So, what the heck does coffee-lunch-coffee stand for anyway? Well, perhaps you’ve heard the expression, “process, process, process.” I have simply modified it slightly and call it “Coffee-Lunch-Coffee.”
When I was deciding what I would do, where my career would take me next and networking all the while, my PROCESS for NETWORKING was Coffee-Lunch-Coffee. It’s the way that I structured my day: A breakfast meeting, a lunchtime meeting and an afternoon meeting, hence Coffee-Lunch-Coffee.
I started with a goal for the number of networking meetings or touch points that I would have each week – my goal was 15 meetings or touch points per week. Assume five business days… Do some simple math… and, VOILA! That’s 15 connections per week.
It’s important to note, I didn’t always get to my goal. Nor was every meeting accompanied by coffee or lunch. In fact, some of my most productive touch points were with people who couldn’t meet with me in person in a timeframe acceptable to either of us – some of those folks I met with by phone instead. The point is, I slotted them into one of coffee or lunchtime spots and counted each meeting toward my goal.
So, what do you think? Can Coffee-Lunch-Coffee work for you? Give it a try! Come up with a goal… grab your lists (see yesterday’s blog) and determine who you would like to meet. Tomorrow, I will share some thoughts on how to get the meeting. Until then…