By Brett Kaufman. 8 years using relationships to build sales pipelines, from political fundraising to a 7 figure business to running matchmaking for two communities. Over 1,000 introductions facilitated.

Before a business trip, search your contacts by city, metro and company location, then pick the three people there who can move a deal and text them one to two weeks out. Most people skip this and meet only who is on the calendar.

You are flying to Phoenix for one meeting. You will land, take the meeting, eat at the airport and fly home.

Say you know 17 people in Phoenix. An owner you met two years ago who said he would think about selling “once the numbers are cleaner.” A banker who left her old firm. A CPA whose clients are exactly your target. You will not see any of them, because you never thought to look.

That is the most wasted asset on a deal maker’s calendar. The trip is already paid for. The people are already in your phone.

Travel is the best excuse you have

“I will be in Phoenix on the 14th, coffee?” is one of the easiest messages to send and one of the easiest to say yes to. It needs no other reason. It is specific, it has an end date, and it tells them you are making time for them.

What I tell people: one coffee in person does more than a year of check in emails. When the owner is ready to sell, he calls the buyer he had coffee with, not the one who sent a newsletter.

Step 1: Find everyone you know there

Your contact list does not sort by city. You have to dig, using every clue:

• Addresses and company locations saved on the contact
• Their LinkedIn or bio, which usually says where they are based
• Your own notes, “moved to Scottsdale last spring”
• Phone area codes, only as a weak guess, since people keep their numbers when they move

Search the metro, not just the city. Phoenix means Scottsdale, Tempe and Mesa. Los Angeles means Orange County.

Step 2: Pick the three who can move a deal

You will not see 17 people. Pick three:

1. The owner who said “not yet.” Time has passed. Ask how things are going.
2. The intermediary you have gone quiet with. A broker, banker or CPA who has not heard from you in months. Recency beats reputation when they decide who gets the next call.
3. The connector. An investor or advisor who knows owners in your target sector and could make an introduction.

That third one is underrated. I run matchmaking for two communities, and a connector can only introduce you to someone if they know you are coming. Tell them early.

Step 3: Send the note 1 to 2 weeks ahead

Short and specific:

“Hey Mike, I will be in Phoenix on Thursday the 14th. Would love to grab coffee and hear how the business is doing. Morning work?”

For everyone on the list you will not see, a quick “I am in town this week, hope all is well” still counts as a touch and keeps you in front of them.

Ten minutes before every trip

FRONT OF MIND knows where your people live. Ask Liala “who lives in Phoenix” and you get everyone in the metro, with how it knows each person is there: your notes, their profile, their company. Tap a name to see what they do, when you last talked, and text them right from the list.

Every day there is a deal in your network you can push forward. On a trip, there are usually three within driving distance. Start free with your first 25 contacts and see who comes up first.

See how it works