How to Get Your Foot in the Door
One of the most frequent sources of frustration that we here at CollegeRecruiter.com hear from students searching for internships and recent graduates hunting for entry-level jobs is that they can't get their foot in the door of organizations for whom they want to work. The candidates are told over and over again to network with people in the organizations but if they don't know anyone within those organizations then how can they network with someone there?
Keith Luscher, author of Prospect & Flourish and publisher of Prospecting Weekly, has the answer: if you can't get your foot in the door then use a wedge. The approach of wedging your foot in the door is a step-by-step approach that should be used only with a limited number of highly targeted prospects at any given time. It can be used to get interviews or other appointments with key decision-makers in organizations of all types and sizes.
But what is the wedge? It is a metaphor that Keith uses for creating influence through value. You need to identify the value that you bring to the people and organizations you're targeting. You need to prioritize those people and organizations so that you first contact those for whom you provide the highest value as they're the ones most likely to say yes to your requests. Send a letter to the targeted people that in the first paragraph greets them, identifies others in the organization who you also are contacting, and dangles a carrot in front of them. In the second paragraph, identify an issue that is painful to them and then tell them briefly that you can eliminate that pain and back it up with compelling testimonials. Deliver your letter, by hand if possible, in a package that stands out and then follow-up with a phone call a few business days later and then once or twice a week after that.
Want to know more details? Read Keith's excellent, detailed explanation of how to drive a wedge at Prospecting Weekly.
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