I wrote last week with some tips around networking. For me, it has gone from a burden to one of my most important tasks. With the 2,200+ one-on-one meetings under my belt, I have been in every kind of networking session you can imagine.
First things first – get a warm introduction from someone to the person you want to meet. How? Use LinkedIn to find common connections is the easiest way I know. Outside of that, ask around. When you get a warm intro you ride on the credibility of that person introducing you. It means a lot. Use it if you can.
So, you are going to set up the meet – where are you going to do that?
In the majority of your requests – you really need something from them. So, go to them. In my earliest networking journey, I would do 3 or 4 per day, 4 days per week. Seriously. So, I attempted to coordinate meetings near each one of my targets.
The best place for me – Starbucks or another coffee shop. I have been to literally every coffee shop in the Triangle region.
Here are a few of my favorite meeting places:
- The Starbucks @ NC54. It is a central place for people coming from Cary, Raleigh or Durham. The hop is pretty much right off of I-40. Which means it is accessible with little hassle. It is also big, so there is almost always a seat for two.
- The Starbucks @ Page Road. This is even more central but it is always crowded and a tough place to park if around lunch or dinner. And it is very small unless you can sit outside.
- Beyu Café in Durham is a great meeting stop. Large enough to handle you at any time with parking within a block or two. The added benefit for Beyu is that there is always someone else you know so you get the face-time benefits of seeing other people.
- Café Carolina located at either Meadowmont (near Chapel Hill) or Harrison Road (Cary). Both are off of I-40 and both are typical meeting spots.
Good luck.
I’ve found that for the average meeting, Starbucks can be good. But when you want to have a higher-level conversation, want to do some brainstorming together, or otherwise enjoy your meeting a bit more, I recommend more unique venues.
One of my favorites is the Umstead Hotel off Harrison Avenue. You can jump right into the meeting, and people will magically appear to serve you rather than having that sometimes awkward shat at the counter. Renaissance Hotel in North Hills is another good place on the East side. Tyler’s Tap Room in Durham’s American Tobacco Campus allows for a great seat outside by rushing water. And then any Embassy Suites, as sitting next to a waterfall can be cathartic.
The gist: Think differently about your meeting spots to elevate your conversations.