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Care to share how the network system is structured? Would love to hear about it . . .
Out to lunch? Where you eat can actually lead to new business
- Thread starter Northeast Agent
- Start date
Care to share how the network system is structured? Would love to hear about it . . .
- 5,290
I've shared about it in detail many, many, many times. I have yet to see anyone get off their ass and implement it. Go through my old posts.
Plenty of people willing to dic# off at the bar, hoping for the off chance of a client, though. Plenty of people fail at this business too. Coincidence?
Plenty of people willing to dic# off at the bar, hoping for the off chance of a client, though. Plenty of people fail at this business too. Coincidence?
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A truly lost art.
Yup.
I was a hunter and trapper. Now I am a rancher and farmer.
Then it was me who missed the point. You win.
ValeRosso
Guru
- 523
Explain please?
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PrivClientSG
Guru
- 325
My feelings on this have changed over the years, although I have certain "constants" that have not changed. First, I don't -- except for a very rare exception -- meet a new potential client, for a first meeting -- over a meal. That's just part of my process. Second, I meet current clients for meals, but it's more before or after "the meeting" and it's more about catching up or follow up talk. My client meetings can involve a power-point, a bound planning document or deliverable type of document of some sort, etc., and having a meal is never conducive to working with, reading, reviewing such a document. In addition, my client meetings always involve taking notes (either written or typed), and that too is just not feasible over a meal.
As far as having lunch with co-workers, associates, etc. I started out doing this. It was an opportunity to listen to and learn from perspectives other than your own. It was also good for camaraderie. Then, after my practice grew, most of the time I was out of the office during lunch. When my practice grew even more, and clients were coming to my office, I still didn't go. I usually ate in my office and worked through lunch, read, whatever. Today, it's different. We have our own office, LOL. Although we are in the same building as formerly affiliated company, and we still are ancillarily affiliated with them, our firm is autonomous, sovereign, etc. When I am in the office, I am focused on work, but it is nice to connect and catch up with a fellow producer, associate, friend, etc.
As far as having lunch with co-workers, associates, etc. I started out doing this. It was an opportunity to listen to and learn from perspectives other than your own. It was also good for camaraderie. Then, after my practice grew, most of the time I was out of the office during lunch. When my practice grew even more, and clients were coming to my office, I still didn't go. I usually ate in my office and worked through lunch, read, whatever. Today, it's different. We have our own office, LOL. Although we are in the same building as formerly affiliated company, and we still are ancillarily affiliated with them, our firm is autonomous, sovereign, etc. When I am in the office, I am focused on work, but it is nice to connect and catch up with a fellow producer, associate, friend, etc.
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Quick overview: There are times when we meet people in places that the best we can do is give them a quick card after a short exchange. The two card referral is a simple way to give and get contact information. (I do not claim to have discovered this, I just stared doing it.)
You offer your card to the person you met (grocery store, gas station, local jail
) then you ask, may I follow up with you, if you get a positive response, write their name and contact information on the back of another business card for future reference. The beauty is that you just need 2 business cards and a pen. This means if you can keep 2 or 4 extra business cards in your billfold or purse, you have the tools to get a quick prospect/suspect anywhere anytime.
This kind of interaction has more than paid the cost of all my business cards over the years, if nothing else.
Hope that helps.
I understand your concern about the financial and time investment required for frequent business lunches. It's important to strike a balance between networking and efficiency. By being selective with lunch meetings, managing your time effectively, exploring alternative networking avenues, and prioritizing personal well-being, you can maximize the value of your networking efforts while maintaining a healthy work-life balance.
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Now I’m a guy who had made a HUGE batch of sales by walking into a Cracker Barrell once (4- Medicare Plans, 3-Life insurance, 1-annuity and 1-funeral Preneed policy) from a group of people that had bought motorcycles from me years earlier who recognized me and struck up a conversation.
BUT if new agents read posts like this and believe going to eat as a regular is really a viable prospecting method that they should do, they are going to have really skinny kids and a repossessed car.
Buy leads, make calls, knock on doors, learn to web prospect, ANYTHING but this.
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