The leaves are changing, the air is cooling, and the fall conference season is in full-swing here at Vertical IQ! To kick the season off, my colleague, Kelli Dupree, and I were very excited to attend the Carolinas-Virginias Business Brokers Association (CVBBA) Annual Conference in Cary, North Carolina. But understand that this was not just any conference, rather, it was CVBBA’s 20th Annual Conference! This celebration of business brokerage excellence was both fun and informative, and was an event that made us first-timers feel very welcomed. So, what are today’s brokers talking about?
The rise of the local economist
CVBBA had record-breaking attendance for this year’s show, so it’s no surprise that they pulled out all of the stops with some incredible sessions! We were incredibly excited and appreciative to have our senior account executive, Alex Rousseau, co-present in a workshop titled: “Technology Tools for Understanding Local and Regional Markets.” Alex was joined by two other professionals with extensive experience in the industry: Colette Kemp, principal of SureStep Business Advisors, and David Cummings, CEO and founder of CoolLife.io.
As Alex and the other presenters noted, advisors crave information about the unique factors that influence the businesses operating in their local economy. It’s one of the reasons that brokers love having Vertical IQ in their toolbelt. Having access to MSA-level insights at your fingertips makes you a “cherished” advisor — an invaluable resource who truly understands a client’s unique needs and can serve as a knowledgeable local economist. In other words, it’s a differentiator — a huge one — and the Vertical IQ clients in the room echoed this sentiment!
Networking, please!
This party, excuse me, conference was an opportunity to see the warmth and camaraderie the broker community fosters. Many of the conversations that we heard were brokers connecting, sharing their expertise in certain areas, and giving each other advice on how to succeed!
One of the sessions that we attended was around social and events business development and how to create more opportunities, like this conference, to network and share ideas. The big question is, when there are so many other priorities, how do you get people to attend events? What types of events resonate? Do webinars work anymore?
While everyone debated amongst themselves, it became clear that the key takeaway was to be intentional about setting aside time for networking and professional development. That’s what’s so great about organizations like CVBBA; you can connect with local brokers to knowledge-share and make valuable connections in your community to help yourself and others.
Provide more value with less effort
Over a jam-packed few days, one overarching theme we heard was that brokers must quickly prove their value to prospects and clients and be a trusted source for reliable information. As an advisor to small business owners, it is essential that you possess the latest insights into business owners’ industries and understand the industry-specific nuances impacting their businesses.
With Industry Intelligence from Vertical IQ, you are able to quickly get up to speed so that you can easily have conversations focused on the client, their business, and their industry. This type of focused content offers them useful information, elevates you to trusted advisor status, and importantly, keeps you top of mind when that trigger event occurs.
Simply put, relationship-building is a long game. Whether you are nurturing a prospect or looking to deepen a relationship with an existing client, Industry Intelligence is a fast, easy way to learn about the nuances of a niche, share valuable insights and financials, and provide tailored solutions. Vertical IQ offers you the actionable content you need to stand out in a business owner’s mind and rise above the competition.
Learn more about Vertical IQ’s Business Pro subscription, which provides advisors access to 920+ Industry Profiles and over 3,400 Local Economies reports for cities and counties across the U.S., including MSA-level Localized Industry Data — providing you with valuable insights specific to their area.