THE GUIDE TO NETWORKING ATDREAMFORCE 2014

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You’ve probably been attending

trade shows and conferences for years.

So you no doubt are well aware of what

great networking opportunities these events are.

Conferences such as Dreamforce, salesforce.com’s user

conference and the largest cloud computing conference

in the word, give you an exceptional chance to become a

known quantity to your peers. What you might not be so

aware of, however, is the degree to which technology

has changed the way that you can take advantage

of the networking opportunities available at

Dreamforce and similar conventions.

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Agenda Builder: Plan Dreamforce Like a Pro

You will get more value out of your time at the conference if you

plan it before arriving. That is why Dreamforce developed the

Agenda Builder. With more than 1,400 sessions to choose from,

you really do need a tool like the Agenda Builder to make sure

that you get to the ones you’re most interested in.

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The Agenda Builder is easy to use, but you will get the most out of it if you follow a sequence of steps.

Enroll in your must-attend events first. Use the tool’s filters to narrow down your session selections to a number where reading the details of each is reasonable. Bookmark everything you find interesting. Tip: If you’re attending with a coworker, you’ll each get more out of the conference if you don’t attend the same sessions. That way, you can each fill the other in on what you saw and heard.

And use the Dreamforce app to follow the sessions you’re attending or have bookmarked.

Use the search function to find sessions in your areas of interest. Book your sessions with the “My Sessions” function.

Share your agenda with others to get the benefit of multiple perspectives on what might be most valuable for you.

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Meet Everyone You Can

From customers and partners

to friends and colleagues, you

probably have a list, even if it’s

only a mental list, of individuals

you want to meet at Dreamforce.

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To really take advantage of your networking opportunities, you need to be open to meeting new

people. Whether they are working in booths, sitting next to you at a session, or enjoying a party

that you are attending, talking with strangers is definitely encouraged here. Getting to know

people you had not planned on meeting can often lead to your best business opportunities.

Of course, to keep track of all the people you will be meeting, you should bring hundreds of

business cards, and exchange cards with everyone you meet. With so many introductions,

however, it could be difficult to remember the face when you look at the card a few days later.

To avoid that, make a point of writing a note about each person on the back of his or her card.

That can personalize the experience even more, and maybe even give you a hint on how to

approach the person in your next call or email. Chapter 5 has more information on following up.

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See Everything You Can

The best way to connect with the

greatest number of people at

Dreamforce is to keep moving.

Don’t limit your time to only

booths, speeches, or sessions.

Get your workout in by walking

through both expos, and talk to

as many vendors as you can.

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Attend all the major keynote speeches. They are your best opportunity to

learn where the industry is headed and how you can give yourself and

your company the best chance to profit by the changes ahead.

Sessions, by contrast, are great for gaining privileged insights into the

latest Salesforce advancements. Plus, their smaller settings allow you to

get up close and personal with Salesforce experts and peers with common

interests. Sessions are often spread out across the Dreamforce campus, so

don’t push yourself too hard. Try to attend two sessions and one keynote

per day. This will allow you to get to your sessions on time. Keep this in

mind when working in Agenda Builder as well.

While moving around and interacting with others at Dreamforce is a

big part of getting the most out of the conference, take time each day to

digest what you have absorbed. In your downtime between sessions and

keynotes, make it a point to debrief yourself, take notes on what you’ve

found to be significant, and organize your thoughts about how to make

the most of the experience.

Create Content to Stand Out From the Crowd

So much for making the most of Dreamforce’s networking

opportunities in a traditional way. Technology has enabled you to

move your efforts to the next level. Two words: create content.

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Use the notes you took as a basis for blog posts, tweets, and status updates on social media using the event

hashtag, #DF14. Doing so will get your name out there so you will remain a stronger presence to those whom

you meet at the conference. Publishing your observations and opinions on the conference through social media

demonstrates your interest in the events you attended and the trends they are part of. It also shows confidence

in yourself and an interest in being part of the conversation.

If you can make the time for it, try to live blog the conference. Your chances of advancing in your job and

career depend to a considerable extent on the groups you belong to. Publishing on social media gives you the

opportunity to have those groups form around you, whether you are the most outspoken member or not. If you

have a long plane ride home, take advantage of that opportunity to create longer content. Include photos/video/

audio you took during Dreamforce, and build a narrative around it. It’s all about engaging as much as possible

with your peers.

Follow up with Your New Connections Immediately

Your Dreamforce networking tasks won’t end when the conference

concludes. Get in touch with as many of the contacts you made as early

in the week of October 20 as possible.

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Salesforce can be a particularly

efficient tool for organizing and

delivering this correspondence.

People will have been energized

by the conference, so reaching

out to them while their

excitement is still strong will

make your connection all the

more sticky. Dreamforce is

all about using technology to

move your business forward.

Your network will always be one

of your greatest resources. So

using technology to grow and

strengthen your network brings

it all together.

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Dreamforce has brought together a fantastic group of speakers and vendors

for this year’s conference. Keynotes speakers whose ideas are changing the

world will give you a high-level view of today’s and tomorrow’s business world,

while vendors and session presenters will drill down to help you get the most

out of Salesforce tools in the years ahead. Using technology to plan your

conference and capitalize on the networking opportunities it provides will put

you in the best position to grow your career and business.

E P I L O G U E

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Call or text: (650) LEAD GEN (650-532-3436)

WinGreen Marketing Systems™ is a content marketing agency specializing in lead generation, content marketing,

inbound marketing, email marketing, and consulting for technology companies across the United States.

The WinGreen System of Marketing™ is WinGreen’s

comprehensive set of marketing methods and automation, including extensive content development, target email

databases, campaign management, marketing automation systems, and highly refined processes. It’s a Smarter Way to

Generate Sales Leads™.

WinGreen is a technology partner of Salesforce.com®, Microsoft®, Predictive Response™, and Ringlead™, Inc.

The company was founded in 2009 and is headquartered in the suburban technology corridor of Philadelphia.

Visit WinGreen’s Marketing Resource Center for more free ebooks on content marketing and lead generation.

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