Aja Frost says, “If you think about it, asking a random professional for advice or help should never work.
After all, you want them to give up precious time in their day to share their hard-earned wisdom and experience with a stranger — and a salesperson, no less.

So, why do people ever say yes to coffee dates or phone calls with reps? It’s possible the person asking got lucky and stumbled upon someone who’s incredibly altruistic. But more often than not, they reached out in the right way.

Want to make your own chances of success with snagging time on an important person’s calendar way higher? Follow these four best practices.

1) Don’t ask to “pick their brain.”

I’ve seen people involuntarily cringe after getting requests to “pick their brain.” This phrase conjures up images of zombies, vultures, and other brain-devouring creatures — probably not the best effect when you’re asking for a favor. Plus, reps already have a reputation for being self-interested and sneaky”.

4 Secrets to Emailing Important, Powerful People and Actually Hearing Back

HubSpot

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