Have You Invited A Local Entrepreneur to Lunch Lately?
Years ago, when I first started my sales and marketing career, every couple of weeks, I'd pick up the telephone and call the owners of local businesses I saw advertising on tv constantly, and invite them to lunch - my treat, of course. When they'd ask me why, I'd tell them I was a college student majoring in Business Administration at the local community college, and taking a local business owner to lunch was something I was doing for extra credit.
This was partially true. Although, I conveniently left out the part about wanting to pick their brains, and having dropped out of college the previous year to pursue a career in business. But, why let a few minor details get in the way?
Sometimes, these busy entrepreneurs would blow me off. But, more often than not, they were kind and gracious, and accepted my offer. Now here's the really interesting part. During these lunches, I almost never had to initiate the conversation. I'd simply put my trusty pocket recorder down on the table, right in front of the business owners, and they would start talking. Do you remember those little pocket recorders that were so popular with executives, back in the day?
Anyway, they'd talk, and I'd listen intently, squeezing in a question or two, every now and then. These business owners would talk through the entire lunch, barely touching their food, freely dispensing valuable advice, without any prompting from me, whatsoever. And believe me, the education I received from these successful entrepreneurs was indeed valuable.
And when lunch time was over, even though it was me who invited them to lunch, it was always one of the business owners who would invariably insist on picking up the check, over my admittedly tepid objections.
I look back on those days, fondly. Because they greatly influenced my career decisions, and helped me become the success I am today. And while you can learn a great deal from sales and marketing books, I'm being completely honest, when I tell you, the greatest business lessons I have ever learned came from those informal lunches with local entrepreneurs.
So, have you invited a local entrepreneur to lunch, lately?
David Jackson
This was partially true. Although, I conveniently left out the part about wanting to pick their brains, and having dropped out of college the previous year to pursue a career in business. But, why let a few minor details get in the way?
Sometimes, these busy entrepreneurs would blow me off. But, more often than not, they were kind and gracious, and accepted my offer. Now here's the really interesting part. During these lunches, I almost never had to initiate the conversation. I'd simply put my trusty pocket recorder down on the table, right in front of the business owners, and they would start talking. Do you remember those little pocket recorders that were so popular with executives, back in the day?
Anyway, they'd talk, and I'd listen intently, squeezing in a question or two, every now and then. These business owners would talk through the entire lunch, barely touching their food, freely dispensing valuable advice, without any prompting from me, whatsoever. And believe me, the education I received from these successful entrepreneurs was indeed valuable.
And when lunch time was over, even though it was me who invited them to lunch, it was always one of the business owners who would invariably insist on picking up the check, over my admittedly tepid objections.
I look back on those days, fondly. Because they greatly influenced my career decisions, and helped me become the success I am today. And while you can learn a great deal from sales and marketing books, I'm being completely honest, when I tell you, the greatest business lessons I have ever learned came from those informal lunches with local entrepreneurs.
So, have you invited a local entrepreneur to lunch, lately?
David Jackson