Establishing and maintaining business relationships can be difficult. In the past, this often meant meeting in person over coffee, lunch, or even after-work drinks. But in today’s age of social distancing, it pays to get creative.
One way to do this is to reach out to your potential business contacts through email and invite them to a virtual coffee meeting! But how do you write the perfect cold email?
Continue reading to learn all the cool tricks to send a cold email for a virtual coffee date. This guide will inspire your confidence and help you get a better response rate.
This blog will cover:
- Benefits of Hosting Virtual Coffee Meetings
- How to Ask Someone to Virtual Coffee
- Virtual Coffee Email Templates
What Is A Virtual Coffee Meeting?
We know what you’re thinking. Yes, a virtual coffee meeting can involve real coffee. After all, it is a casual form of a business meeting.
A virtual coffee meeting is a meeting where the attendees talk shop. Of course, this is down to preference. An attendee can choose to drink tea, a glass of cucumber blend, strawberry juice, or drink nothing. But the concept should be real.
For a virtual coffee date, you’re essentially replacing "let's grab a cup of coffee at the cafe across the road" with "grab a coffee in our separate homes."
This is a great way to build relationships with clients, colleagues, and networks. It eases people from the pressure of formal virtual meetings they've faced since the pandemic.
You can use virtual coffee meetings for:
- Networking opportunities
- One-on-one
- Sales demos
- Brainstorming sessions
- Team-building hours
Why Are Coffee Meetings Valuable?
Following the pandemic, we've quickly adjusted to the virtual world. Now, it's become hard to think of a good reason for physical meetings. After all, most people have adjusted to the new reality, save for a few. Below, we'll delve into five major reasons you should invest your time in virtual meetings.
Build Your Network
There's no stage of your career where making more meaningful connections is useless. You simply can't outgrow it. You’d always find it helpful meeting more people who get what you do and why you do it and can help you do it better.
Virtual coffee meetings or chats allow you to meet new people casually. You can talk to someone who understands your perspectives and can share their experiences.
You also quickly get past all the formalities of an actual meeting to discuss industry realities. This helps people remember you since you've shared more than they can know by reading your LinkedIn profile.
Who knows? Your next career opportunity may come this way.
Get A New Job Or Client
You can get your next client or recruitment offer through a virtual meeting. But you shouldn't start a virtual meeting with this on your mind. If you do, chances are you will sound stiff and boring. Imagine a salesman pitching a cure-all pill.
You want to avoid pitching yourself and trying too hard to impress. Instead, go in with the mindset of building a long-term connection that may yield results.
Build Trust and Genuine Connections
Everyone comes to an actual meeting wearing a facade. You want to look prim and proper and say all the right things. But a virtual meeting where you get dopamine doses from drinking coffee will be different.
These dates make people feel laxer even if they've never met you, making it easier to gain trust and build genuine connections.
Find Collaborators
Virtual coffee meetings are a good way for business executives and sole business owners to meet people they can work with on different aspects of projects.
You can meet blog writers, social media influencers, authors, designers, etc., and figure out how you can work together to benefit your business.
Virtual coffee meetings help you discover who is important to your business and why they are.
Get Insights: Virtual coffee chats give you an insight into a field or position. If you are transitioning into a new field or role, meeting people in this role can give you an insider look and help you decide if it's a good fit.
How To Ask For A Virtual Coffee
Asking someone for a virtual coffee meet is easier than you think. First, you have to write a proper networking email to establish contact.
Here are a few tips for approaching someone you are interested in.
Find the Right Email Address
This may seem straightforward, but it's harder than it appears. Many stakeholders don't have their email addresses on their profiles, so it can be a headache to reach out to them.
You can use personal email finder tools to find your prospect's correct account.
Do Adequate Research
Since you are sending a cold email, you must spark the person's interest. The best way to do this is to mention something the person is passionate about.
Look through their LinkedIn profile and interests to understand what they are working on. Personalizing a cold email like this will help you get a response.
Be Clear and Concise
A study reveals that longer emails are not likely to be read. Therefore, draft a brief email and ensure you start with an engaging subject line, so your prospects read it.
You should also include all the necessary information and make it easy for the other party to take action.
Send a Follow-up Mail
If your prospect doesn't respond after 5 to 7 days, ensure you send a follow-up email. Your email may have been lost amongst several others.
You must try a few more times to get a response, but make sure you don't spam. Spamming your prospect will put them off.
Sort Logistics
Take the initiative on logistics. You want to look like you mean business — casually, of course. Therefore, once they respond, proceed with logistics. Suggest a platform and ask what day and time works for them.
You can send a coffee gift card to sweeten the deal.
Request Phone Number
This is very important. Always ask your prospects for their phone numbers or an alternative means of communication, as it will make it easier to reach them if they don't respond to subsequent emails.
Virtual Coffee Meeting Invitation Email Templates
Now that you know enough about virtual coffee meetings to host one, you may wonder what a good cold email draft looks like.
Here are some examples:
Template 1
Dear Miss Brown,
I am Logan James, a marketing executive at Rubicle & Co. Alliance in Tucson.
I am reaching out to you after attending your session at Gen's Business Show in New York City last week. I found your takes on fin-tech and sales fusion original and fascinating.
I know your spare time is sparse, but I would love to have a virtual coffee chat and learn how you think millennial financial companies can collaborate with marketing start-ups seamlessly.
Twenty minutes is more than enough. Would you be available any day in September?
Warm regards,
Logan James
Marketing Executive
Rubicle& Co. Alliance
+1 (520) 555-7000
Template 2
Dear Lawrence,
I am Mel Abdul, and I am the Chief technical officer at Steers Business in Indianapolis.
I am reaching out after reading your Monday LinkedIn post on changes in the scope of digital marketing for new business promotion in the US. I found your perspectives highly interesting.
I know you are very busy, but I would love a virtual coffee meet and learn your perspectives on peculiar marketing trends for a new fin-tech business.
Even 15 minutes would be greatly appreciated. What does your calendar for the next two weeks look like?
Thank you
Mel Abdul
Chief Technical Officer
Steers Business
+1(463) 555-7212
Follow-Up Mail
You should send a thank you follow-up mail within 24 hours of your chat. There are several follow-up mail types and examples, but here's an example for your virtual meeting:
Dear Sean,
Thank you so much for taking the time to chat with me yesterday. I had a great time learning about inbound marketing and your experience on the job.
I can't wait to share some of these with my team.
Our discussion renewed my passion and interest in my company's current project. I hope to keep in touch to keep exchanging ideas.
Thank you once more for your time.
Regards,
Maggie White
Key Takeaways
Virtual coffee meets are another great 21st-century trend and are effective in helping you chat with prospects less rigidly. You can reach out to industry seniors, peers, and prospective employees and establish early investor relationships.
Remember to keep your cold mail short and direct.
- Research the person you are reaching out to and the topic you want to discuss.
- Have a test run to ensure your chosen platform and network are great.
- Prepare your questions ahead of the meeting.
- Don't forget to send a follow-up thank you mail.