Your advice on landing page optimization was so helpful; I’ve actually shared your tips with my whole team. Send them a direct message asking if they’re open to having a coffee chat. Asking casually and with confidence will almost guarantee you'll be conversing over lattes with that special lady in no time. If you're not ready to ask her on an official date, or if you want to get to know her better, just ask her out for coffee. Either way, Sean Blanda over at the 99u put together a great, concise sample that can serve as a model next time you need to ask someone for a meeting. Approach the woman you want to ask out in a confident manner. Keep in mind that if you want to directly message LinkedIn users that you’re not already connected with, you will need to be a LinkedIn Premium user or purchase InMail credits. It’s great to meet you.” That way, if they forget to message you, you’ll be sitting in their Inbox, happy and ready to chat. At the end of the day, cold emails are a numbers game. If you don’t have specific names yet, turn to social media for help. If you ask for a meeting during “low season” for recruiters (i.e. Make your invite clear and thoughtful. Note that this process could take a while. Step 1 . A connection on LinkedIn should lead to a working online relationship or a lunch or coffee meeting, not just more online interaction. Such a limited time commitment means less pressure on you both, and allows you to stick to that clear purpose. Reach out to appropriate people via Facebook groups, Instagram, Twitter, etc. Shutterstock In an ideal world, high-powered people would be dying to talk to you. There’s no such thing as being over-prepared – even with a “casual coffee” and thanks to the internet, you can find out a lot about someone with a few quick searches. I'll start with the disclosure that my LinkedIn gets hit up for these coffee chats on a regular basis (VP level at a BB) but I've never taken someone up on it. Demonstrate that you’ve done your research and make them interested in wanting to chat with you. Hey Josh, Sean Blanda here, managing editor of 99u.com. As an advice seeker, you do not want to rely on the advice giver to structure a call or coffee chat that you have scheduled. Read This Before You Ask Someone to Coffee Published on July 18, 2015 July 18, 2015 • 3,748 Likes • 412 Comments When you’re lucky, your role models will say yes, and you now have someone … Prepare for your coffee chat. The beauty of a coffee catch-up is that they’re only really expected to last as long as it takes to order and drink a coffee, so somewhere between 20 – 30 minutes. but I’m sure it’s someone’s birthday, somewhere right now so we should toast to that xYou don’t need a good excuse to ask … It’s harder for coffee chats to be set up from July to November, as it’s the heart of recruitment season. A LinkedIn message isn’t the place to pitch yourself as a candidate or to sell your products or services. While LinkedIn is full of amazing people who are often willing to share their insights and advice, their willingness to connect will depend on how you ask. When you find someone you admire on LinkedIn, don’t instinctively hit the “Connect” button or send a quick “ I’d love to connect with you ” message in a bid to start a conversation. a.) The purpose of an InMail is to introduce yourself and to try and get connected with someone who may be able to help you in your career or business. ... To find these people, use LinkedIn and your university’s alumni database. I noticed a recent job posting for a senior sales representative with your company and I'd like to chat with you about the opportunity, if possible. Coffee interviews may be a new experience for many people, but they are not so different from traditional ones – you even get the added bonus of a free tasty drink. The advice-seeking coffee or lunch is standard fare in most business communities. When someone reaches out to YOU and asks to connect, make sure you message them immediately after accepting their request with a message that says something like, “Thanks for connecting. Thank them and offer something of value (you can introduce them to someone in your network). January to June), you will have more success booking time. “Invite him to coffee.” “Ask her to grab a drink.” “See if they’d like to meet up to talk in person about their career paths.” The longer you’ve been in the working the world, the higher the odds that someone’s suggested you do this. If they're local, you can ask to meet up for coffee to put a face to a name or to reconnect or chat about work. Timing is key. How to warm up cold outreach. The more you send, the higher your odds of success. You may be surprised by how many people are open to the idea. Just remember: informal does NOT mean casual. It usually goes something like this: you email someone you admire and ask if you can chat. You annoy me b.) Invite the person for a cup of coffee if a workplace meeting isn't an option. Same friend as above asked the best question to close out our coffee chat - "who do you know that I should have coffee with next?" If not, send her an email and ask for one.