Here’s the second set of tips for how to get more meetings with more Decision Makers (DMs)...
(Quick reminder – last week’s were:
- Contacts first; strangers last
- Get to verbal ASAP)
- When speaking to strangers, recommendations are best
After you’ve exhausted your contact sphere, it’s now time to approach strangers.
And the best, easiest way to do this is to ask a mutual contact to recommend you. After all, since the stranger trusts your mutual contact, it accelerates her trust in you.
Here’s a great script, to motivate people to refer you:
You: Please can I ask your advice?
Referrer: Yes
You: On LinkedIn/your organisation chart, I see you know Mrs X. I’d love to speak with her, to see whether I can help her to (benefit you’ll deliver for Mrs X). I don’t want to cold call her. So how would you advise I approach her?
Referrer: I’ll introduce you
I LOVE this script! It means you get the recommendation without saying the word ‘recommendation’!
- Change your diary
The only way to have the time – and to remember – to generate these meetings is if you schedule time in your diary.
For example, if you want to ask for more referrals, insert a weekly diary entry called “ask for referrals”.
Without this, you will forget and/or not have time to do it.
But with this, it guarantees you’ll do it. Unless of course, you press “delete reminder” – which leads to the final tip…
- Don’t press “delete reminder”
When your diary reminds you to prospect, do it.
Action Point
Set up new meetings with DMs using these techniques – after all, they’re easy, quick and nice! And once you’re in the meetings, here’s how to impress them.