7 steps to getting meetings with movers and shakers
November 26, 2007 | By Rebecca ThormanLast week, I scheduled a meeting with one of the top CEOs in Madison, Mr. Rich. Here’s how I did it and how you can too:
1. Make first contact. Meet Mr. Shaker at an event. Go up and introduce yourself. Yes, I know this is hard, especially when CEO #1 stands by CEO #2 and Celebrity #3. Must they cluster? Go and introduce yourself anyway. You are not a chicken. Go! You don’t have to have a lot to say. Just introduce yourself, set the stage for a meeting, and gracefully exit.
Another option is to send a letter. A letter is for when you have no way of meeting them in person. It warms up the cold call. It should be short and to the point, and give appropriate information, but not enough that a meeting isn’t necessary. The primary purpose of the letter is to set the stage for your phone call to set up a meeting.
2. Write yourself a script and act. I learned the value of a script, and the basis of all relationship-building in business, when I was a telefunder in college. Not a telemarketer. TeleFUNDER. Big difference.
As a telefunder, I read off a script, and after four years, I knew that script by heart. Every time I sat down to make calls, I pulled the script up on the screen. Half the time I wouldn’t even look at it, but it gave me the confidence to know exactly what to say, improvise, and to become the top fundraiser out of hundreds of other callers.
These days, when I make calls, I still bring up a script. It’s short and to the point, and I’ve thought out many of the potential objections in my head.
Then I lower my voice. This is because I have a high girly voice, and that’s really annoying on the phone. I learned this the hard way when I tried to be a cheerleader my first week of telefunding. I almost got fired I was so chipper. Pay attention to what you want to convey and act it out.
3. Be persistent. The first time you call you’ll probably get their voicemail, or the secretary. They’re counting on you to give up. Not the first time. Nobody gives up the first time. But maybe the second time, or the third. Don’t let your attempts taper off. You have to be the person that calls back the fourth, fifth, sixth time.
Call on different days and times of the week. While your worst time might be Wednesday at 8:30 am, that might the perfect day for you to reach Mr. CEO.
Or maybe email is better. It just depends. A general rule of thumb is that older generations will respond quicker to phone calls, while twentysomethings will respond quicker to emails. Skip the guessing game next time by asking Miss Celebrity how she prefers to be contacted when she hands over her business card. Golden.
4. I said persistent, not creepy. If I call a CEO five times a week, I only leave a message once or twice. You don’t want to be all scary about it.
5. Be persuasive and positive. Never ever remind the CEO that you’ve already contacted them last week in your message. You can refer to your first contact, but not the ten calls you’ve made in between. I guarantee that the CEO knows about the ten calls you’ve made, and if you just stay upbeat and positive with the tone of your voice, they’ll call you back.
Persuasive doesn’t mean pushy. Persuasive isn’t begging. Persuasive is confidence. Don’t confuse it.
6. Be strategic and ready for run-ins. It never fails that I am often embarrassed in front of important people.
In calling Mr. Rich to set up a meeting, I ran into him three different times unexpectedly. The first was when I was walking to the coffee shop wearing my “pigpen” pants and he rounded the corner. I think the term “pigpen” is self-explanatory. This is not the time to talk. Smile. Say hello. Keep walking. The second was when I came out of a public restroom and I opened the door right into Mr. Rich. Smile. Apologize. Keep walking.
The third was at an annual dinner. It was one of those times when he was standing next to two other bigwigs. This is not the time to keep walking. Stop. Introduce yourself. Go back to step #1.
7. Notice the flow. The hard and time consuming stuff is in the beginning. Getting a meeting is much harder than the meeting itself. Make it work.
Go on with your bad self.
Need more? One of the best series on networking can be found here.
EXCELLENT post. Thanks for sharing these tips.
Comment by Sam Davidson — November 26, 2007 #
Thanks, Sam. The challenge of getting a meeting with an important person is a lot of fun for me. Especially when they’re so difficult like Mr. Rich
Comment by Rebecca Thorman — November 26, 2007 #
Great post Rebecca! I love the script idea, I’ll have to remember that one of my next opportunity. On the phone and in general I have to remember to talk slow, I have a tendency to talk to fast and that’s never a good thing in those situations.
Comment by Scott — November 26, 2007 #
Thanks, Scott. I always talk too fast too. I always have to remember that doing that just makes me sound nervous or anxious, not like I’m being considerate of their time. Great reminder!
Comment by Rebecca Thorman — November 26, 2007 #
Great post. like it a lot and will use it for future reference!
Comment by Tim — November 26, 2007 #
Great post. like it a lot and will use it for future reference!
Comment by Tim — November 26, 2007 #
Tim obviously liked this post a lot, leaving 2 comments!
Comment by Dan Schawbel — November 26, 2007 #
Rebecca,
These are things that should be taught to every salesperson who has to contact those “movers and shakers”. So many give up after the first “no” or after leaving a single voicemail. More money would be made by using these seven steps as a roadmap. Good post!
Comment by Eric Ogunbase — November 26, 2007 #
i like how you broke it down into pieces. it’s very overwhelming (especially if it’s Mister Rich) if you just go into it no holds barred. how did the meeting go? or is that for another post?
Comment by manda — November 26, 2007 #
@ Tim - thank you, thank you!
@ Dan - I know. Tim must be very smart if he likes my writing so much
@ Eric - Great! I hope people make lots of money from this post. That’s the basis of all success - helping others succeed.
@ manda - I’m glad you found it useful. It’s still overwhelming to me at times, but you just have to push through the fear :). The meeting is next week, and that’s a great idea to write about it. Mr. Rich did tell me he would buy me lunch since he had been so difficult. I think that’s a good sign!
Comment by Rebecca Thorman — November 26, 2007 #
I met a number of high-level state officials at a networking function but was unable to speak to the State Controller. I later wrote a short card mentioning seeing him at the function and invited him out for lunch. His secretary later called me and we met briefly for coffee in the morning.
Comment by Daniel Hoang — November 27, 2007 #
This is great advice. Too often people avoid doing what you suggest because the do not feel worthy of getting time with Mr. Big. I have always found that the truly successful people (emotionally, spiritually and financially) are always happy to help others who are trying to climb the ladder. You just have to ask, and let them see your “spark”.
Those who wont give you the time of day often turn out to have other “issues”. You can always tell the real winners in the world by their attitude toward others, especially those who are not yet at the “top”. The best people love to see others trying to succeed and want to be of assistance.
thom
Comment by thom singer — November 27, 2007 #
@ Daniel - Thanks for sharing your story - it’s great that you were able to be proactive!
@ thom - This is an interesting perspective, and I love the way you’ve worded it. It coincides nicely with one of my mantras, “the more you give, the more you receive.” Thanks for stopping by and being part of the inspiration for this post!
Comment by Rebecca Thorman — November 27, 2007 #
One other thing I think might be worth mentioning is to make sure you ask questions. I have found that meeting with lot’s of different people (big, small,rich, poor, movers, shakers, couch potatoes, etc.) that if you ask someone a question, that opens up a dialogue that helps to develop the relationship. A good place for this might be in your “script”.
Comment by Josh Lavik — November 27, 2007 #
@ Josh - Yep. That’s a must. Although, when I call to set up a meeting, I rarely ask questions. so that I can focus on the task of getting a meeting. I only ask questions during the “first contact,” or of course, lots of questions during the meeting. Thanks!
Comment by Rebecca Thorman — November 27, 2007 #
Thank you so much Rebecca, particularly about the tip on lowering your voice. At my last job I had a complaint about a phone message I left for a donor and she said I sounded like a 12-year-old and shouldn’t be representing my department. (Ouch!)
I’ve always known my voice is overly nasal (thank you, high school acting teacher!) and I think maybe trying to be more aware of the pitch could help this problem out.
Comment by Kate — November 28, 2007 #
The script is also a useful tool when taking an interview. If you google around you can find 12-20 common interview questions. Write down the questions, and then write down your answers. Typically the best answers are scenario based (an intro, what you did, and then wrap it up). Once you have your questions and answers, practice out loud.
Comment by Ryan Endres — November 28, 2007 #
@ Kate- So glad you found it useful. Changing my voice was a huge thing for my telefunding job. Sometimes small things can make a big difference!
@ Ryan - I always do this! I’m glad to hear I’m not the only one pacing around talking to myself before interviews
Great tip.
Comment by Rebecca Thorman — November 29, 2007 #
Hi Rebecca,
As you know, I am interviewing a number of successful individuals for my next service ‘Great Successful People’. I have used exactly your steps and have been very successful in gaining top individuals time and input. I have been amazed at the positive responses I have received from some big, big names in the self-development world.
One thing I would add and that is to know when you are not going to be successful. It’s a gut feel - you know when you are wasting your time. Just simply move on.
Andrew
Comment by GreatManagement — November 30, 2007 #
@ Andrew- Thanks for the feedback! And you’re right. You have to trust your intuition - a great addition to the list!
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These are great tips very well expressed - thank you!
As a drama student, I learned a couple of very useful tips that might come in handy here.
Should you happen to meet your bigwig unexpectedly, and decide to greet them to make the most of the encounter, you may get a dry mouth. Bite the tip of your tongue, swallow, and smile.
Secondly, when making phone calls, lowering your voice is a good idea, along with consciously speaking slightly more slowly than you normally would. Once you get into the rhythm of the conversation, you won’t worry about it, but sounding calm gives a much better first impression. Also, smiling while on the phone will give a lift to your voice - you’ll come across as friendlier, and make people keener to help you.
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This was a great post filed with practical tips and a healthy dose of humor! Years ago, I learned the expression “everyone puts their pants on one leg at a time,” and that has helped me to maintain perspective when reaching out to “important” people. Thom is absolutely right that successful people (unless they have issues) are generous with their knowledge. When calling I also find that sitting up straight or even standing helps to convey the right amount of energy and confidence over the phone.
Comment by Karen Swim — March 30, 2008 #