Why Events Still Work: The Growth Strategy Most Firms Are Missing
You probably believe your firm does things differently. And you should.
In knowledge-based professions, your expertise is the product. It’s what makes you the trustworthy choice.
But from the outside, your audience can’t always see that. They’re not just looking for credentials. They’re looking for alignment. Do you understand their world? Share their values? Feel like someone they could actually work with?
That’s what today’s clients want. And the firms that grow aren’t just telling people what they do, they’re showing them.
When you build a strong, values-led brand, you're not just attracting clients. You're also attracting great people to work with, new collaborators, and long-term opportunities. Not through cold outreach or clever sales tactics, but by becoming the kind of business people want to be around.
That’s not chasing. That’s e-ttraction. And it works.
Push vs Pull: Where Most Firms Are Getting It Wrong
Most service-based firms are stuck in push mode. They’re active on LinkedIn. Running SEO campaigns. Boosting ads. On the surface, they’re doing everything right.
But visibility alone doesn’t build trust. And in industries like accounting, finance, law or consulting, trust is what drives conversion.
The best leads don’t usually come through search. They come through conversations. Through referrals. From people who’ve seen you speak, heard your ideas, or experienced your thinking firsthand.
That’s the power of pull marketing. It’s about creating gravity around your brand. And one of the most effective ways to do that? Hosting the right kind of event.
Events Done Right: A Faster Path to Trust
At Social Star, we help firms move from chasing to e-ttracting. That starts with designing event strategies that bring people closer to your team, your thinking, and your values.
Events aren’t about flashy production or perfect speeches. They’re about building genuine connections and positioning your expertise where it matters most in front of the right people.
Here’s the framework we use to turn events into high-trust, high-conversion funnels.
The Framework: Turn Events into a Trust Funnel
Step 1: Awareness - Bring people into your world
Start with a valuable, insight-led event. Something that’s easy to say yes to. Whether it’s a breakfast, seminar or open conversation, focus on giving people something useful, not selling.
This is your moment to introduce your team, share real stories, and show how your thinking applies to the challenges your audience is facing.
Invite your wider network: existing clients, warm leads, referral partners, and collaborators. This step is about reach and positioning.
Step 2: Depth - Create a space for real conversation
From that larger group, invite the most engaged guests into a more focused setting. A boardroom, a workshop, a roundtable.
Here’s where the real conversations happen. People ask questions. You dive deeper into your approach. Your team gets to show what they’re like to work with.
You’re not pitching. You’re building clarity and trust and that’s what gets remembered.
Step 3: Action - Make the next step easy
Some people from that second group will be ready to go further. That’s your opportunity to offer a 1:1 conversation, a personalised session, or a strategic follow-up.
You’re not forcing it. You’re simply creating a clear, natural next step for those who are genuinely interested.
That’s how warm conversations become real opportunities.
Case Study: How AS Wealth Advisors Used the Funnel to Grow
Alexander Spencer is a Melbourne-based accounting and advisory firm with a long-standing reputation and growing specialist divisions, including AS Wealth Advisors.
When they engaged Social Star, they weren’t just looking for leads. They wanted stronger engagement with existing clients, more internal referrals and a clear position of leadership in their space.
Together, we built a three-stage event funnel:
Stage 1: Awareness — A 50-person event drew clients, prospects and partners into the same room for a high-value session
Stage 2: Depth — 12 of the most engaged attendees joined a boardroom session to ask questions, meet the team and explore services
Stage 3: Action — 4 of those boardroom guests booked 1:1 sessions with Director David Posterino
Results at a glance:
50 attendees at the main event
12 follow-up boardroom guests
4 personal bookings
Stronger internal collaboration
A warm pipeline built on real relationships
Your Clients Want More Than Good Service; They Want Confidence
And confidence comes from connection.
When you create meaningful moments, whether it’s a conversation over coffee, a sharp piece of insight, or a well-run event, people remember how you made them feel. They refer. They re-engage. They come closer.
This is how great brands grow not by shouting louder, but by showing up smarter.
Want to Shift from Push to Pull?
Let’s design a strategy that builds trust, attracts the right clients, and positions your team as the obvious choice.
