When you are consultant, your time and your ideas are precious and they must be doled out selectively and carefully. Otherwise, you can give them and eventually empty feeling emotionally and financially.
A stranger called me up the other day and wanted to go for coffee. She had a website that worked for her, and she wanted to discuss options. Here are five reasons why I won't.
(1) You give your advice free of charge when you go coffee.
I have coffee with no promise to do business with that person, but a feeling like I just gave my ideas meetings more away for free. This may leave feeling me resentment and cynical.
(2) Time out coffee, involves also out of time to conduct and coffee and prepare for the meeting of coffee.
Leave your Office out of a meeting is a waste of time and gas. In addition, you will need to buy a cup of coffee. I would use rather than more time to write on my blog, read something which will help me to write on my blog, or actually get some work for my current customers.
(3) Coffee is on the lawn of someone else.
If someone wants to go for coffee, invite them to have one in your Office. It is a more efficient use of time and he brings to the meeting on your own turf.
I have a desktop at home with a cosy fireplace, two large offices and all the equipment that you would normally see in a "real" Office When potential customers walk into my Office, they know that we are still not only "coffee", but we are working on a business relationship which should lead to an exchange of money if I presented an irresistible offer to serve their needs and close them effectively. Overall, my own grass leaves me feeling more control, gives me more confidence and a statement more professional than a coffee shop.
(4) Accepting someone go for coffee without qualification can be disappointing for everyone.
In the past, if someone asked me for coffee, I quickly say, "Sure." Then I meet them and discover that they can still afford my services. It was a disappointment for me and for them. Recently, I started their qualification by telephone prior to accepting so quickly. I ask questions such as:
"What is the problem that you are fighting."
"Using your service now?
"Why is your current provider not effective?
"What are your goals?
"How did you hear about me."
"When you seek to make this work or changes?
I also say that person my hourly rate and give them a sense of what some projects may cost on a project by project basis. Then I asked:
"Reasonable healthy rates you."
If the person vibrates and haws and says, "it is something to think." It is a sign that my rates are too high for them, and they aren't a good fit for me as a customer. If they me, "Yes, that seems good, say meet", then I'm more likely to agree to a meeting.
(5) If you cannot get off the phone companies, a meeting of coffee is not likely going to help you acquire a new customer.
Sometimes, there are those "touchy feely" in this world of people who love to make meetings before making a decision to do business with someone. And if you have a good feeling that they could become a client, after their pre qualifying on the phone, then I say "Go for it." "Go for coffee. However, I discovered recently that I can talk to someone by phone for the first time and we usually decide to work together or not, from thirty to sixty minutes.
You can ask.... "how?"
It dates back to point 4 above. I asked many questions. In addition to this, I also give some advice too. I offer a solution. I have a suggestion. I ask a question that they may have never considered. I me in the heart of the problem and find my best solution faster than I CAN... even if the solution is free and it involves me in all.
Sometimes, a person has no real need to pay me for my help. They need just a little free advice and a solution without. But if they really have a problem I can solve, I can identify to thirty minutes, tell them the process by which I can resolve, tell them how much it cost and ask them if they want to move forward. If they say "Yes" then we discuss payment and determine the next steps for working together. Then, I hang up the phone, go to my kitchen and take me a cup of coffee.
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