The Key to Getting What You Want – No More Minions

Have you ever tried and tried to get something done, asked for help and gotten nowhere?  That’s where I found myself earlier this year.  One of my goals was to get my own blog on the Huffington Post.   If you’ve never read it, they publish all the news that’s fit to print.

I did what I thought I was supposed to do to get my blog.  I uploaded articles to their standard online query.  (that felt like it went straight into file 13).  I asked my peers if they knew anyone over there.  And sent e-mails to 3 people who were supposed to be able to help.   But it was all for not.  Nobody got back to me.  And I was stuck.

Then I got mad.  What on earth is wrong with these people?  And why wouldn’t they want to hear from me?  I’ve got great stuff to say.

So I got scrappy.  I wanted to quit hearing no from the minions and go straight to the top.  I needed to contact Arianna Huffington directly.  But how?

I googled her e-mail address.   But could this be her real address?  Or is it just a dumping ground for e-mails like mine?  I had to test it out.  So I wrote a short e-mail just asking for my own blog and attached a sample article.  And I didn’t really expect a response.

Much to my surprise, 6 days later I got a response and an invitation to be an official Huffington Post blogger.  YEAH!  It sounded too good to be true but it wasn’t.  Could success really be this easy?  Yes.  Yes it can.

Of course a warm intro is preferred when wanting to reach anyone you want to do business with.  But if it’s not working, why not go straight to the top?  What have you got to lose?  Only the potential for success.

Of course, be classy and brief with your offer or idea in an e-mail or voicemail.  And don’t be a pest with multiple messages. You may hear no or get no response.  But if you do it right, you may just find yourself in business with exactly who you wanted to be in business with.  Here’s the catch:  If you don’t ask, you certainly won’t.

So go ahead, make a gutsy list of the people you want to know.  Then reach out.  The only risk you take is that if you don’t do it, everything will stay the same.