Meet with Everyone

One of the things I started doing early on was meeting with everyone who asked to meet with me, or who was referred to me by someone I trusted. At first I did it because I needed advice so desperately, but soon I realized that there were valuable contacts among all these lunches and coffee dates. (Side note: as a poor entrepreneur watching every penny, I didn't really mind if someone wanted to buy me breakfast or lunch.)

And I always make it rule to ask for something from everyone I met. I don't have much time for socializing, each meeting has to have a purpose. From most people I ask for a piece of advice, or the name and number of another contact they mentioned that might be worth pursuing. From some people I ask for reports, scientific articles, market data, etc. that I couldn't otherwise get without paying for it. From others I ask for information about competitors and their sales figures and product development efforts.

Still others turned out to be real gems. I had a few breakfast meetings with a PR specialist someone had introduced me to, and he took an interest in my business. By our third meeting, he offered to make a sizable investment in my company in the form of PR and marketing services. And since his firm specializes in my field, that investment has made a significant impact on my company. Two other people I was casually introduced to are now serving on my Board of Directors.

Sure, some meetings result in nothing, no new information or advice. But the majority have been valuable in some small way, and I highly recommend it as a strategy for gaining critical supporters, insightful advice, and valuable business intelligence.