How do I get to talk to Mr. or Ms. Big?

For some people, picking up the phone and calling a senior-level
executive whom they don't know and have never met is about the most intimidating
idea imaginable. We (often falsely) believe that this busy, important person
won't want to talk to us.

The truth is that no one gets ahead in this world without the assistance of
others, and in order to get help you have to ask someone who is in a position
to give it to you. Busy executives are just like everyone else: they have problems
to be solved, things to get done, and their own careers to push forward. They
are always on the hunt for other people that can help them accomplish those
tasks. The trick is to approach them in a way that is non-aggressive and ask
for something that they can say yes to. Ask them for help. Ask them for advice.
DO NOT just ask them for a job!! Let them know you are looking for a job and
that you don't expect them to have or know of an opening, but that you are
working on a career change and would like their advice since they are so clearly
successful in their respective industry.

• Research companies and collect contact information
  First, make a list of all the companies where you would like to work and pick ten companies from your list. For your first few attempts, you might want
  to consider practicing with companies that are a bit lower on your priority
  list. That way, if you make a mistake, it won't hurt your chances of getting
  a job. Check your contact lists to see if you know someone who works or has
  worked there (remember the importance of networking).
  
  
  If you do not know anyone who works for at a particular company, then the receptionist is your best friend. Call the main number and
  in your friendliest, most charming voice let them know that you need some
  information. Tell them that you want to send a letter to the person in charge
  of XYZ department and you need the correct spelling of their name, as well
  as advice on how to address the letter. Try to get the person's title,
  direct phone number, and even their assistant's name and contact information.
  
  
  
  Do not have the receptionist transfer
  you to Mr. or Mrs. Big. When you finish getting all the information from the
  receptionist, thank him or her and move on to the next company on your list.
  Do this for the first ten companies that you plan to contact.
  
  
• Make your initial contact in writing
  Once you have assembled all your contact information, create a letter that you will personalize for each recipient. In your letter you should indicate
  that you are in the process of a career change, that you would appreciate
  a few minutes to get their advice on your career change and, most importantly,
  that you do not expect them to have or know of any open positions. You just
  want their advice. Tell them a little about yourself and then include a resume
  for their reference. Finally, let them know that you will be calling in a
  few days to schedule an appointment at a mutually agreeable time.
  
  Some people ask if they can do this process using e-mail. The answer is that
  you can, as long as you are able to get the person's e-mail address from
  the receptionist or another reliable source. Unfortunately, e-mail spammers
  have made use of this convenient access tool a mess. One other point is that
  letters, while slower, are more formal. Our philosophy is that job seekers
  need always put their most formal, professional face toward those whom the
  job seeker is trying to impress. Which brings us to another point about using
  letters: make sure you use good quality bond paper. Print your letters so
  that the watermark is readable when you hold the paper up to the light. Attention
  to detail is critical, and to many prospective employers, it can be an excuse
  to file your resume right into the trash. Don't give them any excuses.
  
  
  
• After a few days, call to follow up
  The next step is to wait a few days after you have mailed your letters to the contacts. After two or three days, pick up the phone and start calling.
  Keep in mind that the objective of this phone call is to get an appointment,
  preferably in person (if they are in the same city as you are), but if that
  doesn't work than a phone conversation is fine too. Call the main number
  for the company and ask to speak to Mr. or Mrs. Big. If you get transferred
  directly to his or her extension and he or she answers, introduce yourself,
  state that you sent a letter a few days ago and you are following up your
  letter with a phone call and ask to make an appointment to speak with them.
  
  
  
  If they haven't received your letter or they ask what your letter was in reference to, just go right into your
  speech about how you are in the process of a career change and you are seeking
  their advice as a leader in their particular field. Many times they may say that they can't talk now but would be
  happy to talk to you at some point in the future. Go ahead and schedule
  the appointment. Others may say that they have time right now to talk for
  just a few minutes, that's fine too. Be prepared for any scenario. Other
  people, those who are not leaders, will try to give you all the typical
  excuses like we are not hiring now or offer to forward your resume on to
  HR. These people don't have a clue what networking is, or what you are
  actually doing. Your option in this case is to try to explain it to them
  by repeating that you don't expect them to set you up with a job, all
  you really want is some advice. If at this point in your conversation they
  don't open up and start to talk, it's time to say thanks and move on.
  
  
  In making your calls, you may also get the contact's secretary or assistant.
  Make friends with the secretary and you should be able to get where you need
  to go. Let them know that you are calling as a follow-up to a letter you sent
  a few days ago and that Mr./ Ms. Big is expecting your call. Let them know
  that you're not selling anything, you represent yourself, and that you're
  just looking for advice. Be friendly and sincere. Secretaries can smell insincerity
  over the phone and will cut you off if they think there is the slightest hint
  of deception. It may take a few calls to get them to put you through, just
  be persistent. Again, in this case, they will either get it or they won't.
  Don't take it personally if they don't get it.
  
  One final point about making these calls, don't leave voice messages if
  no one answers. You don't want Mr. or Ms. Big to know how many times you've
  called in the past week. If the call goes to voice mail, just hang up and
  call back later. If you keep getting voice mail for an extended period of
  time, you might want to hit zero and ask if the individual is in. Perseverance
  can be an asset if used wisely.
  
  
  
  
• If the answer is no, move on and don't take it personally
  Whatever happens, do not take rejection personally. It is not about you. Most executives are busy people, and no matter how nice or professional your letter,
  it may not be their top priority. They have lots of things going on that you
  will not be aware of. All you can do is call, be patient and be nice. Eventually,
  this does work. Trust us.