One of the speakers at the upcoming Fordyce Forum 2013 called me last week to discuss his presentation. He wanted to make sure he was on track with the directives conference chair Barb Bruno issued.
On a call with the speakers she told them in very specific, clear, and direct language that they must:
- Provide value for every single person there.
- Develop a workshop with participation. These are supposed to be interactive sessions.
- Provide at least three solid “takeaways”; things participants can use on Monday that will give them a big ROI.
- Be interesting. You want them to go away saying “I didn’t know that,” and “I can use that or do that.”
If that was all the agency owners and leaders and independent recruiters who attend the annual Fordyce Forum got from the conference, it would be a resounding success. However, as Barb herself said:
The entire agenda was designed with one thing in mind – to guarantee you will increase sales and profits… if you implement just three ideas shared at Fordyce Forum 2013 you will experience an ROI unparalleled at other events.
With 14 speakers providing at least three takeaways each, that’s a minimum of 42 actionable, business growing ideas the conference will deliver. And, of course, participants will get much more. The networking opportunities alone are worth the price of admission, especially since they often lead to splits relationships.
Laying Down the Law
The other law laid down by Barb was to insist every presenter “mingle.” People attending your session, she explained, may want more detail, or they may want you to help them apply what you said to their situation.
It’s details like those that make the Fordyce Forum different from other conferences. The speakers are almost all practitioners who, on Monday, will be working a desk, on the phone, looking for business or trying to make a placement. They know the ins and outs of the business, and all the pain points because they live them.
The speaker on the phone with me last week said he was building a house while running his office and ensuring the cash flow was there to pay the bills, pay the commissions, keep the lights on, and also, to pay his building contractor. Managing it all is keeping him busy. But, he agreed, busy is good.
Those are the kinds of people who wil be at the Fordyce Forum, sharing their practical, hands-on solutions to real life problems.
Register now here and join us June 6-7 in Dallas. Make sure to introduce yourself. I’m looking forward to meeting our Fordyce Letter readers.