26/02/2025
It is Either This or Go out of Business
A few weeks ago, a fellow ad buyer reached out to me.
He told me that he started going to events to meet new clients, but the events are just so expensive that he cannot continue attending.
We started discussing tactics and strategies that we have both tried over the years. We both have tried cold calling, LinkedIn messaging, email, and social posting. While they can work, we have not found them to be too profitable.
These things are cheap to try, while going to a targeted event (especially when traveling internationally) can easily cost $5,000-10,000 for a single day event.
The idea that it is worth spending that much money in hopes of meeting clients is a scary preposition.
Yet, they clearly work.
The crazy part about events is watching the snowball effect. The first event you go to you may only meet a handful of relevant people.
Then, as you attend more events you begin to recognize people you’ve met in the past.
At some point, you end up having met enough people so that it becomes much easier to meet more relevant people.
So yes, going to events can be incredibly expensive. But it helps you build an amazing network of friends, clients, and referral partners.
And what exactly is the other option?
My response to him was “My other option is stay home and go out of business.”
What I know for sure is that my potential clients aren’t currently knocking at my door to work with me. If I want to work with them, I need to show up where they are.
If you just sit on the sidelines, hoping that your business will magically scale, you’ll watch it do the exact opposite.
It is far from easy, but are you okay with the other option??
(Pictures from various events all over the world)