Wealthy People Rarely Look Wealthy
Research into American millionaires found that most of them run boring unglamorous businesses like scrap metal, welding or dry cleaning. People who look like they are living the good life often do not have much wealth at all, while the truly wealthy tend to blend in.
Where Wealth Hides
Roughly two-thirds of working millionaires are self-employed and they consistently name tax shelters, disciplined investing and extreme thriftiness as the real keys to their wealth. Trade associations are full of these quietly successful business owners which makes them a strong place to network.
Segment Your Market by Potential
Sort your prospects into least likely possible and most likely categories based on wealth potential. This simple sorting exercise focuses your networking time where it actually pays off instead of spreading your effort evenly across everyone you meet.
Build Trust Before the Money Talk
The wealthy consistently list their CPAs and attorneys as their most trusted business advisors. That trust is not built overnight it comes from consistent useful advice given long before any large engagement is on the table.
Final Thoughts
Aggressively network with your affluent clients and acquaintances and pay close attention to the next generation set to inherit or take over their businesses. Get involved in an industry trade association, since most business owners value it highly. Start by reviewing your current client list for the quiet steady businesses you may have overlooked.
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