Time is On Your Side... the Silver Lining of 2020
With no travel we have become very accustomed to local life. So - how are you using this time we’ve been given?
Are you making the most of it and choosing to see the positive side of each day, or are you “grinning and bearing” until our lives go back to the way they used to be? Will they go back to the way they used to be? Nobody is certain... but we continue to adapt!!
Meeting Planners
We know you’re learning tons of new skills given the circumstances you've been thrown into. You can probably rattle off several virtual event and chat platforms now, right? You’ve mastered the art of moderating Zoom and GoToMeetings.
With the changing meeting environment, it's become crucial to have some credible resources to help along the way!
A few of our go-to information providers are Event Manager Blog, Meetings & Conventions (.com), ILEA, and many more. Ann is currently taking this “down-time” to work towards her Certified Meeting Professional (CMP) designation. You could become the next expert on how to organize speakers during a virtual event or the next expert on how to maximize virtual sponsorships. The opportunities for growth are endless.
Vendors
While we're all saving dollars not traveling, it's fair to assume that trade show revenue is not near the levels as you're accustomed to. This leaves you with the challenge to stimulate sales in different ways. Enter online marketing! Yes, something that's been available for a very long time... but hasn't been as necessary in our profession as it is right now.
So how do you know which online marketing opportunities are actually paying off for you? We encourage you to strongly evaluate where you are spending your marketing dollars and rank them according to what is working. If it’s not paying off, cut it out - or figure out WHY it's not working and see if making some tweaks will help your performance.
Recently we sent out some information on creating landing pages to improve your campaigns. This is just one example of how you can improve upon what you've already got in the works.
There are also great resources to check out. We recommend ExhibitorOnline.com. They also have a print magazine that you can sign up for and receive for free. It’s packed with ideas on how to maximize the money you spend on your trade show exhibit, plus sales training, goal setting, and more.
Don't forget about some of our helpful tools from newsletters-past!
to help you get creative for giveaways that you can pass out at shows or ship as fun client gifts!
DPMs
We have seen many physicians using the "new norm" to bring on new technologies, revamp their marketing strategies, and learn how to utilize patient communication tools.
If you are still struggling to know where to start, take a look at your accounts payable and make sure that you are getting the most out of the services you are paying for. If you haven’t been focused on your online reputation management, now is a good time to revisit it.
Or maybe your website is pretty basic; it serves its purpose, but there is room for improvement. Start by adding resources for patients such as helpful articles, tips for diabetic foot care, sports medicine, and more.
To take a line from Dr. Chris Milkie’s keynote speech during the PodiatryExpo, “Become an authority”. By becoming an authority, your patients trust you and are more likely to show interest in some of the ancillary services and OTC products you carry, increasing your bottom line.
We also understand that you still need your CMEs and may be struggling to find the time to attend enough one-hour sessions to meet your requirement or to block off a few days to attend an online seminar that requires you to participate in real-time. Use our calendar to find CME options that fit your schedule and goals.
Don't forget about some of our helpful tools from newsletters-past!
EVERYONE
What’s that saying?? The hardest steel goes through the hottest fire? You got this.