There is always going to be a tension between “pitch fest,” networking opportunity, and actionable information download.
The issue I find is that the better real estate clubs are actually investor network clubs where they actually trade, discuss, buy, and sell real estate. Newbies are a drain on everyone’s time. They offer nothing, but ignorance and questions. That gets old for the busy investors.
Can you imagine your doctor showing up to a ‘doctor wanna-bee’ meeting, and all the doctor wanna-bees start asking a bunch of newbie questions like, “How do I do surgery?” Or, “Which is better for me to learn? Brain surgery or Gall bladder surgery?”
“Well, uh, try going to medical school first and find out” would be my answer.
All that said, I attend the biggest club in Southern California, and there’s typically between 500 to 800 in attendance each month. They offer a library for members to check out all the classic/proven gurus’ courses. They also provide face time for any who wish to share deals and offer services. There’s a place to put flyers for whatever you have to offer (or want).
However, the most important aspect about it is that the speakers not only sell their stuff, but they offer actionable information as a reason to attend. It’s not an hour and a half showing off canceled checks, and pie in the sky ‘opportunities,’ but nuts and bolts of what somebody can do right now.
There’s another club here that was all pitch fest, all the time. It imploded. However, it transformed itself into a first rate, limited membership, ‘investor-only’ club. It’s truly offered for investors by investors. There’s no formal pitching whatsoever. It’s hard to get a seat at that table. Newbies aren’t welcome.
That all said, the national speakers won’t do freebies. There’s too many people/groups willing to pay them to share their expertise to do it for free. This isn’t a non-profit enterprise as you might guess …even if the cover charge is small.
Then consider the fact that the club facilities usually charge a minimum of several hundred dollars just to open the doors and add a ‘per head charge’ is on top of that. Well, it gets expensive …and takes a lot of time and preparation. Nobody does it for free.
As a result, I think traveling to the largest investor clubs you can find, taking advantage of any training, or resources they offer, passing out business cards, making lunch appointments with the actual investors (taking them someplace nice, not McDonalds, Denny’s, Perkins, or IHOP!!) and then you’ll have a better experience making connections.
Frankly, offering lunch to the movers and shakers at the small clubs is probably a good way to move to the head of the line fast.
Bottom line, it’s not the pitch fest to worry about, it’s what you’re gonna offer the ones who’ve got what you want that’s important. This is not the time to be a leech.
Hope that helps…
:beer