“It’s Impossible to Get Meetings.” Or Is It? (Part 2)

On Monday, we identified the challenge many are facing in the marketplace today. We also shared some possible solutions. For context, you may wish to review that tip first, and you can do that here .

Erica Farber and I play this little game with each other, exchanging prospecting emails we’ve received. As you can imagine, the “worst prospecting emails” folder is packed with examples. Today, I got one that, on its surface, felt a bit “stalker-ish,” but it was so well-researched I sent it to Erica and asked, “maybe the best one yet?”

Hey Jeff,

Saw you were at CES in January and your brain was "buzzing" after a full day of new tech and bold promises. That intersection of emerging technology and traditional radio is fascinating, especially when you're trying to bridge both worlds.

The real reason for my outreach, however, is about a challenge I suspect you're facing. You're running Leadership MasterClasses in Alabama, speaking at Media Sales Academy in D.C., visiting UGA for the GAB Career Academy, teaching at Bloomsburg for NRTS - but you can only reach maybe 30 people at a time in person. Meanwhile, there are thousands of radio stations across the country whose sales teams are competing for advertiser budgets against digital platforms that have sophisticated automation.

What we've built is an AI that spends 20 minutes researching each prospect - reading their complete LinkedIn history, posts, and engagement - then sends emails so personalized they get genuine responses.

EDITED FOR BREVITY AND PRIVACY…

If you're up for a conversation about this, I'd be glad to find time whenever works on your end.

Cheers,
Henri

P.S. Your #TBMBTH philosophy is exactly what this is about - thinking big about how radio stations can make big things happen without massive sales teams.

That got my attention. What’s interesting is that his AI system he’s talking about clearly works, or he would have never known any of that about me. That’s curiosity building. 

Here’s what hasn’t changed:

• Businesses still need growth.
• Leaders still want better results.
• Problems still cost money.

What’s changed is that attention must be earned with precision. If you’re struggling to get meetings, ask yourself:

• Are you leading with your product — or their problem?
• Are you asking for time — or offering insight?
• Are you sending volume — or relevance?

It’s not impossible.

Another challenge we face is we “give up” too soon. I’m frequently asked, “how long do I keep trying before assuming they aren’t interested and just move on?” It’s not an easy answer, but one that we can answer with research:

• It takes multiple attempts to secure an initial meeting: According to RAIN Group research shared publicly on LinkedIn, it takes about eight attempts on average to secure an initial meeting with a prospect — which helps explain why many sellers don’t see meetings right away if they stop after only a couple of attempts. 

• Buyers do accept meetings from proactive sellers: According to another RAIN Group study summarized by Outreach.io, 82% of buyers will accept meetings when sellers reach out proactively — dispelling the myth that buyers no longer want to talk to sellers at all. 

If research shows it can take 8–12 attempts to generate engagement in complex sales, why do so many sellers quit after two?

Two.

I believe it’s mindset and expectations. If you’ve decided it’s “impossible,” you’ll subconsciously reduce effort. Your tone changes. Your energy drops. Your persistence fades.

Prospects feel that.

Sellers who adjust — who research better, message smarter, personalize deeply and persist respectfully — are still filling calendars.

Not because prospects are easier. But because they’re sharper.

Think Big, Make Big Things Happen!

Jeff Schmidt is the SVP of Professional Development. You can reach him at Jeff.Schmidt@RAB.com . You can also connect with him on X , YouTube, and LinkedIn .