From time to time, I get invitations for coffee or lunch from someone who wants to talk shop.
My answer is almost always NO.
The exceptions are long-term clients or business friends. For example, clients from both Germany and India have driven hours to meet me for lunch, because they were in the US at the time.
But if someone contacts me out of the blue and asks to meet, the answer is NO.
Instead of an in-person meeting, why not do a Zoom meeting instead?
And instead of a Zoom meeting, why not start with an email instead?
Prove you can get your point across clearly and concisely by email first.
Then we can determine if a Zoom meeting is worth the time investment…and a strict agenda for discussion can be planned in advance.
For example, I do meet people over Zoom for potential joint ventures, if they already have credibility and the offer is enticing enough.
Planning out an agenda by email means we can keep it short and there won’t be any wasted time.
Yes, I know this makes me sound ruthless with my time.
And I am.
It’s necessary…at least for me.
I used to make myself too available.
This caused all kinds of negative effects on my energy and overall attitude.
There are a LOT of time vampires out there when you invite them into your life.
I had to change my mindset.
I’m an introvert. Meetings drain my energy.
If I waste my energy, I’m stealing from my clients.
Clients pay for my help.
I invest my energy in helping them grow their businesses.
And even with clients, we’re usually most productive when we have at least a basic agenda planned in advance.
I like big uninterrupted time blocks for writing and working on projects.
That means limiting meetings and scheduling times for emails.
And while I’ve helped multiple clients set-up social media content plans, I personally avoid social media as much as possible also.
The primary point of contact for me is email. It’s convenient and I can quickly answer most relevant emails…especially if they’re short and to the point.
In fact, emails from subscribers give me a lot of the ideas for future content.
Create a business that fits your lifestyle.
Learn to say NO.
And focus on what matters most…identifying a hungry buying audience and consistently delivering value to them in a format that works for you.
Email has been the most profitable online tool for me for the past 26 years.
It’s helped my clients build amazing incomes as well.
Autoresponder Alchemy can show you how to earn more from every email you send.
While I often focus on the 80 email templates you can model…the step-by-step guidance on finding your own ‘email voice’ in module 3 can totally transform your results.
And that lesson doesn’t just apply to email. It applies to any form of content you’re creating online…whether social media posts, videos, podcasts, and more.
