If you haven't heard it yet, email is the most effective way to get in touch with anyone who is busy or hard to reach.
Using email over the past year, I've been able to meet a number of my heroes in the blogging world, interview startup founders about their products, and by reaching out and meeting the right people, has used email to land a job within two weeks of moving to New York.
You can do the same using the framework described below, but let's talk psychology first.
Why would a high value person want to help a random person who sent them a cold email?
In my experience, these people love giving advice to anyone who is genuinely interested in assuming that the listener will not only listen to what they have to say, but act on it.
When I go to these meetings, I ask direct questions about the things I'm struggling with, then put their advice into action and email the person a week or two later with the results of their advice.
By using this messaging framework, you will also be able to set yourself up as this type of person.
Here's how to write the perfect email:
1. Start with a familiar headline
Use "Hey" or "Hi" instead of Cher, then their first name. If you're too formal in an email, you'll come across as too robotic, and we try to connect with people here, not robotize them.
So unless you're emailing a doctor or a judge, use their first name in the intro.
2. Open with a specific compliment
When I was trying to meet people in the advertising industry to learn more about what it takes to get a job as a creative director, I would choose a specific advertising company (using the guide on AdAge, you can also use LinkedIn, TechCrunch, or any site that lists companies in an industry).
Then I Googled the company to find out what specific campaigns they had run, find the campaigns, form an opinion on one of them, and write that opinion in the first line of the email.
Having a specific compliment will make it obvious to the high-value person that the email was directly targeted at them, and not a random email explosion. This will make them much more likely to respond.
3. Ask what you want
Once you've given them a specific compliment, quickly introduce yourself, state how you found their information so you don't get noticed, and then ask whatever you want.
Normally I ask for a coffee meeting if I'm in the same city, or a phone call if they're somewhere far away.
Busy people want to be able to give a quick response. So help them say 'yes' or 'no' to your request, to make sure the message doesn't get stuck in their inbox.
Also, keep the first message under five sentences, because when busy people receive long emails, they hit “Mark as Unread” and never access them, or delete them immediately.
Here is an email that will allow you to meet someone in your dream industry for an interview. Feel free to modify and use this script:
–
Hi Jon,
I've seen your agency's ads for Vans on the subway, and I really like what you say – my favorite was X. My name is Alex Berman and I found your info on LinkedIn.
I'm really impressed with your career path and would love your 15 minute advice on the best path for a new grad to become a creative director.
Do you have time for coffee in town later this week? I can bypass your schedule completely.
Thank you,
Alex
Leave a comment and let me know:If you could contact one living person and ask them to respond, who would it be and why?
Photo credit :bpsusf
