Crystal's Notes 18 Oct

Someone asked me this on my weekly AMA: “I’ll be at head office. Should I reach out to the CEO for a quick meet and greet?”

My answer? Yes, of course! Nothing ventured, nothing gained!

The thing is though, you can't just ask for a meeting. You need to bring value. Update them or bring them some unique insights from the ground.

My tip: Synthesize your thoughts into 3 bullet points that you feel would be most interesting and valuable to them, and email them a pitch to meet. 

Here's an example of how that email could look:

“Hi X,

I happen to be in town next week and wanted to request a short 1:1 to share some insights from the ground that might be useful as we shape our next phase of strategy. I've been noticing a few emerging patterns in [team/client/market behaviour], and I think they could have interesting implications for [initiative or goal].

It would be great to share 3 key observations and hear your thoughts on how we can build on them.

Thanks for considering, and I'm happy to fit your schedule!”

Even if they don't say yes (because they are too busy or unavailable), you've already gained significant VISIBILITY points just by making the attempt:

• You've demonstrated proactiveness and leadership by thinking strategically and taking initiative.

• You've given them food for thought and they might remember your name and your insights for a future theme or project.

• They may feel bad about rejecting you and make it up to you in another way down the line.

• Perhaps they will ask you for an email update instead, which is still a win for visibility!

If you want to learn how to work on career visibility, join my video course Deep Human Visibility, a step-by-step guide to becoming visible and influential in 30 days, or my Deep Human Influence training, where we work to help you command the room, project executive presence, negotiate high-stakes scenarios, and transform communication into your most powerful tool for influence and measurable results.

Much love,

Crystal