Time is money, and that's why the schedule of successful people are usually packed to the brim. But there is a way to get them interested in slotting an appointment with you in their calendar.



This all has to do with reciprocation, and we don't mean paying someone for their time. A good example is shared by Silicon Valley entrepreneur Steve Blank, who gets a lot of requests from younger people who want his advice.

So what's his best tip for getting someone like him to give you the time of day? Basically, by offering to teach him something he doesn't know, yet:
If I'd had infinite time I'd take every one of these "can I have coffee” meetings. But I don’t. So I now prioritize meetings with a new filter: Who is offering me something in return.

No, not offering me money. Not for stock. But who is offering to teach me something I don’t know. The meeting requests that now jump to the top of my list are the few, very smart entrepreneurs who say, “I’d like to have coffee to bounce an idea off of you and in exchange I’ll tell you all about what we learned about xx.”
So why does that pitch work? That's because instead of it being just another one-way encounter with your business idol, at least both parties will be able to benefit from a little knowledge sharing.

Fast Co.
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