4 Easy Ways to Get Access to Anyone, Even Warren Buffett

Most people in business dream about getting a call from Warren Buffett.

It happened to an associate at my friend's investment firm, Third Avenue Management. A decade ago, this associate was concerned about a proposed deal made by a company that the firm was invested in. He asked a series of pointed questions on a conference call with the management team. Other analysts and investors were on the call. Unbeknownst to everyone, so was Buffett.

After the call ended, Buffett rang up the associate and left a voicemail. At first, he thought it was a prank call. He later verified that it was indeed the billionaire founder of Berkshire Hathaway who had called to commend him for his careful work on the deal. Lesson learned: You never know who's watching (or listening).

I wasn't so lucky. I had to spend years trying to get Buffett to speak to me. That was the mandate when I first joined Bloomberg Television—nab the network's first interview with the world-famous businessman. In my quest to do so, I learned a few things about what it takes to get anyone—even the world's third-richest person—to speak to you.

1. Have a credible background.

Let's just call a spade a spade. I was able to call Buffett's office because I already had the backing of a global media organization. I was legit. The same for you when you cold-call someone's office: be prepared to explain your status. Are you with a large firm? Are you a new grad? Do you own your own business? Use every institution at your disposal to underscore why you're important and why anyone should spend a minute talking with you.

2. Don't expect calls returned.

Many people feel dejected if they don't hear from someone after several attempts. I've faced this many times myself—for the first year, Buffett would either decline my requests or not answer at all. People call back only if they want something, too; and if you aren't providing that for them, then they most likely won't answer. It's OK. Just remember that, more times than not, they've seen your requests—they just don't have any reason to reply. Your mission is to keep at it until they do. You don't want to make yourself a pest, but look at this way: If they really don't want to talk with you, then at some point, they'll make that known.

3. Be a net giver.

One of the things that helped in my mission to land an interview with Warren Buffet was sending him articles that could inform his everyday life. I knew that he was a voracious reader and consumer of information. So anytime I saw something that might strike his fancy—be it a piece about his favorite sports team or a report on the Chinese economy—I sent it along. Whenever the network did a piece on him, I sent him that, too. When his assistant would call or email asking me for more information, I knew that I was starting to get somewhere.

4. Watch/consume as much information on the person as you can.

Do your homework. Read up on the person you want to pitch to and stay on top of his or her comings and goings in the press. It's amazing to me how many people approach what might be their most important meeting ever without any preparation. They just wing it—and it shows. I made sure to set my Bloomberg terminal to notify me of any news alerts associated with Buffett and his companies. These regular updates helped me understand Buffet's world better; that understanding helped me tailor my approach. And that tailored approach made for a much better conversation when we finally did meet.

After years of pursuing, Buffett finally agreed to an interview. I knew it would happen after he sent me a note by mail that he appreciated one of the stories I had sent him. Here is one of our interviews from Sun Valley. We've done half a dozen or more interviews over the years—at his Berkshire Hathaway annual meeting, in his office in Omaha, and here in our New York studios. In so doing, I've sowed the seeds of a fruitful relationship with Buffet, his CEOs, and even his children!

Six degrees of separation may seem like an impossible gulf between you and your professional idol. But with these tips in your toolbox, your phone will be ringing before you know it.

Of course, once you do land that coveted meeting, you have a whole new set of problems to contend with. How do you ensure that the meeting goes smoothly? How do you avoid wasting your contact's precious time? Find answers to these questions and more in the Radiate video below.

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