Tricks of the Trade (show)
Recently I attended the CCIM/IREM national conference and fortunately made some amazing connections during the event. I found the breakout sessions to be right on target and the keynote and general sessions to be very informative as well. Surprisingly, it was during the general sessions in particular that I noticed how many networking opportunities were missed by several of my fellow attendees.
Trade shows are really an investment of your time and your money. More than ever before, a focus should be place on the ROI of each investment we make as a broker/business owner. Trade shows are not only an opportunity to be educated on the latest technology and strategies in the industry, but more than that they are the one opportunity that we should focus on initiating as many relationships as possible.
As my good friend Jim Tucker (CCIM, Richmond, Virginia) has told me again and again, “This is a belly to belly business”. And in fact it is. And although I naturally gravitate to Jim whenever we happen to attend the same meeting, I rarely spend time with him and anyone else I know for that matter, at these events. You see, these trade shows are our best opportunity to “get known” and build future relationships, such as I proudly have with Jim.
