Asking for a Coffee Versus Asking for Phone Meeting

By Larry Chiang

This is what they teach you in ENGR 145: talk on the phone.

Old people do work on the phone. As an undergrad in engineering, we need to stop asking for in-person coffees. We as engineering pre- entrepreneurs have a much better chance to get important people on the phone.

1- ALWAYS HAVE AN AGENDA

2- let theme upgrade to a meeting. Get used to talking and working the PHONE.

3- take notes on a moleskin.

4- google “Larry Chiang VC mentor”.

5- email two sentences on each VC mentorship article I’ve written with the link URL

6- put your cell in each subject line. For example: 650-283-8008 / Larry Chiang VC TechCrunch article / startX accelerator application

Good luck calling people to get stuff done via the phone. Read my article on closing a deal via voicemail: http://gigaom.com/2008/02/28/9-tools-to-close-a-deal-via-voicemail/

CEO of Duck9 Stanford University EIR (Entrepreneur in Residence)

Duck9 = Deep Underground Credit Knowledge 9 125 University Avenue/ 100 Palo Alto CA 94301 http://www.duck9.com/ass 650-566-9600 650-566-9696 (direct) 650-283-8008 (cell)

**************** Editor of the BusinessWeek Channel “What They Don’t Teach at Business School” http://whattheydontteachyouatstanfordbusinessschool.com/blog CNN Video Channel: http://ireport.cnn.com/people/larrychiang

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Author, NY Times Bestseller http://whattheydontteachyouatstanfordbusinessschool.com/blog/?s=Ny+times+bestseller

“What They Will NEVER Teach You at Stanford Business School” comes out 11-11-12

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