Why Hungerford Invests in Community Mixers and Local Events

By Heather Halligan, Marketing Manager and Michelle Hoffman, Business Development Coordinator

Imagine this scenario: You attend an event trying to drum up new business. You talk to a handful of people, meet some new faces, but nothing materializes.

No referrals, no leads and worst of all, no new clients.

What a waste, right?

It’s normal to feel like your time could have been better spent elsewhere. But this line of thinking is short-sighted and doesn’t account for the ultimate goal of these events: building connections.

At Hungerford, we attend dozens of community mixers and local events each year. While some events don’t result in new clients, all of them allow us to build relationships that can grow, resulting in new and unexpected opportunities.

Let’s talk about the top three reasons why we invest our time and resources in these networking opportunities.

Relationships Drive Results

Building relationships is at the core of our business. In fact, it’s in our mission statement.

People do business with people they like.

Think about it: If you talked to two accountants from different CPA firms, which one would you choose?

• Accountant A, who was friendly, interested in what you had to say, engaging and enjoyable, or
• Accountant B, who had no personality, only talked about themself, quickly gave you their business card and walked away.

Nobody likes to be sold to at these events. It’s more important to develop long-lasting relationships that will get you future results.

For example, we met a banker at one event that led to meeting more people at other events, and eventually, that developed into a tight-knit group of women from different industries who give each other references for clients.

The first woman wasn’t a lead, but that connection led to a strong community of business leaders who now refer clients to us.

Building Trust

As you’re building that relationship, you’re also building trust.

Clients are more likely to remain loyal to you if they trust you. Additionally, you’re more likely to get referrals if people trust you.

We build trust at these events by sharing our expertise and interests with people and organizations that shape our region.

Oftentimes, many conversations that occur at these events have nothing to do with work. You’re talking about vacations, kids, grandkids, sports, hobbies and anything else that will help you connect with people.

It cannot be understated: People don’t like to be sold to. If they think that’s the only reason you’re talking to them, then they’ll immediately lose their trust in you.

We don’t see dollar signs when we meet new people at events; we see future connections where both sides benefit.

Opportunity to Discover Shared Goals

There’s an old saying that goes, “A rising tide lifts all boats.”

Investing in these events allows us to discover common goals with members and businesses of our community.

We live and work in the same communities as our clients and referral partners. So, we want everybody in our communities to succeed.

It’s important that you ask questions like:

• What is a client or project that was memorable in a great way for you?
• Who is your ideal client?

These questions will help you learn more about the other attendees, make new connections, refer them to businesses you know or find collaboration opportunities.

It’s not enough to just help your company by getting new business; it’s imperative to help others so the community can thrive and prosper.

Let’s Collaborate

Are you looking to grow your business connections? Community mixers and local events can be intimidating, but they don’t have to be. Let’s talk about how we can help your organization flourish!