I ran across a question recently about working outside or at coffee shops.

Can it be effective?  Why would you do it?  Do you even have an office? etc.

Well, here’s why I do.  I currently have a great office in West Hollywood, California, with double doors that open onto a patio, and situated directly over the world famous Sunset Strip.

However, most afternoons I can be found at a tremendous coffee shop called Café Primo.

This is a wonderful establishment with free wi-fi, outdoor seating, open windows, a friendly atmosphere.

I tend to schedule my meetings, or just conduct my business at this establishment.  The ability to sit outside, have a tremendous view, get people to come to me, and of course people watch, are all paramount opportunities.

However, it is what I call the “incidental” conversations that are most appealing.

The people, contacts, friends, and associates that have been created by striking up the most random conversation with the person sitting across from me is a constant amazement.

On any given afternoon there are celebrities (Jeremy Piven, Tawny Kitaen, Mark McGrath, Jason Stathom, and even the random Fabio or Ron Jeremy), athletes (Terrell Owens, any member of the Lakers), tourists, executives, lost souls, and any number of interesting people to talk to.

Indeed, an afternoon at this location is a primo people watching experience

I’ve often had people come up and joke, “so, is this your office?”, or even better, “what, do you live here?”.

My answer is usually to chuckle, point to the building three blocks away that houses my office, and say, “no actually, I prefer working outside in the afternoon, as I never know who I might run into, or who I would get the privilege to speak with.  If I were in my office, I wouldn’t be here to say hello to you”.

Yes, working outside indeed has it’s perks.

During a planning session last night for our company Cenoplex- I learned of a great quote.
It is a spin off of “It’s always darkest before the dawn”, or the story- Three feet from Gold- in which the person stops short of his goal.

The quote is- “The impossible happens just on the other side, of where you stop!”

Are you hunting Elephants, or are you hunting Deer?

In light of the world of Political Correctness, I hope the following doesn’t offend anyone.

If anyone has built a company, or tried to sell a product or service, you will relate to what is about to follow.

Some products or services are best built for large companies, however not everyone is cut out to sell to large organizations.

In other situations, even though the product may qualify for elephant status, the deer look like an easier target.

Well, at some point one must decide- Are you hunting Elephants or Deer?

If you are going after elephants, then heed the words of a famous bushman (ok, I’m not sure who said this, if he is famous, or I just made it up)

“He who hunts elephants, does not stop in the jungle, to throw stones at birds!”

That means- stay focused.

The reason I point this out is that in the world of hunters, there are VERY few who can go after big game.

If you are in the processes of taking a product to market, or you already have one that is out, the determination becomes, what is the “sales cycle”?

Often for larger ticket items, or big projects, or services sold to Fortune 1000 companies, the sales cycle can be 12 to 15 months, or more.

It is easy to look for smaller game to hunt.  The $50 Million dollar company that is “interested”.  The $200 Million dollar company that “qualifies”.

In many instances, the sales cycle for the smaller company may be just as long as for the bigger one.

At the end of the day, is it worth it to hunt the smaller company?  Will the profitability be sustainable?  Will the service and support outweigh the revenue?  Will you spend just as much time and effort for a smaller pay off at the end of the day?

Yes, indeed it is easier to think you can walk into the woods and find a deer.

However, it takes real skill to walk into the jungle and bag an elephant.

If you think you have the product and the skill- decide?

Do you spend your time in the jungles with the big game, or in the fields with the small?

Considering there are over 600,000 registered hunters with a deer license, and probably less than 500 that may hunt the big game, if you have the skill, go for the……

Again, the above was meant for an analogy and wasn’t meant to offend anyone.