Some advisors gather prospects together for a meal that also includes a presentation illuminating what they do and how that can benefit the attendees.
Ozer Culhagil, Ph.D., an eight-year MDRT member from Columbia, Maryland, does not believe in this. When Culhagil organizes food events for clients and their friends, he doesn’t talk about his business. At all.
In fact, at a recent event — a wine-and-dine at a client’s house — a guest said, “So, when is the spiel coming?”
“What spiel?” Culhagil replied. “You’re friends with Jim; that’s why we invited you here.”
“Oh, really?” the prospect said.
“Don’t even ask me about the business; I will not answer,” Culhagil told him. “You’re more than welcome to come to our office, but we’re not here to talk about the business. We’re here to socialize and say thank you to Jim, who thinks you guys add value to his life and that we might be a good fit for each other.
“We want you to know who we are. That’s it.”
This mentality stems from Culhagil’s experience that events like this go best with a small group of people, preventing the potential for conversations to start in corners of a big party, excluding him from the discussion. By involving at most six couples along with Culhagil and his three other advisors, he maintains control over the situation and is able to get to know the people in the room.
Plus, the situation is repeatable.
“I can do a dinner with Jim and two people, three people, four people, however many people,” Culhagil said. “He’s not going to do the same thing at his house again where there’s food and one hour for a presentation. So focusing only on the meal and the people is a success right there.”
Here more in the March episode of the MDRT Podcast:
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Written by Matt Pais, MDRT Content Specialist
I love this approach. Community and real connection are the reasons I chose the place I did to open my practice. How better to connect with others than over a meal and conversations to learn about their pasts, why each person decided to settle down in the same area, and what we all want in life for our families and future.