The Other Office Entrepreneur Magazine's editor-in-chief on outside-the-office meeting places.
By Amy Cosper
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
My friend Davis never closes business on the company grounds. Davis is the CEO of a tech company he launched about six years ago, and he has this thing about meeting clients in conference rooms or offices--places he calls "unnatural habitats." He believes trust is the cornerstone to all successful business relationships, and those habitats don't engender trust.
"Boardrooms make people uncomfortable, unnatural and stagey--like caged animals," he says. "That's Trump's way--part of his strategy. A true entrepreneur is more likely to close business in a coffee shop or a bar. It's the first step to building trust and a long-lasting business relationship. It's more authentic."
Davis' favorite place to do business is a coffee shop in downtown Denver called Common Grounds. It's centrally located and has a comfortable vibe. It's neither too loud nor too quiet. The interior has just the right amount of urban hipness without being obnoxious. Business people sit table-to-table with local artists.
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