Set a yearly goal of 100 coffees with people you already know, about two a week. In my coaching it was usually the top revenue goal.
The idea
Of all the goals my coaching clients wrote, 100 coffee dates with their sphere was one of the best we saw executed, and typically the biggest revenue driver of any of them. Frequency is what turns acquaintances into friends. Research I've written about found it takes roughly 50 hours together to become casual friends, 90 to become friends and over 200 for close friends, and that how often you interact is a central factor in keeping a relationship alive. Three coffees over six months beats one long dinner.
How to do it
Set the goal: 100 coffees with people you already know.
Break it down: roughly 10 a month, about 25 a quarter.
Keep them short. A 20-minute coffee is fine. You're building a pattern.
Fill the gaps between coffees with an article or an introduction.
Example
Last month I had coffee with someone I'd met twice before. 20 minutes, nothing earth-shattering. We complained about some challenges with our projects and swapped a podcast recommendation. I'd bet that six months from now we're real friends and collaborators. The coffee wasn't magical. We'll just keep showing up.
Watch out for
Chasing strangers to hit the number. Monthly coffee with five people you know beats an event with 50 you don't.
The Recurring Calendar Invite: After a good conversation, make it a repeating calendar event, with a mutual, guilt-free permission to cancel any single one.
Avoid the Coffee-Request Trap: Instead of 'want to get coffee?', mention you'll be near them and let them invite you, or offer what you actually want to give.
Five Alternatives to Coffee: Instead of coffee: take a walk, go to their favorite spot, cowork, attend a talk together, or discuss one question in a small group.