More Ideas for More Meetings3 min read
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The most important skill in attracting new clients?
Getting more meetings and conversations with your existing network of contacts.
Remember the 80/20 principle?
When it comes to attracting new clients as a self-employed professional, getting meetings is 80% of the equation.
Everything else is 20%.
Designing credible and valuable service offerings
Written materials about your business and services
Your website and LinkedIn profile
Social media and other promotional activities
Your selling and proposal process
Don’t get me wrong, all of these are vitally important.
But if you can’t get good meetings and conversations, everything else tends to come to a standstill.
It’s conversations that keep things moving forward and lead to new ideas, resources, and connections.
And those all ultimately lead to new clients.
Of course, we would all love to have the perfect client call us from a referral.
Or we’d like to have the ideal prospect ready to speak with us.
Sometimes, rarely, that happens.
I wrote about the whole process to get those meetings in my newsletter last week.
But today I’m going to go deeper with a simple email that will get you lots and lots of meetings.
The big key is getting meetings and conversations with those in your existing network.
Try an email something like this:
Hi, John, I was just thinking about you this morning.
I’m working on a new program and wanted to get your first take on an idea I’m exploring.
Do you have a few minutes this week to catch up?
Let me know!
Or you can use my calendar app: (link to app)
Cheers, Robert
I get a ton of meetings with simple emails like that. The response is close to 100%.
Why does it work? Let me lay it out for you.
1. “I was just thinking about you.”
It’s true, you must have been thinking of them before you wrote the email – if only for a minute or two! People like it when you’re thinking about them.
2. “I’m working on X and wanted to get your take on it.”
People like it even more if you value their opinion and insights. And people like to make a contribution.
3. “Do you have a few minutes this week to catch up?”
You want to make it quick and simple.
4. “Or you can use my calendar app.”
This makes things faster so you don’t have to go back and forth by email.
Will this email always get you meetings?
No, not always, but more than you think!
It works really well with people in your network who know, like and trust you.
Of course, you need to have something to talk about that is relevant and won’t waste their time.
In his article, 50 Coffees, Michael Ehling sums it up well:
“Start with 5 or 6 people you already know and whose opinions you trust. These people will help you find the next set of people to talk to. They, in turn, will help you find the next set of people, repeating until you get to 50 people.
“Don’t be too concerned about whether these 5 or 6 are the right people to start with. The people we know and trust are full of wisdom and know lots of people.
“Tell them what it’s about. When asking for the coffee by email say what you are up to: (looking for or starting a project or job, wanting to develop a new service, engaging a new market, changing your approach to your business, etc).”
About the worst thing that can happen with this approach is a few people won’t get back to you.
You can survive that!!
We are all so afraid of rejection or making a fool of ourselves.
But this approach to letting those in your network know what you are up to is both easy and fun.
You are not selling, you are not pitching, you’re just having a conversation that will help your network help you.
You’ve got this, right?
Cheers, Robert
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