Jess had it all figured out. A five-star restaurant. 17 prospects and customers. Four months of planning. $15k on the line. The perfect setup to fill next quarter's pipeline…right?

Just one tiny problem: there’d been a mix-up. The dinner wasn't tomorrow night. It was tonight. In three hours. Cue panic. Cue scrambling. Cue Jess and Josh praying people would actually show up.

Hear how a last-minute disaster turned into one of the best events Vector's ever done and why letting customers do the talking is more powerful than any pitch.

Get to the good stuff:

[00:51 ] Why sponsor events as an early-stage company? Leave the booths for the big guys—how showing up small meant Vector was seen by the right people.

[02:50 ] The events around the events are really where it's happening. Plus, Natalie Taylor’s dinner playbook: invite your customers. She’s a genius.

[11:22 ] Sarah pulls off some FBI-style magic and reverse-engineers an anonymized attendee list into data we need. Sneaky sneaky.

[13:37 ] Jess's invite strategy. Josh is skeptical. Jess is right. He should know this by now.

[16:32 ] Dan Murphy delivers the news: contract mix-up. The boat cruise is Thursday. Your dinner is tonight. In three hours. Jess has a minor menty-B moment.

[17:48 ] Exit Five springs into action. New restaurant secured. Transportation sorted. Jess and Josh sprint back to the hotel to prep.

[22:27 ] Will anyone actually show up? Just two people on the bus. Are we having a $15k dinner with four people? That’s a lot of wine…

[23:45 ] Dear marketer, here’s your affirmations break.

[24:54 ] Jess and Josh channel their inner theater kids to break the ice and acknowledge the awkward: yes, we need customers.

[26:26 ] The dinner becomes deeply personal. No Vector talk. Just real conversations about family, life, oh and that crazy documentary about the stalker mom.

[27:07 ] Jess gets rejected attempting dinner strategy phase 2. Mission accomplished—they're having too much fun.

[27:46 ] The follow-up is effortless. LinkedIn DMs turn into demo requests. Almost 100% conversion from one dinner. Jess and Josh want the "boat mix-up package" next year.

[30:12 ] How to match your team to your audience. Bring the people who spur the right conversations (sorry sales, not you).

[31:56 ] Jess has the event bug. Already signed for Pavilion, going back to Drive. It's giving budget sweats for Josh again.

[33:11 ] How we sold less but ironically sold more. How authenticity is shifting brand action.

[33:32 ] Josh still dreams of his, er, Vector's name in lights.

This Meeting Could’ve Been a Podcast is a Vector production.

Filmed and produced by Sweet Fish.

Editing by Handy Man Edit.

Music by Peter McIsaac Music.