Online meets Offline at NATDA

Talking Trailers at NATDA

Disclosure: this is not a new insight or topic but it is new for me…

I was recently in St. Louis.  I rolled in late the night before the NATDA trade show started; my head did not hit the pillow until 1:30 am.  NATDA (North American Trailer Dealer Association) is the networking show for the trailer industry.  Manufacturers and vendors showcase their products to dealers. There are educational sessions for improving business practices; all in all it is a very traditional industry event for a very traditional industry. I have been attending the show for five years as a buyer on the dealer side. The first year I attended I knew the person I went down with and three other people in the industry.  I was not very networked.

So I spent a lot of time engaging in traditional networking, exchanging business cards, conducting follow ups. I was rewarded with a slow growth of my network over the next three years and then 2012 hit.  I was asked to be a speaker at the event. Our dealership got profiled in the industry magazine.  I accepted and prepped myself to do the best job that I could.  (I presented twice). I shared all my research and insights as best I could and as a result I was exposed to everyone in the industry, an industry that was just starting to connect with the new social tools (Linkedin, Facebook).  After the show people started to connect with me on one or both of the platforms, click by click my network grew; and then by emails and phone calls relationships developed.

In a blink of an eye a year goes by and I found myself  back at NATDA in St. Louis yet again in September, 2013.  This time it was different.  It seemed like everyone knew me and I knew them and we had plenty to discuss and exchange.  We shared insights and ideas throughout the show.  Ideas and insights I would have never had by myself.  2013 was a completely different show for me than all the previous years. This is an industry full of smart, progressive individuals and after five years I finally feel really connected to it.

So how did things change in only one year?  I believe social media was the tipping point that expanded my network and made the show a great networking forum for me.   But that being said social media was just one of many contributing factors that connected me to the industry.

• First and foremost NATDA is the enabling forum. The trade show initially brought us all together to meet each other.  Without NATDA there would be no connections within the industry. Now NATDA is using Linkedin and Facebook helping keep the industry connected throughout the year.
• Secondly, there are many individuals that have put in their time at this event and in the industry. Most of the people I am getting to know have been going to the show as much as I have and have at least a decade of experience in the trailer industry. So we have paid our dues and we respect each other for that. Moreover these are individuals that give back to the industry and try to improve the industry.  It is easy to connect with individuals that are interested in sharing insights and experience for the betterment of the industry.  The folks that I have the strongest connection with are individuals that want to support and strengthen the industry as I do. Seth Godin writes about tribes and when you find your tribe you can easily connect. The folks I write about, we are of the same tribe, so naturally we connect.
• Thirdly, I sought and accepted connections online; I put a concentrated effort into growing my Linkedin and Facebook reach with members of the industry.  I am also quite active online producing plenty of content, this allowed people to get to know me and if they did the same I was able to get to know them.
• Lastly with the connections I made, I also put in an effort to develop the relationships individually either with direct e-mails or phone calls. So when September 2013 rolled around, I was able to reap the rewards in person face to face.

With all of the above said I want to step back and unpack this post with an insight, so it more than just a feel good rant. I have been reading the pundits for years that pontificate about how all you need to do is put in your time, work every day building connections and the rewards will come.

I agree that time is needed but I have been putting in time for several years and I am just starting to see the rewards, because you have to do more than just put in your time. You have to contribute, take risks and have the courage to publish your ideas for the industry to debate and critique. The key for me has been unselfishly supporting the industry to make it better by sharing successes and insights that are valuable to others. That has taken real time and effort, and ultimately provided the real rewards: strong connections and reciprocation of ideas.