How to Sell Your Boss On Conferences

The need is to ‘upsell’ your boss! Along this subject, there is a great article written by top executive, Michael Hyatt, Chief Executive Officer of Thomas Nelson Publishers, which may prove to be invaluable reading before approaching your boss on the subject of conference attendance.

My first suggestion is to make sure the conference is not titled, “Becoming an Entrepreneur.” The following guidelines are offered in the hope they will assist you in making your way to a coveted conference. With a straightforward game plan you can present your request clearly and concisely.

1. Approach the subject with confidence. Be prepared with objective documentation that illustrates, beyond doubt, that attendance at the conference is indeed a smart investment resulting in a great return.
2. Be sure you have likeminded, sustainable initiatives, ideas and goals.
3. Create inclusive dialogue with your boss that does not put him or her in a defensive position. It is important to let facts, not emotions, guide you through the process of presenting your case.
4. List your goals as to what you expect to achieve at the conference.
5. Be certain that your goals do not highlight personal development exclusively; but rather emphasize that the conference will be of great benefit to your learning curve as well as to the future benefit of the business as a whole.
6. List at least five of the major conference events which focus on and are directly related to your industry.
7. Name some of the industry experts with whom you will personally interact.

Reading the this article relevant to the intrinsic value of conferences in today’s technological arena will probably be the icing on the cake for your case.

As you have read to the end of this posting we safely assume you are about to accept the challenge of convincing your boss of this valuable networking tool. Thus, we wish you friend, good reading and good luck!

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