There is a companion article to this one titled "How Not to Network When You've Just Started Working as a Financial Planner or Insurance Agent." It is vital that as a new financial planner or insurance agent that you not sell, don't talk about products and absolutely don't try to gather personal information about people you just met. Networking is a process where you get to know, like and trust people then eventually they will want to do business with you. If their first experience with you is the typical sales pitch or the "let's get together and discuss your needs" meeting, they will definitely know plenty about you, but they aren't going to like it.
So how do you network when you are a brand new financial planner? First, make sure that you have a very good marketing or advertising plan so that you'll have enough business coming in to survive on while you are building your network. Don't even count on networking for bringing you any business for at least six months to a year. Sure, even a blind squirrel finds a nut once in a while, but consider those pieces of business that fall into your lap to be unexpected bonuses. Above all else do not sell while networking.
If you can't sell, what is the whole point of networking? It is a process of building mutually beneficial, long-term relationships with people through the exchange of ideas, information and resources.
Start networking by making yourself useful, helpful and even indispensable to people, groups, events and associations. You're going to have a big trust barrier to over come and if you work hard to show them yourself as a person and not a salesperson, you will have much more success in the long run.
You'll find that some people are going to be very skeptical. You'll need to focus on service to the community or to other people to overcome this. You want to be seen as a person first and a financial planner or insurance agent second. Focus on teaching people more about your hobbies, interests and passions that on your products and services and they will come to you.
Would it be nice to feel comfortable and welcomed at networking events? Focus on building relationships and proving your value and trustworthiness to the community and your business peers before you ever ask for the business. If you do this well, you might not even have to ask.
Want to really succeed in networking? Try the advanced (but easy) technique in the companion article to this series called "How to Network: An Advanced Networking Technique for New Financial Planners Who Want to Survive in the Business."
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 wants to see more financial planners succeed the right way.So how do you network when you are a brand new financial planner? First, make sure that you have a very good marketing or advertising plan so that you'll have enough business coming in to survive on while you are building your network. Don't even count on networking for bringing you any business for at least six months to a year. Sure, even a blind squirrel finds a nut once in a while, but consider those pieces of business that fall into your lap to be unexpected bonuses. Above all else do not sell while networking.
If you can't sell, what is the whole point of networking? It is a process of building mutually beneficial, long-term relationships with people through the exchange of ideas, information and resources.
Start networking by making yourself useful, helpful and even indispensable to people, groups, events and associations. You're going to have a big trust barrier to over come and if you work hard to show them yourself as a person and not a salesperson, you will have much more success in the long run.
You'll find that some people are going to be very skeptical. You'll need to focus on service to the community or to other people to overcome this. You want to be seen as a person first and a financial planner or insurance agent second. Focus on teaching people more about your hobbies, interests and passions that on your products and services and they will come to you.
Would it be nice to feel comfortable and welcomed at networking events? Focus on building relationships and proving your value and trustworthiness to the community and your business peers before you ever ask for the business. If you do this well, you might not even have to ask.
Want to really succeed in networking? Try the advanced (but easy) technique in the companion article to this series called "How to Network: An Advanced Networking Technique for New Financial Planners Who Want to Survive in the Business."
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