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Business Events and NetworkingThe following is a blog article I posted about a year ago and I find it still relevant within the industry today and worth repeating. Too often we get caught up in “social media connections” forgetting the human side of our “connections”. [pullquote]You have to think of an event as giving people a gift, rather than trying to get a lead right away[/pullquote]

Client events can yield big returns. Some financial advisors report that up to half their annual referrals come from them. Doing an event right, though, is not easy.*

There is no one right way to do an event. But financial advisors who do them often and well say that the idea of relationship-building has to take center stage, with any sort of sales pitch a very distant second.

“You have to think of an event as giving people a gift, rather than trying to get a lead right away,” says Robert Sofia, co-founder of consulting firm Platinum Advisor Strategies.

For tips on “how to”, Alix Stuart has a great article in the August issue of OnWallStreet.com. As a recruiter, I found the article relative to all sales professionals who wish to build their client base.

*You can read it here.