takeaways.
Two things are true no matter what your learning style:
- LISTEN TO THE CONCEPTS, because you will either not look back at those notes…and if you do, they won’t make much sense if you didn’t understand the concepts
- All of the slides will be on Illum for TF Members, so know you can download them later (or find a friend with access).
These conference preparation tips should help you get into gear, prepare to level up, and gain more knowledge for your business.
Healthy Balance
From breakfast to happy hour
The last thing you need is someone telling you how to live, but here are the essentials to staying alive at Summit.
1. Eat healthy, drink water
You are about to need energy, and I know you haven’t been saving any from the current real estate market. I know most of your meals currently consist of bags from a drive-through window, but just for this once….try changing it up.
Try and eat as healthy as possible so you are not running on empty the entire conference and will be able to retain these excellent tactics and strategies.
Drink like 10X the water.
2. Limit Alcohol Consumption
I know to some this may seem funny, but to others who have woken up on day two with a splitting headache and sweating through the morning sessions, I caution you….this isn’t college. No need to show up everyone doing Jägerbombs at the bar.
Pace yourself, enjoy your time with others, and drink more water than alcohol. Remember to make memories, not fools of yourselves!
3. Sleep & Rest
Between networking events, dinners, after-hours parties and late-night lobby conversations, it will seem like Dallas has turned into the city that doesn’t sleep, so it is important to factor in a solid 7–8 hours of sleep.
Our cognitive ability rests on a solid night of sleep, and the amount of information and conversations you are about to have will be intense, so plan on getting a full 8 hours of sleep every night!
Advantages of a Healthy Balance at a Conference:
- Increased Alertness: Proper nutrition, adequate sleep, and limited alcohol mean you’ll be more alert and present during sessions.
- Better Networking: Being in a balanced state helps in more meaningful interactions and leaves a positive impression on others.
- Maximized Learning: You’ll be better equipped to absorb, understand, and retain the information presented.
- Enhanced Energy: Proper food and rest can help maintain energy levels, ensuring you get the most out of each day.
- Reduced Stress: Taking care of yourself can minimize the physical and mental stress from intensive conference schedules.
- Improved Overall Experience: You’ll leave the conference feeling fulfilled and refreshed rather than exhausted.
Networking
The Game: Meet as many people as possible
If you want to take the most out of this year’s summit, conversations and relationships may be one of the most important things to identify and target for you and your business.
Since this is one of the year’s most prominent conferences and many top-producing agents and team leaders are in attendance, you may plan out who would impact your experience and how meeting targeted attendees can move your business forward.
1. Speakers /Role Players / Industry Players
If you are looking to meet larger-than-life agents remember the following to leave the best impression:
- Be clear and concise: Introduce yourself, where you are from/service right from the start.
- Leave an impression: Let the person know why you wanted to meet them or how your connection can be beneficial.
- Keep it short: For some speakers or attendees, time is very limited so make your impact and follow up/connect at a later date.
- Bring Value: These relationships don’t just grow themselves, pour into others when having these conversations, and don’t expect gold to come out of everyone’s mouth.
2. Referral Partners
There are always cities in the U.S. that send citizens back and forth like a daily roundtrip ticket. Make sure to network with agents that service cities where your clients are moving so you can build a lucrative referral business. This type of connection is built best in places like this, where you can get to know these referral partners and they can build more trust to sell you to their own clients moving to your area.
3. Brokerage Partners
If you are part of the major nationwide brokerages, you will most likely see many other agents from your brokerage that cover other areas. Make sure to say hello, introduce yourself and exchange information. You never know when you could offer help, or when you could use help from someone that is in your brokerage. If you are part of a “cool” brokerage, they may even have a coffee gathering, after-hours party or a conference meet-up; take advantage of these moments to grow with your brokerage.
Review / Digest / Commit
Time to process those notes and get to work
You made it, you are alive and the conference is over…you have finally gotten back home, returned all of the voicemails and emails that were left while you were making great relationships (partying like an animal) and you now have a lingering hangover and a pile of notes.
DO NOT USE THESE NOTES TO PROP UP YOUR LAPTOP FOR A ZOOM CALL FOR THE NEXT YEAR.
Here is what to do with all of it and start making the changes you need:
1. Organize and Synthesize your notes
Start from the beginning and read through your notes. As you do so, write down on a blank paper the tactics, strategies and ideas that jump off the page. You want to be able to match these with the list of opportunities/weaknesses you had during your prep period so that you can fill any voids in your business.
2. Set Clear Action Items with Deadlines
Use these newly found tactics, strategies and ideas to draft a plan of action immediately while planning for consistency. Put together a daily, weekly and monthly plan to put these into play in your business. Keep yourself on course by setting deadlines to get things rolling, projects finished and these new strategies in place.
3. Be / Find Accountability
If you are someone within the TF ecosystem, I know your coach will work with you through these new strategies, tactics, and ideas to propel your business. If you are not in coaching, find someone you connected with at the conference, someone local that you want to grow with, or find it within yourself to be accountable to these plans.
Change is extremely hard, and results will not happen overnight. But the content you heard and worked through at this conference is living proof that this stuff works…so don’t give up, stay consistent and be accountable to be the best you!
Have fun, smile a lot and be ready for big-time growth!
I hope this breakdown helps you enjoy the conference, takeaway meaningful changes for your business to grow, create new relationships to hold closely in the future, and put yourself, your family and your business in the best position moving into 2024.
Don’t have a ticket yet?
Use the code PRBAMSS for $100 off your ticket to Tom Ferry Success Summit here!
