Back when I was selling phones I used to try and share with my employees that one of my best selling tools was the cup of coffee that I perpetually had in front of me. They would look at me in disbelief.
You see, a cup of coffee is a normalizing object. It’s a modern day cigarette in one’s hand. You can tell a lot by watching people drink coffee. How they hold it, how they drink it, their physical reactions when they drink it. It’s comfortable and easy to relate to. Sympathetic, in other words. With a cup of coffee in your hand, you’re never just a stranger. Never just a salesman.
Why do I bring this up? Because I like coffee. And because I’d like you to view your favorite beverage in a different way. It is your favorite, right? Yes, of course.
I want you call up somebody you haven’t talked to in a while. Haven’t seen for some time, even. Invite them to coffee. Use that familiar, golden beverage the same way I used it in sales. To set a comfortable tone where everybody is relaxed and open. Then I want you to have a conversation. Keep it simple and relaxed, keep everything organic and unforced. Enjoy the coffee and the company. Sharpen each other while you inhale the wonderful aroma.
And then do it again. Make it a date. Reach out to somebody else and setup another time, another place and repeat. Build on it. Grow your relationships over a simple cup of sunshine.
And notice how others drink their coffee…
