One of the most common questions I get is, “How on earth did you connect with _______.”

You can fill-in-the-blank with almost any of my past guests on Build Your Network.

 

People regularly reach out frustrated because they can’t get traction when trying to book big names on their show.

Sure, they can book a few friends or business partners, but reaching upward can seem near impossible.

 

What you’re about to read is the exact strategy I’ve utilized to book guests like John Maxwell, Chris Voss, Jack Canfield, Grant Cardone, Tomi Lahren, Ed Mylett, and many more – with no prior connection or relationship.

Make a List of Your Dream Guests

This first point may seem fairly straightforward, but making a list of guests you want to get onto your show is critical.

 

Networking doesn’t happen by accident. If you want to be successful in this arena, you cannot leave it up to chance.

 

When I started my show, I went to the notes section on my iPhone and wrote down a dream 100 list. All the people that I wanted to talk to on my show. Even the “impossibles” like The Rock, Will Smith, and LeBron James.

 

When I first started, I had zero of those people on that list marked off, but now, I’ve crossed 50+ names off that list.

 

That list essentially helps you strengthen your commitment to getting the job done.

 

Some people even put a public link to their dream 50 or dream 100 guests in their email signature. That way when they’re emailing everybody, they can potentially connect them.

 

Have a Clear Ask

Kourtney Whitehead, a Senior Contributor to Forbes, reminds us, “While you may have more capacity to network, keep in mind that others may not have the same ability to engage.”

 

Don’t beat around the bush. Make an explicit request.

 

The cool thing about having a podcast is that it gives you a straightforward reason to reach out. 

 

The crazy part is, busy people are way more likely to say yes to a podcast interview than they are to say yes to a five-minute phone call. I know because I’ve tested it with extremely busy people that have many demands on their time.

They do not say yes to phone calls, but they will say yes to podcast interviews, so it’s been the perfect tool for reaching out to those people.

 

Remember, if your ask is not clear, your odds of getting a response drops significantly.

 

Establish Yourself as a Peer

Think of any famous person. Now, imagine their inbox on social media.

 

How many messages do you think they get from raving fans?

 

“OMG, I’m your biggest fan!”

“Huge fan of your work!”

“PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE respond it would make my day!!!!!!”

 

Now, how many of those fans do you think ever get to form some sort of more in-depth relationship with that particular celebrity? The answer is probably somewhere near the zero range.

 

Not because the person they reached out to is a total jerk, but because they tend to build relationships with those they perceive to be peers like all of us.

 

When you establish yourself as a simple “fan,” you are subconsciously telling the person you are reaching out to that you are inferior to them. That they are above you, and it’s doing you a favor if they connect back with you.

 

As hard as it may be – especially if you are, in fact, a huge fan – try to be professional, and confidently reach out without indicating that you are just another raving fan crowding their inbox.

 

 

 

Be Persistent

When reaching out to a potential guest, we can reach out with an email and then leave it on them without any follow-up.

 

Now, make sure you understand that there is a difference between being persistent and being annoying.

There are effective ways to pursue an ideal guest in a way that’s not frustrating for them. 

 

Set a goal of how many people you will reach out to each day.

Two weeks after reach out, go back and follow up with all the people that didn’t respond or that had asked you to reach out later, and so on.

 

The point is, you have to have a solid plan to execute.

 

 

Try utilizing Guest.io.

 

If you want the fast track to book high-level guests for your podcast, Youtube show, article, or event, you need to check out Guestio!

 

Guestio is my brand new booking software that allows you to connect, book, and schedule top guests like Manny Pacquiao, Steve Sims, and Jordan Harbinger without ever leaving the app.

Forget the annoying CRMs, calendar links, or getting caught in email hell, and take the better, faster path over on Guestio.com