This awareness and trick will help you rethink how to network and use the power of technology to your benefit!
A 10-minute call is enough to know if you want to continue the conversation.
Before meeting with someone face to face, I require a phone call first. Within 10 minutes of the call, you could figure out if this will go somewhere and require a longer or face-to-face meeting. It's like Speed Dating!
Meeting someone in person has a huge opportunity cost.
Let’s look at the efforts involved in meeting in person.
The time, energy, and money add up if you drive somewhere for coffee. To give you an example:
- Commute Time: 40 minutes round trip.
- Cost for meal/coffee: $6 for a latte.
- Meeting Time: After driving and paying for your latte, you're invested, and you will not get up after 10 or 15 minutes and leave. You end up meeting for 45 minutes or an hour.
Thus, the opportunity cost of having a forgettable meeting is enormous. Instead, you could have spent time making three other phone calls!
Be intentional! If you don’t manage your time and energy, someone else will do it for you!
When technology gives you these benefits of convenience and efficiency, why not use it?
Online Dating is efficient. We’re in a fast food society and you have a pool of eligible people to choose from – Gail Barsky
(Though I would say let's choose healthy options!!)
To be clear, I’m not saying I don’t meet people in person. There is ample research to show in-person meeting leads to better social connection and happiness. The point is to be careful where you invest your time and energy! You don't want to be focusing it in the wrong place.
I always require a phone call first. I'm very upfront about that to protect both parties' time and energy. If you want also to gauge the body language and connect better, you could do a video call.
Importantly, If you don't manage and take care of your time and energy, then someone else will do that for you. In that case, it might not be the most suitable per your values and priorities.
What would you do the next time a new acquaintance or stranger directly asks you to meet?
Hopefully, not spend hours commuting and meeting them in person!
Article was co-written by Marcey Rader and Rijul Arora.
