A great post from Mark Suster on the dynamics of setting up meetings. Go read the whole thing, it’s a lot of common sense advice that is so often ignored. This in particular caught my attention:
My rule: if you’re asking for the meeting, you travel. If I meet somebody super senior – even if they’ve asked me for the meeting – I still travel. I want them to be the least amount inconvenienced. I want the meeting. I want it to be easy for them to have it. I’m the primary beneficiary.
I’m often amazed at how simple the rules should be (and Mark’s extended dating metaphor is the right way to think of meeting dynamics) and yet how often they’re not appreciated. If I get an email from I someone I don’t (or barely) know who wants to meet with me and then asks me to stop by next time I’m in San Jose, that meeting will never happen. It’s not that I think I’m particularly special, but if you want some of my time, at least make an effort to come up and visit.
We do have a lot of great restaurants in Half Moon Bay you know.
Hah, and here I was going to say that if you're ever in the city I'd love to invite you to lunch. :)
Posted by: Abe Hassan | October 15, 2011 at 11:29 AM
For you, I'd travel. But you're buying.
Posted by: Andrew Anker | October 15, 2011 at 08:48 PM