From coffee breaks to requests to talk things over a cup of coffee, caffeine seems to be inextricably linked to the world of business.
This association didn’t happen by chance. Actually, the effectiveness of coffee as a way to build personal relationships has demonstrable psychological and biochemical foundations.
Makes You Appear Energetic
Caffeine is a stimulant whose effects include increased heart rate and blood pressure as well as greater alertness. All these characteristics make you appear energetic and decisive. That’s why getting coffee is the quintessential date idea: caffeine puts you in a state that comes across as engaging and vibrant. In the world of business you can leverage this attractiveness boost to make people fall in love not with you, but with your ideas and strategies.
Helps You Persuade
Coffee increases the attention level of the person you are talking to. Therefore, you will be sending a lot of positive signals (see previous paragraph) and the other person will be in the right frame of mind to notice them all. Furthermore, coffee makes people easier to persuade, as long as you present solid, convincing arguments. In fact, a 2005 study found that caffeine enhances arousal, attention and information processing, all factors that converge to facilitate persuasion.
Coffee Builds a Positive Association
Association is a very basic but powerful psychological mechanism. For example, we tend to buy constantly the products that make us feel good or competent. By the same token, we are eager to meet repeatedly people we associate with feelings of connection and enthusiasm. This is where coffee comes into play. Having coffee is a physically rewarding experience, and if you get the other person to associate your presence with those pleasant effects, you’ll be well on your way to building a fruitful business relationship with them.
Here at the Greater Riverside Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, we understand the power of interpersonal relationships. That’s why we host every week our Cafecito Wednesday, a chat where members of our Chamber and expert guest speakers exchange ideas and updates about current topics of interest.
Our Cafecito Wednesdays are being held virtually. Click here to check our calendar of events and register for the next one!
Contact us by email at info@grhcc.com, telephone (951-965-9115), through our social media accounts, or click here to join and start enjoying the benefits of membership today.