Cold calling. We’ve all been there. Wanting to get our name and brand out there for the world to see our talent. Most of the time these calls are frustrating and take forever to reach someone to make an impact.Sometimes all the effort leads to nothing and we are back to square one. But in today’s world of technology and social media, do we really need cold calling?There are so many different ways to get your career as an event professional to the next level without cold calling. First you need to know who your audience is. Are you planning weddings, corporate events, charities?The first way to advertise your business is LinkedIn. There are millions of professionals available to you, just by the click of a button. It is completely normal to message a professional you do not know personally. Make sure you write your own message – not the pre-written one LinkedIn provides.Another idea is simply emailing the person you are trying to contact. Most websites provide that information if you look close enough. It is acceptable to write another email a few days with no response, just be respectful of their time.A less direct approach is Facebook advertising. Your company may do many different events, but with Facebook you can narrow down who you want to advertise to. Be specific in your words and after awhile those people you have been trying to reach for a year might be contacting you.Lastly is networking. Join groups with similar interests. Or simply get involved with your community and help out when needed. Volunteer your services and maybe it will catch someone’s eye! A lot of different people act as board members on any given charity. When you put yourself out there good things come back!There are many other ways to reach executives or the decision makers of companies today. Be creative and do some research on the person. If they are super involved in social media, tweet at them! Maybe it will catch their eye and start a conversation.Cold calling is in the past, it is time to start moving forward and gain clients without the frustration!
Tracy Fuller-White has owned and operated an event production company for 30+ years and has done events nationally and internationally for fortune 100 and fortune 500 companies.
When doing event setup you need to take good care of the venue. Tracy Fuller gives a short tip how to do just that! Watch below!
Engaging in conversation can be somewhat of a sport: listening to others ideas, collaborating, discussing deep subjects. It is something I love to do and find it to be essential to my wellbeing and the health of my mental state. I have learned to enjoy networking and find the new ideas and meeting new people fascinating. During various conversations I learn new things about the other person as well as myself with each and every encounter.As an entrepreneur and with any social career where you find yourself interacting with others, conversations are bound to happen. Some discussions can lead to career advancement, building relationships within your business community, or just creating a valuable connection or future friendship. Therefore, it is something that cannot be ignored in most instances. Conversing doesn’t always come easy, but I have found that applying the following tips in my conversations can help get the ball rolling: 1. When introducing yourself, use both your first and last namesWhen you meet someone for the first time, use both your first and last name. I know there are tendencies to use first names only if the other person does, but sometimes your last name can be a conversation starter or help others recognize what they have heard about you and your business from others. If this is all positive conversation, this will add instant credibility to your conversation. I like to say what company I am with as well. Sometimes others may have heard of your company only, so it’s a great way to put a face with the name. 2. Mirror body languageIf the person you are talking to is standing with their arms crossed, cross your arms. Exchange a few sentences and then uncross your arms, see if they do the same. Subconsciously we follow each other’s body language and maybe you can encourage them to open up. If not, offer a pleasant ‘nice to meet you’ and move on to the next person or group. If they don’t open up maybe someone forced them to attend this event and they are just not in the mood to share. 3. Focus on others firstI find it fun to play a little game and watch the conversation. I ask the person I am speaking to what they do for a living, wait for the answer and see if they ask me. If not, I move on to the next subject and ask another question. I am waiting to see if and when they will ask about what I do, about my family, or something to engage the conversation both ways. 4. If you listen, they will think you are smartThe person conceived as the smartest person in the room is the one that is the best at listening, weighing the conversation, and then speaking. Be a great listener and you will project the interest that others are seeking to have fulfilled. 5. Put away the cell phoneThis shouldn’t have to be said but a cell phone in your hand that you check often lets the other person know that they fall second to whoever or whatever is on your phone. Turn off the ringer, put it in your purse or pocket, and have a real conversation that you are engaged in with the person standing right in front of you. 6. Don’t interrupt with ideasI know you may have that great idea that just came to your brain that has to do with what the other person is talking about and if you don’t blurt it out it might disappear. Hold that thought! Literally. Give the person speaking the opportunity to finish their thought before you give them that really awesome idea that will save the world. 7. Know when to dig deeperSometimes a person needs to talk things out, so know how to ask questions that keep them talking. Make sure the conversation stays positive and keep asking those questions that can’t be answered with Yes or No. Encourage them to talk through the issue and keep your eyes open for what is really being said. Remove the emotions. This will lead to more productive outcomes for everyone involved. 8. Know when to stop diggingI’m not talking spouses or family members here. We all know how to push buttons of those that are closest to us, but for casual conversation if the content becomes negative, change the subject. If the conversation continues to be negative, politely excuse yourself and find someone else to engage. We all know that person that loves to have toxic conversation all the time! 9. Focus on the person you’re in conversation withNo eye darting, nodding to others, etc. There is no better way of making someone feel insignificant than you looking for your next target for conversation while talking to them. 10. Look into their eyesWhen being really engaged with someone, look into their eyes or at least at their face when speaking with them. I know this is a no-brainer, but sometimes it is hard to do. Make sure you are not looking at body parts that make the other person uncomfortable. 11. Open yourself up to othersWhen networking, don’t stand in the corner with your arms crossed and a scowl on your face. Smile, drop your arms to your side, and stand flat on your feet. This is a power position and an invitation for others to approach you. You never know who your next client is going to be!Next time you are out 
Tracy Fuller, President of Event Heroes, believes in empowering other event and meeting planners to help make the industry a better place. Working together to learn from one another and killing others with kindness are two principles she lives by. When she’s not busy pulling off events that wow or training the next Event Hero, Tracy enjoys sipping wine with friends, painting in her art studio, and attending other great events in her city.
Event planning is stressful. This is a well-known fact. 
In this TED video ‘Your Body Language Shapes Who You Are’, social scientist Amy Cuddy examines not only how your body language affects how others perceive you, but how you see yourself. Simply by changing your posture or stance, chemical levels of cortisol and testosterone in the brain can change. These changes may have an impact on our chances for success.When defining communication people often think of words and content, but nonverbal communication or interactions are extremely important as well. Do you ever take a second and realize what nonverbal behaviors you are portraying? Next time you are in an important meeting with powerful people, watch as they tend to take up space and show their power. Next time you are in a situation, whether that be in a meeting or an event, watch closely how you portray yourself to others. Open yourself up, physically. This shows comfort and confidence which will make yourself feel better and in the end have your meeting or event go better.Amy suggest trying these power poses to make yourself feel better. Fake it until you become it! Portray confidence until one day you just are no longer pretending. She says it is the presence that you bring, not necessarily the content that will make the difference.To learn more click the 
Problem: How to throw an outdoor event indoors Solution: Use video screens to display the environment you want Planning a festive outdoor event in Iowa (or any Midwest state) can be tricky because the weather is so unpredictable especially during the months of November through February, it is almost impossible. You can throw your event indoors and still make it feel like an outdoor event by strategically placing large video screens around the room and projecting video of outdoor scenes and images. Video screens can transport guests to different places and environments. They can even provide them with a very realistic outdoor experience from the climate-controlled comfort of their indoor seat.One of our clients recently treated their conference attendees to a fireworks display by projecting large, realistic fireworks on to several large screens. A sound system with bass helped complete the experience so guests felt as if they were really watching them outside! Utilizing video screens to create different environments to help bring many event themes to life: bring the beach and ocean to the Midwest or transport your guests to the 70’s. Whatever the theme may be, video screens are one solution to help pull your event together. Things may not always go smooth in the event industry, be resourceful with your solutions. If you do get stuck we have the answer for you! 
Theming your event can help pull everything together from the décor to the music and the overall feel for the room. One item that gets overlooked when theming an event is the food. Whether you decide to theme the food or not, make sure you have something everyone will enjoy. Before you take it too far, make sure you maintain the quality of the food and don’t make it so far out that guests don’t even try it. For fun we put together a list, here are 5 crazy food displays for your next themed event! 1) Rainbow Grilled Cheese:Stuck in a rut with your sandwiches? Not anymore with this insanely awesome rainbow grilled cheese! Have this for a candy land theme party or try it out with a princess event. The possibilities and colors are endless! 
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Learning to network doesn’t come naturally, which I found out the hard way. When I started my business I was a young entrepreneur that needed to figure out how to make a business work. Very soon, I started to understand the importance of networking to help build my business and connections. This often meant going out of my comfort zone.When going to networking events I would often pull into the parking lot and sit in the car giving myself a pep talk about what would happen at the event and how I would walk in the door. It was hard for me even though I consider myself an extrovert. It took time, but I have learned many important lessons about networking over the years.Below are the most important lessons of networking I have learned in my 25+ years of business:1. Be genuine:People like knowing you can show your true self and that you aren’t trying too hard or making things up. Share a bit about yourself like your family, what you do for entertainment, where you travel. These things will give you all sorts of connections that you might not have already had.2. Go with your goals in mind, but don’t be forcefulHave goals like passing out 5 business cards to qualified leads OR to those you can help with their career and connections. Helping others will ultimately lead to success for you.3. Visit as many groups as you can when you start outLook for groups with like-mindedness as well as where your clients might hang out.4. VolunteerGet involved in community service to lend a hand locally. Find groups or organizations that inspire you.5. Ask open ended questions when you meet someoneBe a good conversationalist and learn how to pull conversation from others.6. Become known as a sourceIf a hotel needs to know where to find a unique piece of furniture, they know you will be able to find it.7. Know your elevator speechYou have 30 seconds to connect – make sure your speech is no longer than it takes for the elevator to get from the first floor to the 3rd floor. Be sufficient and clear about what you do and who your ideal client is.8. Know your ideal client and how to tell others who your ideal client isBeing able to identify your ideal client will allow others to help you in your search for the perfect client. They will know exactly who you are looking for and when they come across that perfect client, they can share your contact information. Word of mouth is so much more valuable than that expensive ad you put in the magazine.9. Follow through with contactsNow that you have their information USE IT. You never know what will become of the connection.10. Schedule follow-up meetings Set up meetings with those contacts that have something for you or have something they need from you that you can provide. Giving first goes a long way to serve you.A lot can benefit from networking, be yourself and use these tips next time you are out! Let us know, what networking techniques have helped you in your business?