In today’s episode, “Networking with Intent,” we unpack why networking often feels uncomfortable or ineffective for advisors—and how a clear, strategic approach can change that. We’re tackling questions like: What does intentional networking really look like? How do you start natural conversations? And how do you follow up in a way that actually builds relationships? Joining us is Kendall Harris, Director of Strategic Growth at PPI, who shares practical insights from years of relationship‑driven work in the insurance industry to help advisors network with confidence and purpose.
Listen to the episode:
This transcript has been edited for clarity. This transcript may differ slightly from the original audio to provide a better reading experience.
Advisor Talk Episode 7 – Networking (with Kendall Harris)
00:00:00,880 –> 00:00:14,440 [Geoff Evans]
Kendall, my first question for you is this: What is one of the biggest mistakes that you see people making when it comes to networking?
00:00:14,440 –> 00:01:10,660 [Kendall Harris]
Geoff, great question. The biggest mistake that I see is individuals going in without a plan. Whether it’s an event, a strategic online plan for networking, or individual networking – there’s no plan. One thing that my dad always taught me – a phrase that was a regular part of our household conversations – was, “Fail to plan, plan to fail.” And so that’s a huge mistake that I see in networking. For me, networking is not just about showing up at a conference, collecting a few business cards, and putting them in a drawer. Or sending a follow-up email or a note on LinkedIn. It goes so much deeper than that. People often have preconceived notions about what networking is. For me, I love in-person networking events, and my approach consists of a very strategic plan that I layout well in advance.
00:01:10,660 –> 00:02:07,560 [Geoff Evans]
Okay, so let’s dig into what that strategic plan looks like. This topic is interesting to me. In fact, I may approach networking in the exact opposite way because I am such an introvert. I’ve observed great networkers, but I’ve also observed really terrible networkers. You just talked about collecting business cards. I can distinctly remember a time when an advisor attended a netoworking event I was at. He ran around as quickly as he possibly could, collecting as many business cards as he could. Within 30 minutes, he was done collecting cards, and he left the event. The next day, he sat at his desk calling every single person on the business card that he had collected. The feedback I received from attendees is that everyone was turned off by this advisor.
That’s the primary story of networking that lives in my brain. But I know there’s a better way, and I’m excited to hear you share with us what that better way is.
So, you talk about preparation. Is it just preparing for the event itself, or are there other layers of preparation that go into being really effective at networking?
00:02:07,560 –> 00:04:08,840 [Kendall Harris]
Yes. There’s a lot of layers to networking and I’ll share the process I’ve tried to build over the years as I’ve developed my own networking skills. The process starts well in advance. So one of the big things that I look at is: what is the objective for networking? And I’m going to use the example of going to an industry event. So what’s your objective? Everyone in that room is going to have a different objective. Is it meeting new people? Is it continuing to engage with existing relationships? Is it growing your network? Is it looking for a job? Is it looking for a partnership? Whatever your objective is – and there can be numerous objectives, it doesn’t have to just be one – but know what that objective is prior to committing to a particular networking opportunity.
One of the ways I like to prepare – and I’ll share some key tangible takeaways – is to know who’s going to be attending. Whether that means one of the presenters, someone that you know in the industry, someone who you want to get to know, or a peer. If you identify two to three people who you want to connect with and plan that connection out, it makes networking so much easier.
When it comes to executing your networking plan and establishing those strategic targets… I mean, for me, there’s no worse feeling than taking all of that time out of a very busy day – a very busy schedule – and devoting it to networking without achieving that plan or goal. So that’s where you need to think about pre-planning and being very strategic about defining your objectives. Who do you want to connect with and what do you want to get out of that connection?
00:04:08,840 –> 00:04:33,480 [Geoff Evans]
So, from an advisor’s perspective, when we talk about setting the objective – which is a concept I love because I think a lot of advisors and a lot of business people would think, “My objective is to find a new client” and that’s the extent of it. So they put all the pressure in the world on themselves thinking: “I’ve got to find the perfect client who’s going to buy my products. Who else could I be trying to get introduced to? Why else would I be attending these events if it’s not to make a sale?”
00:04:33,480 –> 00:05:40,320 [Kendall Harris]
Absolutely. And that’s key because in some of the industry events that we attend, it’s not the end client that may be surrounding us. So if we go back to our objectives, I mean, you’re surrounded by incredible industry professionals. It may be your partners at PPI. It may be your carrier partners. And a lot of times, it’s your fellow peer advisors that may be surrounding you. And I’ve had the privilege when attending events is to connect with like-minded individuals. Taking the opportunity to move around from one table in the morning to a different table in the afternoon in order to connect with someone you perhaps haven’t spoken with before. That’s a huge opportunity to learn, right? It’s not necessarily your traditional approach when attending a seminar. We often focus on just absorbing everything the speaker says. But you can also be learning from the person sitting next to you.
00:05:40,320 –> 00:05:48,860 [Geoff Evans]
And when you’re trying to figure out what events to attend, I imagine this is not just a case where you conduct a Google search for networking events.
As you said, you could be searching for a training event. There could be all sorts of different occasions and any one of those situations could offer a great opportunity to build relationships. Is that fair to say?
00:05:58,540 –> 00:06:56,892 [Kendall Harris]
Absolutely. I think a lot of times for me, networking is built around elevating myself within the industry, meeting with our existing advisors, and building new advisor relationships. I think from an advisor’s perspective they need to look outside of the industry. I mean, while insurance industry events are great you should also look at some of your key interests – whether that’s community events or cultural events. Hobby-focused activities going on around you. I think sometimes we get stuck in this mindset about networking being just about professional interests and those in our industry. But it goes far beyond that. And yes, there’s always a way that we can potentially draw business into a non-business activity, but that’s not always the main goal if we consider our original objectives.
00:06:56,892 –> 00:07:22,132 [Geoff Evans]
That’s a great perspective. And so you talk about the pre-event planning that goes into networking. I know from my past experience, one of my struggles was knowing what to say. What do I say? How do I open that conversation up? What is that conversation starter beyond, “Hi, my name is Geoff, and I am… whatever my title is” Do you have any advice, or do you have a go-to strategy you use to initiate those networking conversations?
00:07:22,132 –> 00:09:21,512 [Kendall Harris]
I do. And you know what? Before we go into the actual conversation, one huge thing that I’ve seen for myself in building my team – building advisors’ businesses – is to have what we call a 30-second commercial. Have that ready. Especially if networking in person does not come naturally to you. Practice your commercial with a friend, a family member, a peer, or a colleague. Because that will make it a whole lot easier to walk into a room – especially if you don’t know anybody. So, using a 30 second commercial would be one key thing that’s really helped me succeed with networking.
The other thing is to have a couple back-pocket conversation starters and questions. Open-ended questions that will enable you to engage with a wide audience. For example, if you’re going into an event with speakers, perhaps there’s an opportunity before the event gets started or during breakfast or lunch to ask someone, “What’s one of the speakers or topics that you’re most interested in hearing about today?”
Automatically – whoever you are speaking to in that room – you’ve created a bit of a common ground to start with when you may not know about their background personally or professionally. On the flip side, you may take that step at the end of the day to ask, “What was one of your favorite speakers for the day, and why?” Or “What are you most excited to take back and to implement into your business right away?” So those are a few things that I find are easy to interject into the conversation at different times. But it creates this common ground with the individual you’re speaking with because you’re experiencing the same thing. Or sharing the anticipation or excitement to be hearing a particular speaker.
00:09:21,572 –> 00:10:16,891 [Geoff Evans]
Well, that’s a great perspective. And it’s interesting – when you talk about the 30-second commercial – I’ll share one little tip that I’ve come across. People always ask me how they can use AI. I think one of the unique things it can do for you is enhance your 30-second commercial. If you have one default 30-second commercial that works really well with a particular audience, you can feed that 30-second commercial into AI, and input the prompt: “Adjust this 30-second commercial for a different audience. Adjust this for accountants. Adjust this for realtors. Adjust this for whoever the different demographics are.” It just gives you a little more personalized approach for different audiences. Overall, I love your perspective and the idea of a conversation starter. I think, in general, we need to be prepared for these moments, or it can become an awkward situation.
Okay, so for people like me, who would see everything you’ve just described as making perfect sense but are concerned it’s a lot of work. It sounds like a lot of stress. Are there other solutions for people like me?
00:10:16,892 –> 00:11:21,432 [Kendall Harris]
I talk about networking a lot related to the in-person event format because that’s what pops into my head. Quite honestly, that’s what I enjoy and that’s what I love. I recognize that it’s going to be different for every single person. I think with networking you can really make it your own. Networking can be done one-on-one. Networking can be done in a wide variety of online formats as well. You know, LinkedIn is a professional social media site and a fantastic opportunity to network. It can go far beyond those options as well. Different online forums you can join, industry organizations you can participate in, webinars that can be joined. Those are all absolutely forms of networking. Is it good to put yourself in a place of discomfort? It can be, but it doesn’t always have to be that traditional in-person type style of event to be considered networking. I think you need to find a networking style that works for you.
00:11:21,432 –> 00:12:26,580 [Geoff Evans]
Well, that’s fair. That’s good. I appreciate that perspective. You mentioned LinkedIn, and I’m glad you mentioned that. I had my own business for 15 years prior to joining PPI, and when I first started out, I had a voice in the back of my mind – it wasn’t your voice, but it might as well have been – saying, “You’ve got to get out of your comfort zone.” And so I attended some traditional networking events. And I hated every minute of it. Truly hated every minute of it. And I thought, “How else can I be connecting with people?” Then I thought, “Okay, well, LinkedIn!” This was back in 2009, so of course, people scoffed at me. They said, “You can’t meet people through social media,” and I said, “I’m going try it anyway.” And so I built a LinkedIn group based in London, Ontario (where my business was located) and over the years, it grew to be nearly 6,000 people. By building the group and by being the name and the face of that group, it actually put me in a position where people were actively reaching out to me. I was the person that they wanted to meet. So I created a situation where I didn’t need to be the proactive networker. I created a community around me who all wanted to network with me. So there are certainly other ways to network.
00:12:26,580 –> 00:12:29,140 [Kendall Harris]
I absolutely love that.
00:12:29,140 –> 00:12:45,620 [Geoff Evans]
So, okay, so let’s go back to discussing in-person networking events. Are there more tips you can share? We talked about the conversation starter, which I love. Are there other tips that you have that can help an advisor navigate an event successfully?
00:12:45,620 –> 00:15:47,040 [Kendall Harris]
Absolutely. So, I’ll share my top three tips that I utilize at every single event. So number one: you need to maximize the networking time that you are given. And I know we all run very busy schedules and full calendars, but, you know, the ability to arrive early at an event, to take advantage of the full amount of time to mix and mingle – connect around the registration table, around the coffee station. Move around the room. Always circulating to connect with individuals that may not be seated next to you. So maximize your time.
Another tip I have goes back to the pre-networking plan. If you’re not able to obtain a list of individuals prior to the event, there’s a great opportunity to remain around that registration table. Do a quick little scan of the badges or the registration list if you can. Because that’s how I have actually identified some key people attending who I hadn’t seen in many, many years. I love to just be able to say a quick hello.
So that’s certainly one approach that I have utilized at many events. You know, strategic positioning while you’re actually at the event. If possible. I recognize it’s not always possible based on certain formats, but get up and move around, sit at multiple different tables, sit with somebody different at lunch, sit with someone different at coffee so that you can maximize your time and engage with numerous individuals while you are there.
I also think being really present at an event is another key to success. Having been on the speaking side of events for many, many years – delivering presentations – there’s nothing worse than looking out at your audience and seeing 90% of people sending emails or on their phone or kind of drifting off.
So, I think, if you’re looking to really maximize the impact that you are having at an event and your objectives for being there. If you’re committing the time to be at that event, then be present. Because it is noticed by people around you. And I think that impacts your own personal brand and how you’re positioning yourself within the industry – and within the community.
And ask questions. Provide contributions to the conversation. So, whether that’s asking questions during a breakout session, or during a break, or during time allotted to networking period. Be curious, be intrigued, and revisit your plan for strategic targeting. Now is the time. We’re at the event. We set up all this planning. Now is the time to execute and make sure that you are using that time and that space to connect with the people you really wanted to connect with.
00:15:47,100 –> 00:16:17,340 [Geoff Evans]
I imagine there must be successful post-event strategies as well. It’s not just about being at the event and shaking hands and collecting business cards. There’s got to be something more. So, while you’re actively being present, how are you planning for that follow-up the next day? What does post-event strategy look like?
00:16:17,420 –> 00:18:49,280 [Kendall Harris]
I’m a big proponent of taking notes throughout the event. Sometimes it’s stepping away on a break and quickly jotting down a few things on your phone or in your notebook about the people you’re connecting with. I always like to know: what were some of their interests? What was the topic of conversation? Bringing value to other people through the opportunity to network is so key. I think that’s what takes someone from being a good networker to an exceptional networker. How are you bringing value to those around you? And I’m not perfect. Things escape my brain very, very quickly at times, especially when there’s so much going on around me. Remembering how I’m going to follow up with that individual in the moment is why I like to take notes. And if we spend a moment on follow-up – not just grabbing a business card or sending a quick note on LinkedIn or a follow-up email – it absolutely does not stop there. Follow-up is ongoing through the rest of your relationship with individuals in your network. A couple key things that I like to do with people I’m extremely close with or people that I’ve just met is put their information in a calendar or put it in a CRM. Because, again, you’ve got lots of things going on in your life. You don’t want that to slip your mind. And it creates consistency. It builds trust. Consistency is incredibly important to build trust. The fact that you’re still connecting, active, present, and you remember those conversations – you remember a vacation that was coming up, or a dog’s name, or a child’s name – it instantly establishes that baseline of credibility you have with a person. And I like to take it one step further in certain circumstances. Maybe you’re chatting about a book or a podcast or something you have in common. Perhaps a place you just went on vacation. I love those pieces of personalized follow-up. Send someone a link. It takes 30 extra seconds, but it’s that personal connection that will really go the distance and continue to build that trusted relationship.
00:18:49,280 –> 00:19:09,459 [Geoff Evans]
I love that idea because I always wonder: “What does that next day look like? Am I sending a templated email where every single person I interacted with is getting the exact same invitation to connect with me and learn more about my products and services?” But I much prefer your approach through personalization. I love that.
00:19:09,459 –> 00:20:37,139 [Kendall Harris]
And you know what? If I can just share a story really quickly that is just so impactful – about follow-up. So, many years ago I popped into an open house in Toronto. I wasn’t looking for a condo. I wasn’t looking for a home, but I love to explore different neighborhoods. So I pop into this open house, and I see a couch that I absolutely love. So, I asked the listing realtor, I said: “Do you know if this home has been staged, or is this the client’s furniture?” And he responds, “It’s the client’s furniture.” I said, “Would you happen to know where this couch is from?” He answers, “No, I don’t.”
Well, you know, as any open house goes, you jot down your contact information. I told him, I said, “You know, this condo isn’t necessarily something I’m looking for. It was a pleasure to meet with you,” and I left. Two days later, I received an email from this realtor with a link to the couch. He had gone back to his client. He knew that was something that I was interested in. I’ve never forgotten that. So, three years go by and I’m looking to move. Who do you think that I called? It was that individual that really went one step further to build that personal connection with me, and I’m happy to say I still work with him to this day.
00:20:37,139 –> 00:21:02,679 [Geoff Evans]
Oh, that’s fantastic! I’m taking a lot of ideas from this conversation, including that it really shouldn’t be about the volume of new individuals you’re connecting with. It’s how deep you can go with a handful of really key strategic introductions. Make those meaningful interactions both at the event and afterwards. Am I taking away the right message?
00:21:02,679 –> 00:21:49,510 [Kendall Harris]
Absolutely. I mean, if we go back to the idea of quality over quantity, I can even take that one step further. For me, one of the marks of feeling successful in networking is building connections far beyond just myself and another person. If I can start building a network for other people, that, to me, creates true value. And that really strengthens relationship bonds over time. It brings like-minded individuals together. And if I look at our industry as a whole, that’s where I’ve seen some of the most successful business partnerships be formulated.
00:21:49,510 –> 00:22:11,980 [Geoff Evans]
So if we were to wrap up this conversation, I can imagine one of the primary concerns or objections that advisors listening might be thinking is: I am incredibly busy. How would you advise them to integrate networking into their schedule if they are so exceptionally busy?
00:22:11,980 –> 00:23:30,260 [Kendall Harris]
In the same way we all make plans for our business throughout the year – whether it’s at the beginning of the year or at different points throughout the year – we have a business plan. I think that we should be treating networking and growing our networks with the same focus on planning. That’s going to look different for every single person and what your objectives for networking are. Maybe that means looking at your calendar, weeks to months in advance, identifying key events that you are excited to attend. It might be creating a schedule within your calendar on how often you’re engaging with your network on LinkedIn or on any other online or digital platform. But I think it goes back to our earlier conversation. It’s about having a plan. Having a plan and being able to execute it is absolutely key. Especially as busy industry professionals. Planning as one of the biggest requirements for success for all of us to grow our businesses. Include networking as part of your business plan.