The LinkedIn guru in Buckhead had it backwards, glad I ignored him

Six months ago I went to a networking breakfast at a hotel near Lenox Square and this self-styled growth expert told me to never accept a coffee meeting without a contract in hand. He said anyone who meets twice before signing is wasting your time and that Atlanta runs on closing fast. I took one of his ideas once, asked a potential partner to sign before we even scoped the project, and they backed off completely. Turns out this city still runs on trust and face time, especially in the mid-market space. I ended up doing three informal coffee meetings with that same person and we landed a 15 month retainer worth about 40K. Has anyone else found that the pushy advice from these paid speakers backfires when you actually apply it? What's the fastest deal you've closed after multiple laid back chats?

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emma_lee229d ago

Is it just me, or does that whole "close fast" mindset feel like it was built for people who never have to work with the person on the other side? I've had way more luck dragging out the small talk over coffee, because that's when you actually figure out if you can stand each other for a year. That 40K retainer probably paid better than any quick win from a signed napkin would have.