A CONFERENCE PLAN FOR MONEY MANAGERS

Ron Suber Senior Partner, Merlin Securities

CTA EXPO Chicago September 13, 2011

Todays Discussion Conference Success Chart

Conference Success Chart

Why Go to Conferences? Why are We Here? Get away from the office Reconnect / friendships

Promote something
Find a job Impress your peers Help your business Meet the right people Learn and get ideas Raise money / find new investors Party with Bucky

The Funnel
Conference Attendees

Customers/Investors
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Know Your Audience It is critical that attendees truly understand who is in attendance and that they tailor their conference strategies accordingly

Who is Here Today? Money Managers Asset Allocators Investors Money Raisers / TPM Consultants Trading Firms Exchanges Press / Media Vendors

Do Your HomeworkThen Choose Your Weapon to Meet Them

Sharp Shooter?

Or Rapid Fire?

Your Equations for Success at Conferences

#OIO x CR = SUCCESS IQ and EQ and NQ and CQ = EFFECTIVENESS Social Selling = Gathering Info Before and After the Conference

Which Investors Might be in Attendance? THE SPECTRUM OF FUND INVESTORS

Know Your Story and Deliver Your Messages When meeting a new contact, you have 60 seconds to explain: Who you are What you do How you do it

Why you are better or different

Why the person should believe you Harmonize Know your offering and value proposition, then get to the point clearly and quickly

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What NOT TO DO and WHAT TO DO

What NOT TO DO: Dont get distracted your BlackBerry, iPhone, DROID is NOT your friend Dont forget to make appointments never assume youll run into someone you want to meet Dont have conference coffee breath What TO DO: Take notes on the back of business cards Observe innovation, new trends and best practices Introduce othersbe the conduit Bring aspirin and water!

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Follow Up When you get home, take action: Call, connect, email and LinkIN those people you said you would

Develop a follow up plan

Write notes and emails from on the plane home Create a vCard with all info Book time to digest the conference while fresh Share knowledge from the conference Without follow up, a great conference can go to waste

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Understand the Conference Landscape

The landscape has changed dramatically at conferences

To reach the next level of AUM, clients, investors, etc., must understand which investors/people they should target and what each requires
Conferences are an investment: Time, Attention, Money and Energy.

MAKE THE MOST OF IT.

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QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

Ron Suber Senior Partner, Merlin Securities Mobile: (847) 544-8362 Email: rsuber@merlinsecurities.com