How to Score a Meeting With Almost Anyone

There’s probably someone you would love to land a meeting with.

Maybe it’s your CEO. Maybe it’s a leader in your field. Maybe it’s a gatekeeper of some sort – for example, maybe you’d like to get a book published, and would love to speak with an acquisition editor to learn what they are looking for.

Sounds impossible, right? Well, it isn’t. In her course Personal Effectiveness Tips, LinkedIn Learning Instructor Dorie Clark outlined a three-step process for landing a meeting with (virtually) anyone.

3 Steps for Landing a Meeting With Almost Anyone

They are:

    1. Lead with currency.

Start with the most obvious – why would this person want to meet with you? What can you offer them?

If you do your research, there’s likely some area you can help them in. Maybe they’ve begun an interest in digital marketing, and you are a digital marketer. It could be personal too. Maybe they are trying to run a marathon, and you’ve run five, and can offer them tips. 

Whatever value you can bring them, lead with that.

“Don't make them guess why they should want to talk to you,” Clark said. “If you do, the default answer will be no.”

    2. Start with a modest ask.

Asking someone to an hour lunch is a big ask right out of the gate. Instead, Clark suggests starting small and moving from there.

Maybe it’s literally just asking them to answer one question in an email. Or, to do a 10-minute phone call to talk through a very specific ask. The tighter the ask to start off with, the better.

“Make your ask small and stick to it,” Clark said. “That will get your foot in the door, so you're able to establish a deeper relationship later on.”

    3. Use warm connections whenever possible.

It’s hard to meet someone cold, as in someone you have no connection with. Often, those asks will default as another from the masses, and will be ignored.

So, if you can, leverage some connection you have with the person. Best case – they are connected to someone you know on LinkedIn and that person can introduce you. If you don’t have that, maybe they went to the same college as you or grew up in the same area as you or root for the same sports team as you.

By focusing on what you have in common with the person, you’ll make a better first impression and have a much better chance of landing the meeting. And, suddenly, you'll form a relationship you never thought would exist.

Want to learn more? Watch Dorie Clark’s full course, Personal Effectiveness Tips.

Videos within the course include:

• When and how to find a mentor (2 minutes 12 seconds)
• How to use social media more efficiently (3 minutes)
• How to develop more creative ideas (2 minutes 43 seconds)
• A checklist for more effective presentations (3 minutes 48 seconds)
• Reduce the time you spend in meetings (2 minutes 40 seconds)