30 Minute Pre-Recorded Keynote for NAMM's Believe in Music

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Hello and welcome to my Believe in Music Networking Session. I'm Mike Dias. I'm the executive director of the Ear Monitor International Trade Organization, and when Nam asked me to give a talk about networking for trade shows, I jumped at the opportunity. I know I might be wired funny, but I absolutely love trade shows. I've been to more than I can count in more countries than I can name, and I'm not even embarrassed to tell you I go to trade shows that aren't even my industry where I don't know anybody, where I don't know a thing about what I'm looking at. I just go and wander like a tourist amazed at everything that's happening. For me, it's about the energy, the hum, the hustle. I love it. Where else do you get such a condensed version of buyers, sellers, manufacturers, suppliers, press teachers, lecturers, old friends, new friends and opportunities sitting in one singularity?

(01:04)
An entire ecosystem gets condensed into space and time. I love it. The excitement for me is palpable. And it doesn't matter whether it's online or in the real world or the hybrid of the two because the things that we used to do are changing. The world that we used to know is evolving and the rules that we once all followed, we're writing them right now, they're morphing and the space is changing. This isn't about me as an old dinosaur anymore. This space is growing and new blood and new people are coming into it. And as an industry veteran, it's my job and you, the people who are watching this, it is your fundamental responsibility to be open and to welcome new people and to show them the ropes here together. Because really that's what networking is all about. It's about how to open things up and how to be inclusive.

(02:03)
Now, I get it. When most people talk about networking, what you hear, what you think is about what can you do for me, it's exploitive, it's speed dating, strip mining, anything like that. But that's the furthest from the truth. Networking is generative. Networking is about giving. It's about what can I do for you? How can we create together? What doors can I open for you? And that spirit, thinking about that at trade shows, about welcoming new people in about what believe in music actually represents about everything that Nam is doing for the industry, for the kids, for the future generations. To me, that's why I wanted to be part of this. And yet spite of the smorgasbord that exists, the global opportunity of everybody in one place together, the unlimited potential that's going on the floor time after time, I see my friends, my peers, my colleagues go back to the same limited small section of the buffet, eating the same food, hanging out with the same people, just looking for people they already know, good friends that they see outside of trade shows.

(03:20)
That squandering opportunity, I get it. I'm guilty of it too. I do the same thing, but I also have a strategy that I employ on how I can try to set myself up for larger success. And that's what I wanted to share with you everyone today. Here's what I do for every event or trade show that I attend, and I'm going to break it down step by step. And I'm going to start with the three categories. We're going to first start about the pre-game show work and we're going to go into game time itself and then the follow-up. Each one of these categories in itself is critical to your success. And I got to tell you, most people never spend any time on the pregame. Nearly no one does anything with the follow-up. And if I'm honest, half the people just kind of phone it in the showing up part of it.

(04:15)
Alright, let's start with the pre-show prep work. Step one, you want to do this as soon as you can at least a month before everything gets started. And just as a fair warning, this part's a lot of work. It takes hours, it takes time, it takes commitment and effort, but this is what sets you up for success. Before you even start, I want you to just spend a day or two thinking about the bigger picture. Why are you attending the event? What do you want to get out of it? What do you want to give while you're there? Why are you going there in the first place? And once you have that vision clear and then you have your motivation, then start by hitting the tactics like this. I need you to go through the catalog of the event. I need you to find the list of exhibitors, the list of speakers, find everything that you can out about who will be attending.

(05:09)
I need you to scan all through those lists and look for companies that look for people that look for speakers that really just kind of take your first pass and flag anybody who you already have a weak bond relationship with. Every time that you find a new company or a new name of somebody that you want to connect with, add them to your spreadsheet. And this part is really important because the organization here is going to matter. You just need to list and log, list and log list and log because you're going to come back to this over and over and over. Setting up from the right fundamentals is critical to your success in this part. Okay? Second part, start with the same list. Now I want you to scan for people that you don't know, but that you want to meet companies that you want to do business with, people that you find interesting, research that's being done that catches your eye, make notes of all of that.

(06:10)
Put them in the same spreadsheet is what you've already working. It doesn't matter whether they're people or people that you want to know, you're going to treat them exactly the same. And third, this one is geographically specific of where the event is being held. Let's say the event is in Las Vegas or Arizona or Florida. I want you to think about all the people that you know who are in that region, people you've worked with before, but people who are outside of the industry, people who are not attending the event. This is your chance of cross-pollinating, of bringing worlds together. So let's just say the event's in Florida. Think about your uncle, your brother, your cousin, your friend, the guy from your cousin's, brother's, friend's, wedding, anybody that you know who's in the region, give 'em a call. Tell 'em that you're going to be down there for the event and that you'd love to connect with them and join up.

(07:06)
This is your chance of bringing worlds together, which is really what the whole point of authentic networking is about. How do you bring people from one industry to connect them with people from another? Right? How do you make it about fun and friendship rather than just about work and grinding out the deal? This is your chance to really make things come together. Now, at the same time, as long as we're talking about this mentally, think about who on your team is going to the show with you who's more junior than you, who doesn't really know the ropes, who doesn't know the landscape? And it is your job and your responsibility. And I don't say that lightly. I just want to repeat that. If you are taking the time to watch this session, then you have a moral obligation of taking the time and looking out for everybody else who's coming up in the industry.

(07:59)
Find somebody who doesn't have all the same connections that you have and make sure that you're going to bring them along with you as you start planning out all of these get togethers. Okay? So now you have your list, you have your clarity of vision, you know what you want to accomplish and you know who you're going to bring along for the ride. Now is the fun part. Now you start reaching out. And again, I told you it doesn't matter if it's somebody that you already know, somebody who you're close with or somebody that you want to meet, now's your time to reach out, send 'em a quick email, let 'em know, Hey, I'm going to be at so-and-so. Can't wait to connect with you. Boom, short, simple, sweet for people that you don't know. I know this feels a little awkward, right? I'm asking you to make a cold call, but it's easy.

(08:47)
Think about it from their perspective for a second. They're going to the show, they're putting themselves out there to be seen and to see they're not just showing up for the fun of it. They're there working as well. You reaching out to ask to connect to them. That's networking from their vantage point. I'm giving this talk because I like to share, but at the same time, I'm putting myself out there for everybody. And I got to tell you, I talk about this all the time and I know that people aren't following all these steps because no one ever reaches out to me in advance and I make it super easy to get in touch with me. The reason that I do a lot of these shows is so that anybody who has a question about networking or about what they can do with their career can get in touch with me before the show, during the show or after the show. Whether it's physical or digital, it doesn't matter. I'm here to help. And I guarantee that anybody else who's exhibiting at a show or who's teaching and demonstrating at a show has the same attitude For the people that you don't know.

(10:02)
When you're going through your list and identifying companies you want to work with or people that you want to meet, make a note on your spreadsheet and just list the reason why when you reach out to them. It's okay to be direct. Hi, I'm going to be at the Nam show. I'm hoping we can get together because I really like what you're doing with X, Y, or Z. Provide something concrete, something that's tangible and something that's actionable. People like that and respect that. Don't use a form letter for everybody. Make it specific. So now what? Now you've reached out to people and no one's getting back to you. That's perfectly normal. That's not something that you can control. You job is to follow up with people but not browbeat them or not nudge them to death. You've done what you can. You set the stage and you make your commitments and you show up.

(10:57)
Now what happens when people do get back to you? You must realize that people are busy, they're going to a show and they're as busy as you are going to be. It is not their responsibility to get together with you just because you initiated the conversation. It is your responsibility to get together with them to make the time to fit them in. So on this spreadsheet, make sure that you make it a matrix of days and times and really start blocking off segments of where you're going to be, how you're going to get together. And I'm going to challenge you to think outside the box. Don't just think about the show hours. I need you to think about breakfast, lunch, dinner, drinks. It's okay if you have multiple breakfasts at the shows I attend. I have my first coffee, I have a second coffee, I have a third coffee, I have a breakfast meeting, I have a dinner meeting.

(11:52)
I have an after dinner meeting. I maximize the time to the best that I possibly can. And I don't need to tell somebody, oh, this is my third dinner of the night. No, I eat and I enjoy and I fit my time around everybody else's. Alright, and what about people who just never get back to you? Don't take it personal. People are busy. It could be spam, it could be you, it could be your delivery. It just is a good cue of how to better craft your emails next time. Short, sweet, punchy to the point. And you'll be surprised you're going to encounter all this internal resistance. Oh, somebody doesn't. Your inner monologue, everything's going to be coming up about all the reasons that you can't or shouldn't stop over because you reached out and the person didn't get back to you. But here's what I'm going to tell you, that I can tell you from experience that I know firsthand. All the stories that you're telling yourself are not real. I can't tell you how many times I've been in that exact same position. And then I walk over, I introduce myself and someone says, oh yeah, of course. Thank you so much for reaching out ahead of time.

(13:05)
You are setting yourself up for success by doing it whether you see direct results or not. Alright, game time, day of the show. This one is about attitude. You've already done the work. You've mentally prepared, you've practiced, you've rehearsed. You have a game plan. You've got your calendar. You've got your schedule. What's expected of you from your employer. You know how everything fits in. You are ready to go now you've got to check your head. Here's what I do, and I strongly recommend that you do it too. One, I show up with a smile because it matters. What I feel inside is what I project outward. If I'm uncomfortable or if I'm anxious or if I'm overwhelmed by the crowd, I make sure to take some time for myself beforehand. Put on my game, face and smile. Two, it is my job to say hello to people, to new people, people passing by.

(14:07)
Everybody is uncomfortable and everybody is anxious and everybody is at the event for the same exact reason, to meet new people, to be seen and to see. And so if we take the opportunity to think that networking is a team sport, it takes two to dance, I'm going to take the lead and I'm going to initiate simple wave a nod, a hello, how's your show going? Can I help you with anything? Goes a really long way. Number three, I speak genuinely and authentically. I learned this a long time ago. Trying to talk about things that I don't care about goes absolutely nowhere. I know that common convention says, Hey, in networking, talk to somebody about their kid or their baby or their car, or whatever you think that it is that they like, but that's phony and that doesn't make any real difference and doesn't really build any connections or any bonds. So I just talk about things I care about, right? And my job is to try to find things that we both care about where we have common overlaps and that way we can turbocharge the relationship and really start sharing in a meaningful way and laughing and it's much more memorable that way. And that leads into number four. And this is my really big trick here, and bear with me because I don't often share this one, but I am happy to share it here.

(15:43)
If we know that networking is a team sport and that it's my job to make people feel comfortable, and it's my job to take the lead. And if we also know, and if I'm being honest by nature, I'm a fairly shy person. I don't really like putting myself out there smiling, waving, saying hello to everybody. I don't think anybody's really wired or bolted that way. It's a mindset. So the way that I make myself feel comfortable and the way that I just don't feel so silly standing there hoping, waiting, praying for an opportunity. I treat everybody that I meet. I already know them and not just a little bit. I treat everybody like I know them for a very long time. They're one of my childhood best friends. What this does is this puts me at ease. It deescalates all the social posturing, it deescalates all the social anxiety that I feel instead of trying to show off or be cool or meet somebody new, I'm just hanging out with somebody that I've known for years.

(16:45)
And it does two things. One, besides for making myself feel really comfortable, I think it throws the other person off a little bit, right? Because they're going into it just as anxious and just as nervous and all of a sudden I'm talking to them like we've known each other for a while. In the back of their mind, I can always hear the gears turning and they're thinking, oh, do I know this guy? Did we have a drink at a party last year together or his face familiar? Have I seen him talk before? But it doesn't really matter, right? So I know that initially that's what's going on, but instantly that clicks over and because my level of comfort disarms them, they put their guard down and start being comfortable too. So now rather than talking about the things that we think we're both supposed to talk about and by focusing on the things that I actually care about and we're able to find some overlap and move through all the blocks that normally prevent actual relationships from happening, it turbocharges the relationship, makes everything much, much smoother.

(17:52)
And I feel like I'm the host of a wonderful dinner party. Last thing on that, stay polite, right? Manners go a long way just because you know somebody informally don't make inappropriate jokes or anything like that. That's hard for me. That's my downfall. But manners go a long way in spite of myself. And staying appropriate also matters. Number six, I commit to dressing appropriately. It's a sign of respect. I take care of myself the way I'm going to take care of you. It matters. You might not think it does, but what you send out, what you telegraph people pick up on. Seven. I practice being interesting and being interested. When someone's talking, I genuinely listen. I don't think about what I'm going to say next. Number eight, when things get overwhelming, I take a pause and I feel grateful that I get to be where I'm at.

(18:47)
I feel grateful that I'm paid to be there and that I get to do what I want to do. Number nine and 10, I'm in the group together. Number nine, I don't ask somebody that I just met what they do. People aren't their jobs. They're not the sum of where they work or of what they do. Number 10, when I meet somebody in the hall, I don't tell them what I do. That's not how you start a conversation. You would never make friends with somebody that way. Number 11, I try to be a great conversationalist. Most things that shows are so routine and so boring. Try to add something unexpected to it. Make people laugh. Be a good hang. Number 13, I'm a stickler for this one. This one's the most important. If I could bold and flash this video, I keep a notebook in my back pocket, old school with a pencil, and every time after I'm done meeting somebody, I make notes on what we talked about.

(19:51)
But more importantly, I make notes on the commitments that I made to myself and to them. If we were talking about a project or a potential opportunity together, I write it down so that I can follow up on it. If we were talking about a mutual interest and something that I know that they like, I make a note of that. I also note where I met them, who they know that I also know all of these things you're going to work on later and log in, but if you don't have it written down, I promise you're going to forget it. And lastly, at the end of a meeting, and I don't do this outside of trade shows, but I offer a card and I ask to get a card. This matters. It's twofold. One, it's a sign of respect. Pay attention to the cultural significance of it as well.

(20:41)
Trade shows are global and please take your time of understanding how you present a card, what you say when somebody gives you a card internationally and by having a card, it's really just a trigger. Again, for the follow-up work, you could be advanced and you can staple your card to your notebook if you want. I do that sometimes. Here's a difference about collecting cards and using cards. Just because you've met somebody at a trade show and because you have their card, it doesn't mean that you can call and ask them for a favor. It really doesn't mean anything other than you're able to flip through the yellow pages and find them. Again, having somebody's card is not having a relationship with somebody. There's a really deep difference. It's just a trigger for your next steps. Alright, you ready? Now comes the real work. You've done your pre-show prep, you've shown up, you've suited up, you've done your best. Now you need to follow up, and this is what nobody ever does, right?

(21:43)
Everything that you've done up until now will be completely wasted if you don't take this next step, right? Life is about closing open energetic loops. So you've taken the time to set it up, you've taken the time to create, and yet so many of us just leave it there. We make an excuse, we got busy. The show was too much. I got to balance the show and my real work. Yeah, all that's excuses and it's open loops that drain your energy and don't make things move forward. So here's what I do. It doesn't matter how long my day is, I make time for myself in the hotel at night to try to close as many open loops as I possibly can. Then if I'm not doing it every night, I get backed up and then I've got to do it on the plane and I might be a little Jenga master of balancing my laptop, my notebook, my business cards, my pencil and everything that I'm trying to do on that little card tray table on an airplane.

(22:47)
But inevitably, they all fall and spill. It's much harder to do on an airplane and if you let it wait a week, it's already too late. So really pay attention and do this daily. Okay? First thing that you do is you got to file the contact because if you're doing all of this and you don't have any form of a CRM system, a contact management system, then you're just missing the point. You're net drinking, you're not networking. Your memory can only capture, I am not going to talk about your memory, but my memory can only hold two or three things at a time and I'm going to drop a lot of balls if I don't have a process and I don't have a system in place, so I don't care if you're just using your phone book, if you're using a spreadsheet, if you're using natural CRM, whatever you're using, make sure that you file the information.

(23:38)
Start by going through your notes and the business cards and log everybody's name and email. And I always try to make a, I told you before, log who they know and where you met them because in five years from now and 10 years from now, it's really nice to look back and be like, oh yeah, I first met that person at NAM 2022 to believe in music talk. If you can have the information, associate them with the company where they work, what they do, their title, these things matter. It helps you build a mental landscape of the industry that you're in, of who's connected to who and how. Everybody's interrelated. You need to think of networking, like building a map, like what your landscape looks like. I often like to think about this as building a puzzle. If you had a thousand piece jigsaw puzzle just given to you in a paper bag, you could figure it out.

(24:38)
You'd start with the border, but you really have no idea what final image you're trying to build. Networking is the same way like that, right? You're in this industry, you may know the borders, you may not, but if you're able to understand how everybody is interconnected and interrelated and you have a map, navigate, trying to get things done going forward is a lot easier when you know who to call or at least which direction to head. Hopefully, if this is a process that you adopt, this gets a lot easier over time. You're not always just adding new people to your system, you're just adding new touch points to the people who are already in your system, right? The more you do this, the easier it gets. The more people you meet, the more they're interconnected, and the more times you get to see people who you have weak relationships with and that you make them stronger relationships, because that really is the whole point of networking, isn't it?

(25:33)
Is that you're figuring out how to take a contact and turn that into a deeper relationship. You're moving things forward along space and time. Logging people in your system is just the very first part of the work. Now comes the fun part of it. This is the time where you start closing the loops and you refer back to your notebook about the open commitments that you made to yourself and to others. Now's your time to follow up on them. If you met somebody and you know that you know somebody else who's able to help them to move their goals forward just a little bit, take the time and make an introduction. If you talked about doing something, set it out in motion, file these things away, log 'em back on your calendar of when you're going to follow up, do what you said you were going to do.

(26:22)
That matters. That's your reputation, that's your integrity, and it's not just about making the commitments to others. It's about the commitment to yourself. That's the one that's going to keep you up at night. And finally, set longer term triggers. This isn't a one and done. This isn't triage. This is about making sure that you follow through with these commitments. Later set longer calendar reminders. The work that you're doing at the trade shows should be able to bring you through for the whole rest of the year if you've done it right. Now, here's the thing about setting things up properly and closing the loop.

(26:56)
You close the loop so that you can move things forward later. If you meet somebody, you talk about doing something and you do nothing with it, or if you set it into motion and don't follow through with it later on, when you reach out to them, Hey, let's do this. What are they thinking? In the back of their mind? They're like, oh, this joker again. Always calling when he wants something. Never does anything. Taking, not giving, giving, giving. The reason that you follow up is not just so that you close the loop. The reason that you follow up is so that you can set future things into motion and tee yourself up and others up for the success that awaits. Following up is the greatest way to show your commitment to yourself and to others, and that you are going to do what you say you're going to do.

(27:47)
And that's it. It's not that hard when you break it down into all the steps. It just takes time, energy, commitment, and follow through. But it makes a huge difference. So I'd like to think that after this, I'm going to get a couple of emails from anybody who's watching, thanking me or opening up a door, but it passes any indicator of the future. It doesn't often happen, but I challenge this group and hope that maybe it's different. That's my process. I feel like Penn and Teller, right? The more I show the trick, the better it gets. It is not magic, it's just work. I put in the time everything that I have today to be thankful for the work that I get to do, the people that I get to work with. It's a derivative of what we just talked about. I have set myself up for the success that I have right now, and anyone can follow the same exact steps that I just outlined.

(28:51)
To me. The power of doing this is that we all make each other stronger together. So please, I invite all of you to start doing this immediately. These steps are concrete and actionable, and they have a direct impact on your future career. Now I've got some bonus material specifically for Nam. I've been waiting to work this bid out. I'm going to start here. I call this one buying the ticket. You've done everything else you've shown up, you've done it. And yet, are you going to the tech awards? Did you buy your ticket? And if you go to the tech awards, did you pay the extra for the VIP after party? No, you probably didn't. So why would you go all the way to the finish line and not your I and cross your T? And you're thinking, oh, well, I don't know how to justify the additional expense.

(29:53)
And that's small thinking because the real expense was just all the work you just did, you time, everything that you just put in. So why not take it that final, final step and put the frosting on it? Because the people who are going to the tech awards and the people who are paying to go to the after party, they're the ones who did all the same work that you just did, and put the sprinkle on top. If you realize that everybody at the event is going there to be seen and to see, to create opportunities, then make sure you put yourself in the path of success and put yourself in the place where opportunities exist. These things matter, and I know we don't like to talk about them or that they feel a little taboo to even mention, but do it. Pay the extra. Go to the show. Go buy the ticket. Giant. Special thanks to Nam. Special thanks to everybody who put this together to you who sat through this and who attended. I can't wait to see everybody in person. Thank you so much.

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