Make a more impactful and memorable impression on your potential referral sources by avoiding the boring overused coffee shop meeting.
“Do you want to meet for coffee sometime soon?”
This is one of the most common ways for solos or small firms to try to network or follow up from a prior meeting.
The meet at a coffee shop routine has been overplayed. Instead of defaulting to a coffee date, why not try to meet your peers and referral sources in a more exciting way? You’ll make a more lasting impact on your new colleague, and increase the likelihood of being on the receiving end of some new business.
1. Walk and Talk
Steve Jobs was infamous for his walking meetings.
Going for a walk is a solid way to shake things up and stretch the legs. Also, getting the heart pumping and being outside is good for increasing creativity and giving the conversation a more casual vibe.
Additionally, some studies show that people actually think more clearly while walking compared to when they’re sitting still. Perfect for brainstorming.
2. Meet in the Park.
Another creative way to meet with colleges is to simply go outside. Maybe you don’t want to walk, so instead, you could meet at a local park and talk while surrounded by nature.
Being outside will improve your mood. It’s easy to have a more pleasant conversation by surrounding yourself with others who are in good spirit. People walking dogs, kids playing, a beautiful natural setting — all of this together creates a vibe that’s great for conversation.
Unsurprisingly, studies show that spending time in parks and other natural settings reduce anxiety. By meeting in this type of environment, it will help keep you both centered and focused.
3. Meet ins a Professional Conference Room.
Temporary meeting room rentals offer large and small law firms alike a low-cost alternative to meeting in an unprofessional and potentially unethical location such as a coffee shop. Giving off an image of professionalism and confidence.
A temporary meeting room in an executive office suite provides all the coordination necessary for a successful meeting, such as catering options and professional reception services. This allows the law firm to make the best impression with the lowest financial outlay.
4. Meet them Online.
If you are trying to meet with colleagues, it can often be more convenient to meet online. This can be done through various web chat tools like Zoom, or even through social media.
Some lawyers prefer to have all of their networking done through social media.
Take solo lawyer Joleena Louis for example. She finds “too much socializing to be draining and I prefer to be with a small group or alone.”
Joleena goes on to say “that’s why networking on social media works well for me. I can socialize with many people at once without feeling the drain of a social event. I gravitate towards social media because it is a more comfortable outlet for me to share thoughts and participate in conversations.”
Having a successful and memorable follow-up meeting with a referral source is one of the most important things you can do for your firm. Take a look at your own follow-up meeting strategy and then consider the activities mentioned above. We bet you’ll find that meetings are more easygoing and genuine than the same old trip to Starbucks.
