Shake some hands

Hosting events is stressful. You want to make everyone happy and, at the same time, educate the industry and help companies grow.

I recently heard from an attendee of our Business Builders event in May that he was able to sell his company in three months from someone he met there. He said the event changed the trajectory of his life.

I don’t bring this up to brag or shamelessly promote our event (well, maybe partially). I bring it up to remind you that you need to attend events both in the industry and outside of it. Years ago, this time of year used to be tradeshow season, but that’s not the case anymore. There are industry events going on year-round across North America, not to mention the number of non-industry events around leadership, sales, communication and any other number of topics that can help you.

If you really can’t get away to an out-of-state event, there are local events in every area of the country, most likely through your local landscape association. National events will help you meet non-competing companies who can help you with a problem they’ve already experienced or vice versa. But networking locally also has its benefits. Plus, one thing I’ve learned from this industry is that if the companies you compete with up their game, it’s better for all involved.

Remember that brief time in summer of 2020 when virtual events were happening because of COVID, and people thought that’s how events would happen? That didn’t last and we all got tired of sitting in front of screens. Nothing beats making a personal connection at a face-to-face event.

If you are the shy type and don’t feel comfortable networking, bring an employee or co-worker to help with meeting people. I’m not Mr. Outgoing, but I try to remember that anyone attending a networking event is there to, well, network, so they are there to meet new people. They are there to meet you.

No matter how busy you are, make a point of attending a few events over the next 12 months. You’ll be surprised how it helps you develop as a leader and can help you grow your business.