Hi everyone, and welcome back to another S&A Bulletin. Last week we shared our tips for approaching industry conferences more effectively. This week we’re continuing the series with three more pointers – all focused on the quality of the conversations you’re having once you’re actually in the room.

Put the brochure down

A lot of time, effort and money goes into producing a great brochure, and rightly so. But if you find yourself reading from it during meetings, it’s working against you. Agents want to connect with a person, not a printed page. Present your brochure, refer to it and use it as a visual aid, but keep the conversation flowing naturally rather than narrating line by line.

Plan your elevator pitch

Before you even open your brochure, your introduction sets the tone for the entire meeting. Rather than launching into a full rundown of everything your school offers, focus on what makes you different and why students choose you. Keep it to around 30 seconds – the classic elevator pitch. A sharp, memorable opening leaves far more of an impression than a five-minute monologue that eats into your meeting time.

Watch your talking time

Lastly, in teaching, we talk about TTT – teacher talk time. At industry events, the same principle applies: the more you talk, the less you learn. If your voice is struggling by the end of day one, that’s a sign the balance is off. Asking genuine questions and listening carefully not only shows interest in the person across the table, but it makes you far more memorable than someone who spent the whole meeting presenting at them.

That’s all for today, but we’ll be back next week with more tips and tricks to help you make the most of conference season.

Written by Stephanie Clark