Stepping Into the Booth: Hanging with Anchor at Scaling New Heights

Me playing doctor & sharing pain relief related to A/R processes

First thing’s first: Anchor didn’t ask me to write this - I just love sharing my customer experience.

There’s a world of difference between attending a conference as a participant and standing on the other side as a vendor. Last week, I had the privilege of being at Scaling New Heights in Orlando, not only as an accounting firm owner selecting sessions, but as an honorary & temporary member of the Anchor (this is my affiliate/referral link) team. And, whoa, it was every bit as fun as it sounds.

Being a Vendor Isn’t for the Faint of Heart

Attending is energizing. Exhibiting? That’s something else entirely.

It was really special to see the heart and intention put into the booth weeks before the actual conference took place. I was privvy to some of the fun details that were under wraps until the first exhibit open hours. At the conference, each conversation was a chance to make a real impact and expand the Anchor community. Still, by day four(!), I was fully loaded with caffeine just to remember my own name.

Anchor - Relieving Pain & Discomfort Around Proposal & Billing

Luckily, being right there in the booth made it easy to share my own story. Before Anchor, I was juggling Dubsado (so manual), QuickBooks Payments (so expensive), and my sanity. Then I switched to Anchor…

“After switching from Dubsado and QuickBooks Payments, Anchor saves me hours each month and hundreds of dollars in fees.”

That is what I started my conversations with over and over again. It’s what resonates with every business owner who’s tired of outdated tools and overpriced systems. It was the easiest marketing I’ve ever done.

The brilliant and fun Anchor team - minus a few key people!

The Plot Twist—Mostly Anchor Users?

We hit an unexpected snag: nearly everyone who visited our booth was already a proud Anchor user. This was a testimony to Anchor’s credibility. But it meant I had fewer “new user” wins than expected. Instead, I found myself digging deeper by helping existing users optimize by mentioning the automatic billing rate increase feature (goodbye awkward client conversations) and new integrations available. And we had fun hyping each other in our Anchor experiences in general.

That shift changed my booth game. From “Have you heard of Anchor?” to “I’m a customer too and let me show you how Anchor helps us at Upkeeping.” Being vendor-side meant knowing both first-time users and power-users. And that’s exactly the sweet spot.

Three Takeaways From Vendor Life

1. Prep and stamina are everything
Find all of the time to rest, zone your energy, and don’t neglect hydration or snacks. If there are timezone adjustments, try and sneak in a few days before to properly adjust. Otherwise, you’re just floating on clouds.
2. Know your audience
Whether they’re hearing about Anchor for the first time or already use it, your conversation needs to flex. That’s where prep + listening lead to better outcomes than a scripted pitch ever could.
3. Invite people in
I used social media like LinkedIn to let people know what I was up to and to come find me at Anchor’s booth. It was so fun to have friends & connections stop by and I got to share my experience with them while keeping the buzz alive at Anchor’s booth. If I wasn’t at the booth I was always inviting others over to join the fun.

Final Thoughts

Representing Anchor at Scaling New Heights was a whirlwind - a blend of fun, connection, caffeine, and strategy. I walked away with a new found appreciation for vendors at conferences, new Anchor friends, and the best new memories from hanging with the Anchor crew.

Representing a brand/company you truly believe in is a privilege. I hope others can experience conferences from that side of the booth some day.

Haley, Anchor’s Customer Marketing Manager and the heart behind Anchor’s intention to build meaningful relationships with accountants.

If you’d like to hear more about my personal Anchor experience, send a message to hello@upkeeping.co Or use my referral link shared in this blog post to schedule a demo.