How to Get a Meeting With Anyone, Even the Big Dog

Understanding motivations and using high-focus language can get you the meetings you really want.

All right guys, one of the things we often struggle with is gaining access to the people we want to talk to. Now whether that’s someone in a new company, or someone higher up in a company we’re already working with, one of the things people often want to do is work higher.

In most cases, that’s going to be beneficial. Not always, but most cases. How do you get higher?

Now, there’s the usual ways:

• We can have someone introduce us
• We can work through our contacts on LinkedIn or otherwise and have a friend introduce us to them
• We could arrange to be at the same event that they’re at
• We can have someone higher up in our organization reach out to them

There’s a number of ways to reach out and gain access. Let me tell you one thing that can enhance everything you do. Even if it’s just sending an email, this one thing will enhance everything you do. Instead of thinking so heavily about “What can I do to get that meeting,” start asking this question:

For what reason would they want to meet with you?

Literally, raise your focus right here: for what reason would they want to meet with you?

Now: eight motives, ok?

1 – If they’ve got some “Negative Now” going on that they’d like to resolve, they’d want to talk to you if they thought you could help them. Now notice: if they thought they could get help from you. So they’ve got to be thinking about them, you gotta put yourself in their shoes. So “Negative Now,” there’s an option.

2 – “Positive Future.” If they’re looking to achieve some goal, like growth, or some innovation, or some advance. Think: what would they want, what would they have to hear that would make them want to talk to you?

3 – If it’s “Positive Now.” If “Positive Now,” the things they want to preserve, utilize, protect.

4 – If it’s “Negative Future,” things that they want to avoid, things that they want to mitigate, or change altogether.

So Sales Star number one, you’ve got four options there for motive.

Sales Star number two: what would they be looking to do to better serve their customers, their own boss, their own internal teams?

5 – So think about the “Internal Customer.” what would they be looking for?

6 – How about the “External Customer?” What are they looking to do to benefit the people that pay their bills? Think.

7 and 8 – What about “Competition, Internally / Externally?” What are they doing to compete?

If you walk through those eight lines you can come up with all kinds of ideas that should be appealing to them.

OK, once you’ve identified options within here, here’s an idea to enhance every one of them: there’s outcomes in every single one.

Outcomes. Some outcomes are just to protect what they’ve got, like “Positive Now.” Others are to make change. Either way, it’s outcome, outcome, outcome.

And when you think about outcomes, there are two forces that bring these things about. One: “Driving Forces.” And then “Restraining Forces” that hold you back.

If you are perceived as a catalyst to enhance the driving force, you make things happen, they’ll want to talk to you. If you are perceived as someone who can remove restraining forces, again, if you’re perceived this way, they’ll want to talk to you.

Driving forces, restraining forces, for the outcomes in these eight lines. So think this way, and then you send the email, then you make the presentation, then you make the connection.

The reason you want to talk with them is really the reason that they want to talk to you.

“Because I understand in your industry, many are facing the following challenges … and, companies turn to us, because this is one space we specialize in. I’m wondering if it makes sense for us to spend a few minutes.“

If it’s some driving for some positive:

“I understand that in your space, many people are seeking to achieve the following goals … and many have hired us for that very reason. And because of so many requests, we’ve specialized in this particular area. I wonder if it makes sense for us to explore so you can see some of the alternatives and options available that others have successfully deployed in this space.“

Now, of course, you’re going to adapt these words to you. You’re going to adapt these words to connect in your industry, your space. Polish them, work on them, but think like the buyer: for what reason would they want to talk to you? That’s the key to getting in to see the Big Dog.

OK? Think like they think so that they want to reach out to you. When they recognize these opportunities, they’ll eagerly accept that invitation, and you’ll get a chance to talk to them. Now once you get there, it’s a whole nother game you gotta prepare for it. So, this is to get that initial meeting.

Practice, practice, practice, think, think, think, high-focus, high-focus, high-focus. Joe Thomas, Santa-Fe New Mexico today, and we’ll see you on the next video.