It’s been convenient and cool for a long time now to set up new business meetings or meet & greet’s at coffee shops.
And I’ve had a lot of meetings in coffee shops. From 2011 to 2013, as I was establishing ClientKudos, I probably had well over 250 meetings in coffee shops.
I was driving all over town, to stand in line for coffee, and then fight for a table with all the other solopreneurs and jobhunters that had turned Panera, Starbucks, and The Roasterie into their workspace for the morning.
It was time-consuming, distracting, and unproductive.
Now, working by yourself – reading, writing, dreaming – that’s fine for a coffee shop.
But serious business pitches, client or prospect meetings, and senior-level executive meetings? You should be doing those in private offices and conference rooms.
Think about it. When was the last time you bought anything serious or selected a lawyer, doctor, CPA, or other key business professional during a coffee shop meeting?
So I stopped meeting in coffee shops.
When introduced to someone new, I would immediately invite contacts, influencers, prospects and clients to the very nice office on the Plaza that I rented from a law firm that had extra space.
It was quiet, comfortable and close. I saved time, had more productive conversations, and generated more business.
With so many co-working spaces available today, it’s very easy to rent, borrow or trade cool spaces for your business meetings.
Increase the quality of your meetings. And increase your business with quieter, calmer and more focused conversations.
Oh, and here’s a funny video from Oren Klaff of “Pitch Anything” fame on the utter uselessness of coffee shop meetings. Funny, but-oh-so true.
Have a great week.
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