How to Network An Advanced Networking Technique for New Financial Planners Who Want to Survive
How to Network An Advanced Networking Technique for New Financial Planners Who Want to Survive
As a brand new financial planner or life insurance agent, you might be surprised when you start networking (the company will insist). Youll meet people, theyll smile, you ask what they do, theyll ask what you do, and then you tell them. Theyll stop smiling. Theyll drop your hand and they might even take a step or two back.
See, theyve met a lot of financial planners who havent taken the time to read or learn anything about networking. Those other guys think that business networking events are a place to meet prospects, hand out their card and get appointments to "get to know each other" which really means that they want to start filling in the blanks in the prospect form that the company provides.
No one likes this. And since networking is actually a process that is not selling, but instead a way to get to know, like and trust other people who you might do business with someday, their blunders are working against you.
How do you start networking with people who are way ahead of you, who have met plenty of your colleagues who have almost ruined the process for you? Surprise them - in a good way. Dont try to find out what life insurance they have, or if they have a 401k or even if they have money at all (well, hopefully they have a little bit but dont ask!).
Heres an idea that will really blow their mind and will possibly make you a friend for life. Tell them that you promise to not ask them for their business for a year. Write it down on your card: I promise to not promote anything that I sell until X date. You can tell them that you will provide them with ideas and suggestions but onlyif they ask you first!
This will help them feel incredibly safe. And theyll be open to a real relationship. Make it a joke. Laugh about it, then suddenly get all serious and tell them, "No really, it is vitally important to me to build relationships first. If you decide at some point that you very much want to do business with me, I would be honored. But until then, I pledge to never bring it up."
P.S. This requires that you have other means of bringing in business, such as advertising, seminars, articles and other marketing strategies so that you dont starve in the meantime.
Beth Bridges has attended over 2,000 networking events in the last 7 years as the Membership Director and Chief Networking Officer of a large west coast chamber of commerce. She has successfully used variations on this technique over the years (even though people always love a Membership Director).See, theyve met a lot of financial planners who havent taken the time to read or learn anything about networking. Those other guys think that business networking events are a place to meet prospects, hand out their card and get appointments to "get to know each other" which really means that they want to start filling in the blanks in the prospect form that the company provides.
No one likes this. And since networking is actually a process that is not selling, but instead a way to get to know, like and trust other people who you might do business with someday, their blunders are working against you.
How do you start networking with people who are way ahead of you, who have met plenty of your colleagues who have almost ruined the process for you? Surprise them - in a good way. Dont try to find out what life insurance they have, or if they have a 401k or even if they have money at all (well, hopefully they have a little bit but dont ask!).
Heres an idea that will really blow their mind and will possibly make you a friend for life. Tell them that you promise to not ask them for their business for a year. Write it down on your card: I promise to not promote anything that I sell until X date. You can tell them that you will provide them with ideas and suggestions but onlyif they ask you first!
This will help them feel incredibly safe. And theyll be open to a real relationship. Make it a joke. Laugh about it, then suddenly get all serious and tell them, "No really, it is vitally important to me to build relationships first. If you decide at some point that you very much want to do business with me, I would be honored. But until then, I pledge to never bring it up."
P.S. This requires that you have other means of bringing in business, such as advertising, seminars, articles and other marketing strategies so that you dont starve in the meantime.
