When you’re trying to schedule a meeting with someone important, whether that person is your creative mentor or the CEO of a major company, it can be challenging to get on the calendar. However, when you establish yourself as a credible and professional person in the industry in which they work and you can provide good reasons they might benefit from speaking to you, it’s easier to get a meeting with that individual.
Look for common ground
The easiest way to connect with someone is by working through another person who already has a relationship with them. Start by searching social media, including LinkedIn, to find connections between people you may know personally or professionally. Facebook also includes a mutual friends function that shows you any connections you might have in common with that person. If you’re trying to meet a celebrity, the social media search option might not work as well since you could have hundreds of friends who “like” the same page.
If you find that someone you know does have a connection to the person you’re trying to meet, reach out to your mutual colleague and ask for more information as well as whether they would be willing to introduce you. When you come in as a colleague or business associate of someone the person already knows, they are more likely to see you as such instead of someone who is imposing on their time. You’ll also come with a warm lead since someone they likely trust is vouching for you.
Use social media
If you can’t find any existing connections through people you know, you can still use social media to introduce yourself in a casual setting. Famous people might not manage their own social media accounts, but even CEOs and other C-level executives tend to manage their personal social accounts. Some social media sites have filters that restrict messages from non-connected people, but using LinkedIn is a good place to start. You can also establish a connection by sharing their content through your own profile and site to help your name become familiar.
Look on the person’s social media profiles for any common ground that you might share, since this information can help you get a meeting. Dorie Clark, a marketing consultant and published author, wanted to meet novelist Emily Liebert, so Clark reviewed Liebert’s profiles and found that they had attended the same college. Liebert’s website also indicated she would be speaking at a nearby event, so Clark reached out via that website to ask about setting up a dinner. By taking this initiative and connecting on a personal level, Clark was able to meet with an inspirational figure in her life.
Establish credibility
No one likes a name dropper, but it is important to establish credibility so that the person will take you seriously. Focus on associating your name and brand with other people and brands that the person would recognize. If you’re trying to break into the podcasting world, bring other famous podcasters on your program to link viewers with what you have to offer. By using connections to bring awareness to your brand, you may find that the person you are trying to meet with will have heard of you through some of these channels.
Make it worth their while
You should never presume that anyone wants to meet you or connect with you. This is a harsh reality, but most people are very busy and don’t have a lot of time to spare. It’s critical to establish your currency, or what value you bring to the relationship. This currency isn’t always money, although most business relationships are about profit. However, an interview on an up-and-coming podcast or blog could be beneficial to people across a variety of industries. Make sure to come in strong with the benefits to the person with whom you are trying to schedule a meeting.
Send great meeting requests
No matter what industry you’re working in, you probably have someone in mind that you would love the opportunity to meet. Salespeople spend hours every week making phone calls, sending emails, and dropping by various offices, all in the hopes of scoring a meeting. Establishing a connection and getting a meeting isn’t always easy, but there are ways to improve your messaging and increase the chances of getting a call or email back.
Disarm the person
Many people are trained to respond negatively to anything they perceive to be a sales call or opportunity. Start by disarming them, which you can do by acknowledging the fact that the person is very busy. A good way to start is by saying something like, “Hello, my name is Bob Johnson, and I’m calling from XYZ Business. I probably caught you in the middle of something, but I’d love the chance to talk if you have a few minutes to spare.”
When you establish who you are, where you’re calling from, and how long it might take, people may be less likely to hang up immediately. The disarming aspect may help the person on the other end let their guard down and listen to what you say.
Understand that time is money
When someone is powerful or successful (or both), they probably don’t have a lot of time to spare. Even a meeting request for 10 minutes can cut into important tasks and other meetings they might already have on their calendar. Even if the person you’re trying to meet with wants to meet with you, they simply might not have the time. When you send a meeting invitation, you’ll need to establish right away why it’s worth their time to meet with you.
It’s too easy to write someone off and never call them back if the benefits of responding aren’t immediately clear. An executive of a big company or famous author might get 20 to 30 requests for meetings every week, so all of those requests just won’t fit into anyone’s schedule. Start with a small request, such as a 10-minute phone call or quick meeting over a cup of coffee. If you establish yourself as credible and valuable, they will be more likely to fit you in, especially if you don’t ask for too much of their time.
Look at the timing
If you’re trying to connect with an executive at a major company, consider the timing for when you send an invitation or personal request. Most C-level executives have assistants who intercept and respond to their emails or just file them away without any response. You might be able to reach the actual person if you send your message on a weekend, since they might check their own emails from home in preparation for the week ahead. Even if you don’t get a response, it’s certainly worth a try since it doesn’t cost anything.
Don’t be shy
When you’re trying to make a connection with someone important in your industry, this is not the time to be shy or coy. You’ll need to stand out and be memorable, especially if you’re trying to reach someone who gets a lot of requests for their time. Stu Heinecke, a cartoonist for the Wall Street Journal, author of the book How to Get a Meeting With Anyone, and famous marketing expert, uses humor and cartoons in his attempts to reach out to people and establish connections. He shared an experience in which the governor of California remembered an interaction they’d shared 17 years previously because the exchange was so memorable.
Use what you’re good at to stand out and make yourself more appealing. If you can create an invitation or message that is unique and different in some way, the person you’re contacting is likely to remember that message more than they would remember a form letter or simple email.
With the right approach and a warm lead, you increase your odds of getting a response and scoring a meeting with your mentor or that hard-to-reach prospect. Use your connections for leverage and never sell yourself short when it comes to establishing your currency. Once you schedule the long-awaited meeting, spend some time preparing what you will say so you don’t get tongue-tied due to nerves. Come ready to ask questions, take notes, and create a relationship that will benefit both of you in your professional lives.
