The National Sales Conference is an annual event that salespeople visit to gain further insight into the world of sales and find new professional opportunities. It is often held at a central location in the UK, which helps attract practitioners from across the country who are interested in brushing up their skills and repertoire of sales abilities. So, why should you as a salesperson visit the conference? Let's review the key points before making your decisions in 2015.
National sales conference - an event for the leading sales professionals
The conference is not open to just anybody. In order to be eligible to get involved, attendees must have a proven track record of success in sales and be professional in their conduct. This is not something that those who are just getting involved in the field will be eligible for: only leaders and professionals are able to secure their place at the conference, which means attendees will be in the company of peers as opposed to those who they will not be able to have any sort of professional-level relationship with.
The organisers publish a report of each year’s conference, so it may be a good idea to take a look and see what sort of attendees and exhibitors you can meet at the event. The statistics include industry, job and location specific data. The 2014 report can be found on the National Sales Conference's official website.
This helps guarantee a good return on the initial investment made by those who come to the conference. Ultimately, it ensures that those who are involved, should they be exhibitors, speakers, or attendees, will get good value for any travel costs and lodging expenses associated with their visit.
World-class speakers
One aspect that particularly attracts sales professionals to attend the conference is the world-class line-up of speakers. Those who are involved in speaking at the event are experienced and well known in the industry. They are not the ones who are just preaching theory: instead, they are sales veterans who can provide hands-on experience in their commentary in order to ensure that professionals walk away having learned effective sales techniques rather than dry theory that is commonly found in books, articles or online.
The 2015 conference will be hosted by Sean Brickell – an award-winning journalist and broadcaster, international speaker, trainer, coach and author. Some of the keynote speakers and topics include:
- Sean McPheat: The ultimate sales audit
Sean is a bestselling author and an internationally renowned sales trainer who has been featured on CNN, BBC and ITV among others.
- Richard Newman: Body talk
Richard is the official expert in business communication at the London Business School and specialises in influence, leadership and communication. He has been working with high profile companies such as Virgin, Microsoft, KPMG, IBM, EE, Samsung and Barclays.
- John McCarthy
John is a prominent journalist, writer and broadcaster. He was one of the hostages in the Lebanon hostage crisis, being held for over five years.
A recognised conference
This is not the newest conference in the industry. In fact, it has been around for quite a few years. The National Sales Conference has been held every year for the past 20 years and continues to grow in size and attendance. Tables are available at a starting price of £1,360 and the event connects industry leaders with over 600 like-minded attendees.
Opportunity for networking
Those who are interested in attending the conference will not be in the dark with regards to who is actually coming along. The conference publishes annual reports of who is participating and ensures those who are interested in coming will be able to match their experience and requirements to the conference itself. In the long run, this helps weed out those who provide little value to the overall conference and allows those who are present to tailor their services to the rest of the audience. Of course, there is an annual shift of attendees and their chosen fields, as society continues to progress towards a more technology-based working world, but this shift has been gradual and many of the more “traditional” salespeople continue to benefit from taking part in the conference.
The event regularly attracts a wide range of exhibitors from most sales disciplines including lead generation, CRM, sales consultancy, research, tender writing and bid management. Attendees who are looking to advance in their careers may also benefit from the trainings and personal development workshops run throughout the day, as well as from speaking with the representatives of some of the leading professional bodies such as the Institute of Sales & Marketing Management.
Location
One of the most important things to a salesperson is time and therefore it makes sense that the conference itself should be within easy reach for all attendees. This is why it is based at a central location in the UK, with the 2015 conference taking place in Coventry. The venues are situated in bustling urban areas with excellent transport links, several places to stay, and well-developed amenities such as restaurants, shops, and other places of general interest.
A chance for young sales professionals
While those who are completely new to sales will not be able to attend the conference, those who are beginning to find their feet in the field and start to see prove themselves as potential leaders will be able to benefit from the entire experience. By being in the presence of other leading names in sales and business, those who are just starting to climb the ladder, or looking for their next position in sales, will have the chance to do so more swiftly thanks to the commentary provided by the veterans in the industry.
To get a feel of the conference and find out what attendees and exhibitors say, watch the video below:
