How to make the most of a cup of coffee

11 March 2024

Taking experienced professionals and founders out for coffee in exchange for their shared wisdom is a common occurrence for people staring out in their entrepreneurship journey. Alumni who have recently visited CIE have talked to how many coffees they have had over the years and how they have forged the most valuable connections and gotten great insights during such informal chats. Unfortunately, meeting up with mentors is an experience that is currently underutilised. 

CIE mentors are skilled professionals who are keen to share their know-how and skills. However, they are also busy, and their time is precious, so preparation is key when it comes to meeting them for coffee. After all, it is not just a regular chat. It might be the meeting that changes your career trajectory, or the direction your venture is heading for good.  

How can you get the most out of your time? Preparation is key. Find out more from some of our CIE volunteers:

Debra Hall – entrepreneur, investor, director 

“I’d suggest firstly that the mentee knows exactly how LONG the appointment is meant to last, so that they can plan around that. Usually, I set aside one hour for mentoring meetings, unless there has been a conversation in advance and the issues that need to be discussed are so big that I think we’ll need more time. I like it if the mentee keeps time and draws the meeting to a close at the appointed time (or at least asks, if we’re going over, whether that’s okay). 

Do not expect your mentor to read or review copious attachments/presentations/papers in advance of the meeting.  They have committed one hour to talk with you – if you need them to look at something, use your first 10 minutes to summarise what it is. (Exception: sometimes your mentor will offer to look at a presentation / pitch you’re working on – it’s okay to send it then, but only if they offer). 

So how to get the most out of the one-hour coffee meeting: 

• be clear, ideally in advance, about what you want to discuss:  I encourage my mentees to drop me an email the day before with two or three bullet points (I’d generally work on around 15 minutes per topic) 
• allow the first 10 minutes to introduce who you are and what you’re doing, or if it’s a follow-up meeting to recap on what you’ve done since our last meeting 
• do not spend your precious time with me on pleasantries or asking me to tell you my life story – I expect you to have looked me up on LinkedIn, know what I’ve done and am doing now; if there’s time at the end, we can talk about how our weekend was, or what our plans are for the week! 
• keep your questions wide – you’ll learn more from a discussion than from asking me specifically what I think you should do (I’m not going to tell you that, anyway – my role is to guide you to consider alternatives and give you the tools to make your own decisions) 
• focus on talking about what’s currently stopping you from getting to where you want / need to be 

And lastly, remember that what the mentor says is ADVICE not instructions!  You do not have to follow that advice, and your mentor should not be offended if you decide to ignore what they’ve said. They may ask you to explain why – that’s learning for you and for them.” 

Stephen Flint – Director of Investment at UniServices 

“The key to obtaining a meeting and getting value is both parties understanding the purpose of the meeting.  People are willing to give their time, if they know there is some value in it. It doesn’t always have to be to them personally, but people’s time is precious and knowing that they can add some value is always important. Stating clearly what you are wanting from the meeting (e.g., I am seeking advice on market entry strategies) is important as sometimes the person you are contacting may not be the best person to provide advice in a particular area, but may know others that are.  Having clear ‘open’ questions that indicate you have thought about the issues is also important. Lack of preparation is easy to detect and can often leave people wondering if it is worth their time and effort. Lastly, ask if there is anyone else they would recommend you talk to. Business is based on uncertainty, so the more data points you have the better positioned you are to navigate that uncertainty.” 

Denis Snelgar – Experienced CEO, board member, management consultant 

“My experience of being a mentor is that before the student’s Big Idea is shared, I want to know who you are and what you stand for as a person. What matters to you and what impact do you want to make on this planet before you depart?

Qualities I look for are courage, resilience, emotional intelligence, being appreciative, agile intelligence, excellence as it is not a quality but is a habit. Are you really coachable, will you take on the mentors coaching even if you don’t agree with it – and be unconditionally coachable? Do you have the reflective ability to see beyond what you know or what you know you don’t know into the I don’t know what I don’t know realm? The zone of new thinking that could make the difference for your Big Idea.   

With these qualities shared and understood, then as a mentor, we are ready to get to work on having your Big Idea becoming real, including the basics of: – turning up on time; being prepared and keeping all your agreements; setting goals & expectations; listening & asking; fitting into your mentors schedule; recognising their time & expertise. Again, all of these requirements are just habits. All of this is what I would cover from having that first cup of coffee as a mentor.”   

Are you ready to make the most of time with a mentor?

Go to our Start-up Support page and book a session now!