Joseph Ritter on Success: ‘The Best Investment Is Building Relationships’
When are the best investment opportunities in today’s market? Cryptocurrencies? Stocks? Precious metals? Real estate? Veteran insurance professional and Million Dollar Round Table Top of the Table member Joseph Ritter offers a perspective that challenges conventional financial wisdom. And he should know. To achieve Top of the Table status, Million Dollar Round Table members must show a $5 million premium production — in just one year.
“People always ask me, ‘What’s the best investment? What’s the cryptocurrency that you’re hot on right now? Or the best stock?’” Ritter says. “I think the best investment is building relationships with the right people, or buying a book, or learning a new skill, or spending your time with people that make you happy.”
That relationship-centered philosophy has guided Ritter through 20 years in the insurance industry, where he’s built a client base of over 2,500 and achieved recognition as a top 1% financial professional. His approach reveals a fundamental truth that many in financial services overlook: the value of human connection often yields greater returns than any market investment.
Joseph Ritter’s Relationship-First Philosophy Explained
“When you work for a company, you don’t work for yourself,” he explains about his time at a large insurance firm. “By leaving corporate America and starting my own company, now I work for myself.”
As an entrepreneur, he quickly realized that he could focus entirely on client needs.
“The agent that works for the company, their responsibility lies with the company that they work for, whereas my responsibility lies with my client or my future client exclusively,” he explains. “I don’t care about the insurance company, I just want to match them up with what’s right for them.”
This client-first mentality naturally led to deeper relationships. Without pressure to sell specific products, Ritter could focus on understanding each person’s unique situation and building trust over time.
Ritter sees concrete returns on these investments. The clearest evidence comes through referrals — the primary growth driver for his practice.
“In about an hour, I’m going to go meet with another client in Phoenix that’s referred me to dozens of people and we’ve never met in person, so I’m going to take him out to lunch,” Ritter shares.
“I’m not looking to get anything out of it, but I bet you I will because he will remember that, and now he’s going to continue to tell people about me.”
You can call it relationship math, the initial investment of time and attention that multiplies through each referral, creating exponential, rather than linear, returns.
Despite his warm, personal style, Ritter’s relationship-building follows deliberate principles. He systematically creates opportunities for meaningful connection throughout the client journey.
The process begins with the first meeting, where he focuses on asking thoughtful questions rather than delivering rehearsed presentations. “I use my decades of experience to ask them questions and do what they call needs-based selling,” he explains. “I’m finding out as much as I can about this individual so that I can make sure they find the right coverage.”
This continues with regular check-ins and annual reviews, creating touchpoints that strengthen bonds over time. “I do an annual review with these clients and make sure that as things change, we’re continuously optimizing and making sure they’re getting everything that they paid for,” Ritter notes.
He also prepares clients for what to expect throughout their insurance experience, alleviating potential anxiety before it arises. “I’m going to preemptively explain the process in detail,” he says. “When it happens, they’re not worried or concerned because they’re like, ‘Oh, Joe told me this was going to happen.'”
Perhaps the most potent example of Joseph Ritter’s relationship investment strategy is in his referral network. Rather than aggressively asking for referrals, he creates experiences that naturally inspire clients to recommend him.
“I’m in Arizona with a friend that I met five years ago,” he says. “He’s turning 65, he’s going on Medicare. He knows what I do. I flew out to the West Coast just to spend time with him. That was my primary objective, but also help him find the right plan based on what I know about him.”
His perspective on client advocacy comes through clearly: “If they have a really, really good experience and they really like you, they’re going to tell other people about you.”
Relationship Banking: Making Deposits Before Withdrawals
Underlying Joseph Ritter’s philosophy is a principle similar to traditional banking — making substantial deposits before any withdrawals. He invests time, attention, and value upfront, building relationship equity that generates returns later.
“I am doing it because I get a lot out of it and I enjoy it,” he says, emphasizing that genuine care comes before financial considerations.
This philosophy applies even to prospects who might not become immediate clients. By providing value regardless of short-term outcome, Ritter creates goodwill that often returns unexpectedly.
His take on client objections reflects this same abundant mindset. Rather than pushing against resistance, he acknowledges concerns and focuses on building trust. This patient relationship building often resolves objections naturally as trust grows.
Ritter says he recently opened up a new office in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, representing a physical investment in his relationship building.
“I thought it would be nice for people to have a really nice office to come to where they feel safe, and we can do things there that you can’t do over the phone,” he explains. This physical space allows for deeper conversations and more comprehensive planning than virtual meetings alone.
The Legacy Question
When considering his ultimate impact, Joseph Ritter returns to relationships — particularly family connections — as his true measure of success.
“Nobody’s going to remember me or the money I made or any of that because there is no success beyond myself,” he reflects. “I think my legacy is going to be my children, my son Shane, my daughter Madison. And everything that I do is for them.”
Ritter extends this legacy thinking to his client relationships as well: “I think it’s going to be the relationships that I have with people. They’re going to be like, ‘That Joe Ritter guy, he’s interesting, and I really enjoy the time that we spent together.’ That’s what I want my legacy to be.”