Language Matters - And don't forget it!

I was talking to the VP of Sales for a Fortune 100 company - who just happens to be a long time friend of mine. Our conversation was focused on the best way to get funding for future Sales SheBangs. My questions:

• Which is better: sponsorships or corporate memberships?
• Who are the decision makers? What's important to them?
• What's the best positioning for me to go in with?
  

As you can see, I need to do my homework too. I've never put on events like this before, so I'm a rookie. So here's what I learned:

• Focus on "professional development opportunities." It's important to a company that is intent on hiring & retaining top talent.
• Omit the word "conference" from my vocabulary. The corporate market looks down on these events. I'm not exactly sure why they feel that way. It doesn't even matter.

You won't hear me talk about the Sales SheBang conference anymore. Yesterday we scrubbed the website, eliminating that offensive word every place we could. Because language matters, it's now officially ...

Sales SheBang 2008, a professional development
          opportunity for savvy saleswomen.

Check it out now!

Comments

[Mark Secko]

Jill,

It still says conference on your little blurb to the right. Not sure if that can be changed.

Regards,

Mark Secko

[Jill Konrath]

Yikes! I forgot all my graphics. NEXT YEAR it will be different.