I just got back from the WBENC conference and while I saw amazing success stories, I also witnessed a lot of preventable mistakes. These aren’t judgments – most of us have been there. But now that you know what not to do, please don’t do it. Here are the five biggest f-ups I saw.

F-Up #1: Asking Buyers to Help You

The worst waste of your conference ticket, hotel room, and travel money? Asking a buyer for advice.

I met a junior sales rep who actually asked a corporate buyer at their booth to help them. They expected the buyer to give them guidance on their business. Here’s what I wanted to tell her: you’ve got it backwards.

You should show up knowing their problem already. You should know who you’re speaking to before you even get there. You should tell them how you can help them – not ask them to help you.

When you ask a buyer for help, you’re broadcasting that you’re unprepared and unprofessional. It shows you didn’t do your homework. You’re the resource, not them. Remember that.

F-Up #2: Having Zero Differentiators

The majority of business owners I saw had generic messaging. No specialty. No unique selling point. No super niche. No memorable door opener. No leave-behind. No idea how to stand out.

This is the opposite of what my clients like Pam Nieto did. Through our work together, she and her partner super-niched Captiva Branding into helping financial institutions reach underbanked Latino communities – because apparently one in ten Latinos still keep their money under their mattress. That’s specific. That’s memorable. That’s different.

Without a clear differentiator, you’re invisible. You’re one of a hundred other vendors walking the floor.

F-Up #3: Showing Up With Zero Pre-Sales Homework

Most CEOs of the vendors I met at the conference just showed up and walked the floor. No research on the buying team. No names. No outreach ahead of time. Just showing up and throwing up.

My clients who succeeded did the opposite. They researched the actual buying team members, called them ahead of time, sent them door openers or value, and dropped a note that they’d be meeting a representative from their company at the show.

One client name-dropped a buyer she’d researched on LinkedIn at the booth. The colleague was so impressed that she already knew who she needed to reach out to that she got an appointment immediately. Another contacted CMOs before the event, sent them toy beds (with a note about the 1 in 10 Latinos) and had buyers waiting for her at the show.

Events can be amazing if you do the work beforehand. You can’t expect charm alone to get you an appointment.

F-Up #4: Collecting Cards Instead of Getting Appointments

You left with business cards but no meetings scheduled. That’s just chasing later.

Here’s what I learned: if someone is genuinely interested in what you’re saying, they’ll give you an appointment. If they deflect, delay, or make excuses, that’s your answer. They’re not interested.

But even then, ask. I met the most senior buyer at Amazon at the conference and when I asked for a calendar slot, he didn’t have a personal calendar – he had a person who was his calendar. His assistant handled his schedule. The point? When someone’s truly interested, they’ll find a way to get you in.

My clients who asked for the appointment got in. My clients who took cards and said they’d follow up? They will chase and chase with limited results.

Stop collecting cards. Get into their calendar before you leave.

F-Up #5: Going to Sell Instead of Going to Solve

This is the big one. If you don’t already know what problem you solve, what pain you address, and who you help, don’t even go to the event. You’re wasting your time and money.

Seventy-three percent of B2B buyers now shortlist vendors through AI chatbots. Only 38% crossover with Google SEO. If you’re not specific enough about whose problem you solve, AI can’t even find you. You definitely won’t connect at a conference.

Here’s the mindset shift: go to solve problems, not to sell. One of my clients was struggling with imposter syndrome before a high-net-worth CEO event. She didn’t feel like she deserved to be there. So I reframed it: drop the selling. Don’t even mention your company. Just go there to help as many people as you can solve the very specific problem you’re expert at.

Listen. Ask questions. If they’re willing to open up about their problems, help them – for free, with no expectations. Treat them like human beings, not nameless corporate entities. They want to keep their job, be relevant, get ahead, be noticed. Bring them solutions and innovation.

Sales has been repositioned in my mind for years now. It’s helping people. When I talk to someone and I know I can help, I ask pointed questions. If they can’t see their own problem, I step away because I can’t help someone who doesn’t recognize their pain.

The Bottom Line

Show up prepared. Know who you’re talking to. Know their problem. Know how you can help. Have a clear differentiator. Get appointments, not cards. And go to solve, not to sell.

That’s how you make a conference count.

Want to reposition your messaging to grow your leads? Follow me on X, friend me on Facebook,watch my Podcast onYouTube or connect with me on LinkedIn –and let’s talk.