Sales has never been just a channel for me. It has always been part of how I work, whether through calls, emails or direct conversations at events and partner meetings. That is why I have clear expectations when I attend industry events. I recently spent a day at a large intermediary conference in Munich and came away with very little that was directly relevant to my business.
When audience and objective do not align
Most participants were focused on insurance distribution. Conversations revolved around products, commissions and operational topics in that space. From a credit perspective, the relevance was low. Mortgage topics played only a minor role and broader lending discussions were almost absent.
Many events look relevant but deliver very few actionable signals.
Why traditional sales logic does not scale here
Events often follow a simple logic. You meet existing partners, talk to new ones and try to generate business from those interactions. This works when audiences align and individual partnerships create meaningful impact. That was not the case here. The overlap was limited and the impact of individual conversations remained small.
Many conversations create activity, but only a few create real leverage.
The real value came from one conversation
The most valuable moment came from a conversation I should have had years ago. I met a partner whose business model is directly tied to growth. Intermediaries join their platform and generate recurring revenue through ongoing activity. More activity means more business for both sides. When incentives are aligned, partners become active growth drivers.
The difference between partners and multipliers
Most partnerships operate linearly. They add contacts and deals, but the overall impact remains limited. Multipliers work differently. They build systems that generate and amplify growth. A multiplier does not scale through individual deals, but through a system.
Conclusion
I spent a full day at an industry event and the only real value came from a single conversation I should have had much earlier. One aligned partner can create more growth than an entire room full of weak signals. Growth does not come from where the most people are. It comes from where incentives align and action follows.
