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Speed dating potential clients.

by gingerninjas
6 replies
In a quest to find the perfect match for myself and clients, I have started to realise it is a little like speed dating ...

I read an article recently that gave an overview of a local chamber of commerce in the USA who held a speed dating event for business owners and it got me thinking what a great idea this was. The official term used is speed networking, and it is a really interesting format that is run across the world.

The process worked like this:

- 80 professionals in attendance for a 1.5 hour event
- Each were paired up and got to have 90 seconds to interact, discuss what they did and exchange business cards
- At the end anyone who found a 'meaningful' connection could chat with their favourite and they could further their conversation

In my world, I speak with a new client connection (usually over the phone), we quickly figure out if we are a match (I can usually tell within about 60 seconds), I give them a quote (the offer), they either decline or accept my offer (the invite) and hopefully we live happily ever after.

All in all the idea was really interesting and I love the idea of doing something a little different especially when you're trying to broaden your horizons.

While it may not be everyone's cup of tea, it's something to think about for anyone out there looking to get on the new business (dating) scene.

Here's some more info for anyone that's keen - SpeedNetworking.com

For IM, it could be a good idea to do this sort of thing via video, anyone heard of something like this that is already in place??
#clients #dating #potential #speed
  • Profile picture of the author agmccall
    nothing I would even consider participating in, especially if someone wanted to charge me for it.

    Dating is fun and nothing is lost if you make a mistake. Business on the other hand can be quite costly if a mistake is made.

    al
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    • Profile picture of the author gingerninjas
      Originally Posted by agmccall View Post

      nothing I would even consider participating in, especially if someone wanted to charge me for it.

      Dating is fun and nothing is lost if you make a mistake. Business on the other hand can be quite costly if a mistake is made.

      al
      Very true. The idea of it for startups is cool though. I personally would not be into it but I can see the merit.
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  • Profile picture of the author Sam JTB
    Everyone is different, but there could be some potential in this.

    I just think it should be a dating event or a networking event. I don't know if the two should be combined... but who knows, I could be wrong.
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    • Profile picture of the author gingerninjas
      Originally Posted by Sam JTB View Post

      Everyone is different, but there could be some potential in this.

      I just think it should be a dating event or a networking event. I don't know if the two should be combined... but who knows, I could be wrong.
      There must be some success in the concept.

      Maybe for some industries rather than others it could be a very valuable tool.

      I know I can usually make a decision when I meet someone face to face within a very short period of time if they would be a good fit to collaborate with.

      It's all about being time poor plus this appeals to me rather than standing around at a networking event guzzling chardonnays and waiting for finger food while I try and get people's attention.. not that I do networking events anymore but you get my drift.
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  • Profile picture of the author Steve B
    Just wondering . . .

    Is 60 or 90 seconds really long enough time to evaluate a client/partner with whom you'll spend significant time and energy? I'm not in this type of online business so I really don't know.

    When I was working in the offline world in my career as an economic and community developer, I would always spend roughly 4-6 hours doing investigation, research, and reference checking with every client we intended to do business with. It often paid off tremendously because you learn a lot of things about your potential "partner" that doesn't come out in the initial face-to-face greeting.

    Just wondering . . .

    Steve
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    • Profile picture of the author gingerninjas
      Originally Posted by Steve B View Post

      Just wondering . . .

      Is 60 or 90 seconds really long enough time to evaluate a client/partner with whom you'll spend significant time and energy? I'm not in this type of online business so I really don't know.


      Steve
      Hi Steve,

      For some industries I could see this being a good fit, particularly if 'daters' were group based on their background and goals.

      Of course, just like any meaningful relationship you have to put in the hard yards but this is more about the connections stage rather than the long term. In another corporate life the business card exchange and chance encounters with a few different individuals that I wouldn't normally meet has helped my career and work significantly and I guess this could be the same as getting out of your traditional business development comfort zone.

      I'd personally love to be a fly on the wall at one of these events.
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