How to get a meeting with anyone

The 3 tactics I use to get responses from even the busiest people.

Jun 12, 2025

I was sitting at my cubicle on a regular Wednesday, back in 2018 when I was working in corporate.

There was nothing spectacular about the day - had back-to-back meetings, and a packed inbox, when Caroline, our department’s brilliant EA popped her head over:

“Leanne, are you busy at 12?”

I glanced at my calendar.

Technically? No

But honestly? I just wanted some breathing space.

So I replied with my usual, cautious buffer (I imagine you do the same thing…)

"It depends…Why?"

She smiled. "Our exec can't make it to lunch with Cameron Smith. Want to go instead?"

Cue record scratch.

Wait… THE Cameron Smith?

The Cameron Smith who’s played over 430 NRL games, won three premierships, captained both Queensland and Australia, and has a statue in his honour (for those playing overseas, he’s basically the Aussie Tom Brady…minus the cosmetic surgery).

Yeah, I cleared my calendar real quick.

Funny, right?

Five seconds earlier, I was “too busy” for lunch. One name-drop later? I was sprinting out the door, phone in hand, summoning an Uber.

Me trying to act casual while having lunch with a rugby league legend and failing at covert photography

Be someone worth clearing the calendar for

Now, I can already hear you saying - “But Leanne, we can’t all be Cameron Smith” (of course not, he’s the GOAT).

The good news is, you don’t need to be.

I’m not claiming to be the world’s expert on this, but lately, a lot of clients have been asking how to get more time with the right people.

And after years of trying to get responses from very busy humans, I’ve noticed a few things that consistently work.

That Cameron Smith moment changed how I think about attention. We all have full calendars. But we make time for what feels worth it.

And that starts with you believing you're worth it, too.

This is what Work Fame is really about - becoming the kind of person people make time for. Not because you're loud, or pushy, or famous. But because you show up in a way that feels valuable and energising.

As Jim Rohn said:

“When you knock on the door and an opportunity opens, you must stand there as a very attractive person, or you may not be invited in.”

Why "I'm too busy" is a scam

Let's talk about Wordle. When it exploded in early 2022, it exposed the entire lie of "being busy."

The same people who couldn't find 15 minutes for your quick chat were posting their daily results at 8am.

That's when I understood: "No time" is just code for "not compelling enough."

So… How do you become compelling?
How do you become someone worth catching up with?

Let’s start by remembering this: Most people have a lot going on. Expect the default answer to be a no, or no reply at all. It’s not personal.

Now, let’s figure out how to tip the odds in your favour.

Firstly: nobody wants a vague invite to “grab coffee” or “have a quick chat.”

Your message is being filtered through an invisible checklist…

Is this important or does it help my main goals?
Do I know and trust this person?
Will this help me or just add to my workload?
Does this sound interesting?

If your message doesn't answer "yes" to at least one of these, it gets ignored.

Also, if you want to ramp up your chances, think about what’s in it for them.

It could be:

An interesting idea that changes how they think
A solution that saves them time or effort
A surprising concept they'll keep thinking about
To feel smarter, more energised, or yes, entertained after talking to you,

3 tactics to make people want to say yes

I think we all know we can’t ultimately make someone say yes. But I do believe you can increase the chances by doing the following three things.

1. Get ridiculously specific

I get a lot of cold messages. But I also get warm ones from people who discover my book or podcast and reach out for a chat.

Unfortunately, I can't accommodate all these requests, but I usually redirect them to a podcast episode or article that might help.

But this LinkedIn message? It stood out, so I said YES:

“'Hello Leanne, I landed on one of your videos about how you organise your facilitation material for workshops. I loved your idea of doing a ‘VideoAsk’ before workshops to find out which activities might be best suited for the group. I recently ran a workshop and I really wish I had done that.

This led me to watch a few other of your videos. Being an F1 fan myself, I like how you compared it to efficiency and moving from point A to point B quickly. Personally, I am Team Daniel!

I am considering a career change in workshop facilitation. I find it admirable (and really cool!) that you made a successful career out of it - it must be really rewarding to be able to help so many organisations to be more effective and collaborative.

I would love to learn more about your own career path. I appreciate that you might be very busy but I was hoping you would be free for a 15 min Zoom call in the next couple of weeks?”

Here's why this outreach worked so well on me:

She’d watched my content
She referenced specific ideas and added her point of view
She made it personal (ego driver)
She respected my time

But Leanne! you say… I don’t have time to research everyone!

5 minutes = 500% better than zero minutes.

You can glance at their last social or LinkedIn posts, peek at their company's news, look for shared connections, or find something specific to appreciate (btw, this is also a good idea to do as an MC if you’re introducing someone to a panel/stage).

Pro move: Offer a 20/20 call

This is a mutually beneficial 40min catch-up where you suggest, “I’ll ask you about X for 20 mins, and in return, I’ll share how I solved Y/ you can ask me anything about dot dot dot...”.

And probably the most pro move? Just host a podcast… and you’re more likely to get a YES.

2. Don’t be beige in their inbox

Polite intros are forgettable. Bold openings get attention.

Instead of: "I hope this email finds you well..."

Send this: "I've got a crazy idea. Takes 2 minutes to explain. It's either brilliant or completely ridiculous. Want to hear it?"

Use bold metaphors. Weird analogies. Even relevant memes. Anything that disrupts the monotony of boring business-speak they're programmed to ignore. Anything fresh!

3. Make saying yes stupidly easy

If you want a yes, remove all the friction by doing things like:

Offering 3 specific time options instead of "when works for you?"
Pre-drafting the calendar invite, giving time-zones and offering to meet in their time-zone
Suggesting a more fun format, ie. Walk and Talk
Writing the forwardable introduction email if you want a referral/connection
Providing an easy exit: "Totally understand if this isn't the right time"

Pro move: Want to make it even frictionless? Don’t even ask for time!

I'd been trying to connect with a maintenance manager, for weeks. Emails got crickets and there was actually zero time in his calendar. Then I sent a 20-second voice note. He responded within an hour. By the time we met in person, we were basically besties.

The final check before you hit Send

Before you send your next message, ask yourself some questions:

Would I actually be genuinely curious about this if I received it?
Have I shown I know something about this person?
Am I offering value, not just requesting it?
Is there a specific reason they should respond right now?

Good luck!

And btw, Cameron Smith if you’re reading this - thanks for the photo, and sorry for being weird at lunch.

If you’re into behind-the-scenes thinking, life experiments, and real-time rants, tune into Leanne on Demand Daily wherever you get your podcasts.

🌴

Leanne “selectively spontaneous” Hughes

p.s. Here’s something worth making time for: TODAY (Friday 13 June 7am Brisbane time, or Thursday 12 June 5pm ET), Alan Weiss and I are live-streaming on a very obnoxious topic: How to get paid to be yourself.

p. p.s. If you enjoy reading this post, click the heart ❤️ button on this post so more people can discover it 🙏

p.p.p.s. Who would YOU drop everything for to meet for lunch? Let me know in the comments!