The High Cost of Traditional Networking

Hi Everyone,

It still baffles me that we’re doing roadshows. That we’re flying across the country, spending six figures on trade shows, and standing in a booth hoping the right person walks by.

Meanwhile, billions of people are scrolling through social media. They’re engaging with podcasts, live events, webinars, and making real connections online. But if you think podcasts don’t work, let me ask you:

?? Are you promoting it daily on social media?

?? Or are you just dumping it on a website, praying people listen?

Because here’s the truth:

?? Podcasts give your clients a voice.

?? People buy from people—not from sales pitches.

?? If your marketing team doesn’t get that, reskill them. "Get the Right Team on the Bus"

Think about Apple. Think about Coca-Cola. They don’t sell products. They sell stories.

Yet, here we are, still acting like a manhole rehab product is “so amazing” that people will magically care.

They don’t.

Your clients aren’t loyal unless you take them to dinner. And if that’s your strategy, congrats—you just bought temporary attention (keep bidding) instead of building long-term relationships. (Contracts)

The Outdated “Fear-Based” Mindset

?? “But if we’re not at the trade show, we’ll miss out!”

?? “This is how we’ve always done it.”

Let me be blunt: That mindset is killing your growth.

Your competitors are literally in the same room as you, selling the same people, fighting for the same sliver of attention.

What if, instead of playing defense, you build a digital-first network that works for you 24/7/365?

What if, instead of spending half the year standing in booths, you created a system that scaled your business automatically?

The Cost of Doing It the Old Way

?? Corporate travel costs: U.S. businesses spent $317 billion on travel in 2023 (Statista). ?? Trade show expenses: One event costs exhibitors $20,000 to $100,000 (Exhibitor Online). ?? Time lost: Executives waste 30% of their workweek traveling (GBTA).

I lived this life for 20 years:

? 1 million miles traveled.

? 12,000+ hours standing in booths.

? 10 new business relationships a year.

And what did I get? A sore back and an expensive entertainment budget.

The Digital Alternative: Faster, Smarter, & Cheaper

In 2022, I said, “Screw this.”

I pivoted to digital networking, using LinkedIn, podcasts, and built a network.

In just 18 months: ?? 155 new relationships (15x faster growth than trade shows). ?? 1M+ video views, 1.5M+ impressions. ?? $100,000+ revenue—all without leaving home.

What You Should Be Doing Instead

?? AI-Driven Scheduling & Guest Prioritization → Stop the email ping-pong. Let AI book your meetings.

?? Automated Guest Qualification → No more chasing bios and headshots. AI fills in the gaps.

?? AI-Powered Content & Promotion → Every podcast turns into social media clips, blogs, and emails—automatically.

?? Monetization Through Sponsorships → Why let guest spots go to waste? AI finds sponsors willing to pay.

The Future is Digital—And It’s Happening Now

You can cut 80% of your networking costs and still reach 10x more decision-makers.

But if you want to keep spending six figures on flights, hotels, and booth space, be my guest.

For everyone else ready to move forward:

Because this isn’t about ditching relationships—it’s about scaling them smarter.

To be clear: Trade shows are still relevant, but standing around wasting time in a hotel or booth waiting for people is boring to me. There's a much faster way to connect, educate, and have fun online where your people are every day for 2-3 hours.

On average, people worldwide spend about 6 hours and 40 minutes daily on screens, with 2 hours and 24 minutes of that time dedicated to social media

In the United States, the average daily screen time is slightly higher at 7 hours and 3 minutes

Learn more about how to switch to digital networking!

DM me Chad Smeltzer

Let’s go.