3 Off-the-Wall Ideas to Get High-Net-Worth Prospects

"You've got to spend money to make money." You've heard that before.

(Related: The Coffee Lover's Guide to Prospecting)

You would be willing to do it, provided you could connect the dots and see where business is supposed to come from. Here are three out of the box ways to stand out, raise your visibility and make connections.

1. Rent Out a Movie Theater

It's not as crazy as it seems. Most theaters are multiplex. You just want one section.

Your audience: You want double income families with young children.

The strategy: Rent the theater when a great children's film comes out. Invite clients and prospects with young children. Encourage them to bring friends who also have kids. You welcome everyone. They see the movie. They get a takeaway with your contact info.

Why it works: Parents with young children always need activities. It's repeatable. After the event you can do it the next month too. It's scalable. If 25 sets of parents attend with children, you can invite them to each bring another couple with young children the next month. Now you have 50 sets of parents. Ideally you are renting the space for a flat rate.

2. The Friendly Bartender

This strategy assume you are in a big city with lots of office buildings filled with executives. There's an expense account type steak house nearby.

Your audience: Middle to senior level corporate executives.

The strategy: Become a regular after work. Cultivate a friendship with the bartender. The TV over the bar should have a financial news channel playing. You sit at the end of the bar for an hour or so every evening. The bar fills up. A customer waiting at the bar starts a conversation with the bartender about the stock market. The bartender says: "If you really want to talk about the market, you should talk to that guy at the end of the bar." They wander over.

Why it works: Executives who invest are literally pointed in your direction. Who knows where the conversation will lead? Exchanging business cards? There's a problem: These executives might be from anywhere. You are only licensed in certain states. At this point, it's a casual conversation.

3. Golf with Hotel Guests

Here's another big city idea.

Your audience: Corporate executives in town for conferences or meetings. They are avid golfers. There's not a course in sight.

The strategy: You've made friends with the concierge at a luxury hotel. They have a senior executive inquiring about golf over the weekend (and the hotel has no club connection.) After determining if it's a good match, they mention your name as a person who would be glad to take them out on the weekend and play a round of golf. They put you both in touch.

Why it works: The agent or advisor is face to face with a senior executive for a couple of hours. What will they talk about?

These ideas can be expensive. They also put you in front of a lot of people (Strategy 1) or a few HNW individuals, one-on-one. (Strategies 2 and 3.)

— Read How to Order Wine Like a Boss (Without Paying Like One), on ThinkAdvisor.

Bryce Sanders is president of Perceptive Business Solutions Inc. He provides HNW client acquisition training for the financial services industry. His book, "Captivating the Wealthy Investor," can be found on Amazon.