At the admittedly calculated risk of offending those who were already morbidly offended with my LAST post about coffee dates, here’s another one… This one, I don’t believe needs MUCH of an introduction, but here goes…
After hearing someone tout their relationship with a business and life coach, the following dialogue happened:
Business Person: Hey. I’m getting ready to launch something new. I’d love to take you out for coffee and run some things by you.
**Women who wow member who heard this quickly and quietly makes her exit, as she knows what is coming.**
Me: Um. Didn’t you say you already have a business coach?
Business Person: Well, yeah.. I mean, I’m not asking you as a business coach….
My thoughts: Oh, well, we’re both married, so I’m sure you’re not asking me on a DATE.
Me: Oh. Well, I don’t work for coffee. (Thinking: Do YOU get paid in coffee?) But I encourage you to run it past your business coach and see what he thinks. If you’d like to shoot me an email I’ll be happy to respond to whatever plan you come up with.
PLEASE, if you or your dentist or attorney or family care physician or plumber or accountant or landscaper get paid in coffee beans, LET ME KNOW. Screw bitcoin… maybe there’s some new coffee bean economy I should invest in. lol… But, if you’d like to go ON RECORD and say, “I drink plenty of coffee, but don’t consult for coffee,” your link, a blurb about your biz and your comments are welcome below!
It’s to the point where as soon as someone says “coffee” or the name of a place where you can get it, I know what’s coming.
And the moment I get a whiff of “pick your brain” or “want to run something by you” I’ll say something like:
“I’d love to help. For the rest of this month, I’m kind of tied up with two launches and a big email campaign my top clients are doing. (“clients” is a one-word way of saying “I get PAID for what you’re hoping I’ll donate.”) Perhaps in six weeks once things cool off on this end.”
Usually they scatter.
Now if they return to me a month later, and are taking a true business approach, then we can have the conversation about services and solutions. If the approach is “about that cup of coffee” then depending on my mood and the vibe I’ll say either:
a) “Weren’t you working on that, like, 3 months ago? Why isn’t it done yet?” (implying if it really mattered, they’d stop slurping coffee and get a move on).
b) “Funny thing, I just landed this new thing. Gonna be nuts here until (insert next Federal holiday even if it’s 3 months away).”
EXCELLENT Adam… I lOVE that approach. And I also love your site… Thanks for stopping by! I hope to hear more from you more often! =) And, you are so so right… It’s funny… when I used to meet with people for these coffee dates, I’d find that NOTHING EVER changed for them…. They are just information seekers… if they were DO-ers, they’d be more committed than a cup of joe! =)
Brilliant!!! Love your quick, pithy response communicating exactly what you mean without being defensive or plaintive
And, I love YOUR brilliance, your complete commitment to your clients, and also your integrity, determination, and generosity. You are a wild success! And I am so honored to know you!