How to pay an executive for a short call, and pay only if they respond

To pay an executive for a short call and only pay if they respond, send them a paid invitation through a service that charges you when they book or answer, and nothing when they decline or stay silent. On Instant Expert you name the person (a LinkedIn URL, or a name and company), write a short note, choose a 15, 30, 45 or 60 minute call or a written answer, and set what they will receive. If they book or answer, you pay that amount plus our fee. If they don't, you pay $0.

That's the whole answer. The rest of this page is about making the invitation one a busy executive actually accepts.

How the pay-only-if-they-respond part works

Here is the sequence on Instant Expert:

1. You pick the person. Paste their LinkedIn URL or type their name and company. They don't need to have signed up for anything.
2. You set the offer. The offer is what the executive receives, from a $5 minimum. Our fee is added on top for you, so a $40 offer costs you $50 if they accept. Instant Expert also suggests an amount for each person, which you can change.
3. We send the invitation. We find their contact details and send your note with the offer. They have 7 days to book or answer, with up to two reminders.
4. You pay only on a yes. A call is charged when they book; a written or voice answer is charged when they send it. A decline, or no reply within 7 days, costs nothing.

The executive can also have their payment donated to a charity they choose instead of keeping it. Your charge is the same either way. That helps when someone's employer limits outside payments, or when they would rather the money go to a cause.

Why money gets a reply when a polite note doesn't

A cold "could I get 15 minutes?" asks a stranger to do you a favor with no clear end. The safe response is to ignore it. A paid invitation changes the math in two ways. It shows you're serious enough to spend money, and it puts a boundary on the request: one question, a fixed length, a fixed amount.

(It also answers "what's in it for me" before the executive has to ask.)

Money doesn't fix a vague request, though. An executive will still skip "I'd love to pick your brain" with $100 attached. Our guide to asking without "can I pick your brain" covers why.

Write the note so it can be accepted in ten seconds

Put four things in the note, in this order:

1. Who you are, in one line.
2. Why them specifically. Name the decision or role that makes their experience relevant.
3. The one question you want answered.
4. The format and length. "A 15-minute call" or "a short written answer".

Here is a made-up example. Priya is building inventory software for specialty grocers and wants to reach Dana, the COO of a 40-store chain.

"Hi Dana, I'm building inventory software for specialty grocers. You moved your stores to a new ordering system last year, and I'd like to ask one thing: what nearly made that rollout fail? A 15-minute call at a time that suits you."

The amount appears in the invitation itself, so the note doesn't need to repeat it. Keep the note about the conversation.

Pick an amount that respects a quarter hour of their day

There is no standard rate for an executive's time. Start with the amount Instant Expert suggests for the person, then adjust for how specific your ask is and how senior they are. A higher offer won't rescue a fuzzy question. Fix the question before you raise the amount. How to reach busy people discusses pricing by seniority in more detail.

Set a total spending cap if you're inviting several people. The cap is the most you'll pay across everyone who accepts, fee included.

Other ways to pay an executive, and where they fall short

Clarity and Intro are good options when the executive you want is listed there. On LinkedIn, Sales Navigator includes 50 InMail credits a month, and a credit comes back when someone responds within 90 days. But the message carries no payment for the executive, so it is still a favor request. Our comparison of paid invitations vs LinkedIn InMail goes further.

If the person you want isn't on a marketplace, a direct paid invitation is the one route that lets you choose them and pay only on a yes. Start by writing the one question you would ask them, then send the invitation.