Want to Triple Your Reach in a Fraction of the Time? Learn to Clone.

Posted on September 4th, 2009 by Keith Ferrazzi

Curtsy while you're thinking. It saves time. – the Queen of Hearts

How do I meet everyone I want to meet during the course of a week? Someone once remarked cynically, “I’d have to clone myself to take all the meetings you take.”

“Ah, you’re onto something,” I responded. “I don’t clone myself. I clone the event.”

Here’s what I mean. Say I’m in NY for two days with three people I want to see and only one available time slot. I solve the problem by “cloning” the dinner – I invite all of them to join me at once. Each of them gets benefit from knowing the others, and I get the opportunity to catch up with all of them. If I need some one-on-one, I'll ask that person to come a little early or stay a little late.

Some specific ideas to guide your cloning:

  1. Multitask: Constantly look for ways to include others in what you’re doing. Sometimes I’ll take potential employees for a workout and conduct the interview over a run. As a makeshift staff meeting, I’ll occasionally ask a few employees to share a car ride with me to the airport. Like so many, I couldn't do what I do without multitasking.
  2. Think prophylactic: Cloning is a good way to ensure that a meeting or get together is worthwhile. When meeting someone whom you don’t know that well, invite someone you do know just to make sure the meeting doesn't become a waste of time.
  3. Invite Mentees: They’ll get a special kick out of sitting in on meetings — and it can be a great learning opportunity. It gets them face time with you and a chance to see business in action — as long as you make sure your reason for the meeting gets accomplished. In most cases, the kid ends up contributing something to the meeting as well. Don’t underestimate young people’s ability to find creative new insight.
  4. Be selective: Pay special attention to the chemistry between various people in your professional network. Do you have a sense of who will get on well with each other? It doesn’t mean that everyone has to have the same background and sensibility. In fact, a nice mix of different professions and personalities can be the perfect recipe for a terrific gathering. Trust your instincts, or use this question as a litmus test: Will I have fun? If the answer is yes, that is usually a good sign that the dynamic will work.

A question about this last point: How many of you are like George "World's colliding" Costanza - wary of mixing different personal/professional groups?

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2 Responses so far | Have Your Say!

  1. Totally needed the top of the blog advice. I've been willing to meet girls I want to introduce that aren't hiring me individually for coffee. But that's expensive. The TIME. Not the coffee. Why not group them? Then, they may even want to work harder in that time to tell me things I need to know if they see I'm working with other very eligible singles.

    I host luncheons where I invite people with different backgrounds, but the same energy. I came back late from a Navy Reserve weekend years ago. The girls (business owners, marketers) were having so much fun, I felt a little hurt! Then I realized, it's a good thing. Being the catalyst.

    I am learning so much from you since discovering you this week. Perfect time for this to arrive. Thank you, Mr. Keith Ferrazzi.

    Roseann Higgins
    Phoenix, Arizona

  2. The golf course is a great place to "mix-up" your invites. 4-5 hours of light excercise, 3 clients and/or work associates, and a relaxing environment to hopefully stimulate a less formal conversation than a meeting in a conference room. I've also found it to be good place to really learn the true character of a person - how do they react to a bad shot in the water? Do they "fudge" the score card a little? Do they tense up or stay calm under pressure? All good things to know about a client, work associate or potential employee!

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