Lauren Watts – Networking Leader & Virtual Assistant CEO. I am very lucky to have worked with her over the years and watch her in action.
In having started and running many networking events over the years – I originally used “Business Networking” as first my major Marketing Strategy to build my Marketing Business. The 4Networking Community has given me many of those rich opportunities and Lauren Watts (who runs a VA Agency and runs the 4Networking Cronulla Group) did a compelling speech on the “Importance of Coffee Chats”.
Using my Samsung S5 Galaxy – I videod some of it and put up a clip of this onto Facebook. The Awesome Alfred Bellanti came in to ask me “Edward can you elaborate on Coffee Chats?”.
On the surface they sound obvious in that “You meet someone for coffee”. Sure that sounds self explanatory, however in practice people rarely do them with understanding what they are all about. Small Business Owners that get this concept do really well in that a “Coffee Chat” is really in a way a “Business Date”.
That is, if you just say go to Networking Events, sell your stuff, buy stuff or whatever – it’s hardly a chance for people to get to know you. Even if you say see the same people for an hour each fortnight – there isn’t enough of a connection for really “Like, Knowing & Trust” to be formed.
Looking at it this way, let’s say you want to buy someones product or service. Wouldn’t you want to get to know them inside out first so you know they won’t screw you? Just meeting them here and there is not enough – you want to know them inside out.
The “Coffee Chat” or “Business Date” allows both people to really get to connect and get to know each other and become trusted friends. It’s always friendship before business in the Small Business Game. As the “Coffee Date” proceeds and both people get to know and like each other – it gives rise to a range of great opportunities. One or many of these things can happen:
1) You Become Friends: You realize this person is just like you and become actual friends. We need more of them!
2) They Fall in Love with your Technology: Your Product / Service and Skills is exactly what they are after.
3) You Realize they have Products that will help you: You then buy their technology and make your business more awesome.
4) You Realize you can refer them some clients: As you hear about their problems, it dawns on you that by referring your clients to them it will solve their problems and make you look cooler.
5) They Realize they can refer you some of their clients for your services: And they do an intro afterwards and you immediately get a new client after you meet them.
6) You realize you can do Shared Events, Workshops, Newsletter Listings: Lots of shared opportunities come to mind.
7) Nothing happens in that moment BUT: 1 week later they meet someone who is looking for your services / products and YOU GET THE CALL!
This is a real summation as to what a Coffee Chat is and what it can do. I personally built my business on doing 3 x Per Week and this was just great for me.
My advice and thinking? If you want to build your Business and your own power community – start doing at least 2 x Coffee Chats per week. It’s powerful and over time you get better and better.
Thank you Lauren Watts for the inspiration – thank you Alfred Bellanti for the question and love your work Awesome People!
About the Author:
Edward Zia is a Marketing Mentor, Blogger, Commentator and 4Networking Leader. He loves helping Small Business Owners get more clients and his Premium Home Study Course “The Awesome Marketing Vault by Edward Zia” has sections dedicated to Business Networking, Personal Selling and Pitching. To learn more and Get Instant Access >> Visit Edward’s Marketing Vault Right Here!
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