STEP 4

USE A MUTUAL CONNECTION

Compare two situations: (1) I contact you out of the blue; (2) I contact you and tell you that I know your friend (or your uncle or your boss or your sister or your customer or your former teammate or anyone else you know). In the second situation, I carry a lot more weight with you. Why? Because how you treat me may have implications for other relationships which matter to you; for the simple reason that there is a person out there in the world whom we both know and who matters to you.

First rule of mutual connections: Make sure there is a positive relationship between the decision-maker you are trying to reach and your mutual connection. Imagine this: I contact you and tell you that I know your old teacher (the ...

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