Knockout Networking for Financial Advisors and Other Sales Producers

Part 1Opening Rounds

In boxing, the opening rounds are usually the time that both fighters are getting warmed up while getting a sense of their opponent's style, speed, and power. Rarely does anything significant take place in the first couple of rounds (like a knockout), although fighters like Mike Tyson made knocking out their opponents in the first round part of their style. (Tyson knocked out 22 opponents in the first round, which is second most all time among fighters who have won a title.)

Well, unlike in boxing, as we get into the opening rounds here, I'm going to get right into it!

I'll discuss why networking is so important if you're in sales, especially if you're a financial advisor, broker, agent, planner, or product wholesaler. The reality is that you won't be very successful in your business, practice, or job if you don't know how to connect with people you meet for the first time, develop relationships, and add value to your clients.

After reading through this section, you might discover that you weren't as good at networking as you thought. (This is the most common revelation financial advisors share with me after they have attended one of my Knock Out Networking seminars or keynote talks.)

Of course, you might also realize that you're better at networking than you thought you were.

Even if you are a knockout networker, you might wonder why you don't connect with as many prospects, clients, and referral sources as you would like. Or why they might not connect ...