Sam Parr | @thesamparr from Hubspot
Konichiwa. My identify is Sam. I run a media startup known as The Hustle, a weekly publication – think about Quick Firm meets Vice.
Annually, The Hustle hosts an occasion referred to as Hustle Con in San Francisco that’s devoted to non-technical startup founders. After I began Hustle Con, I didn’t know ANY super-successful founders. That, my good buddy, left me with a little bit drawback …
How can I join with highly-successful individuals with none mutual connections?
Utilizing just a little e mail outreach jiu-jitsu, I found out a manner. Since then, I’ve had e mail conversations with people like these:
How did I do it?
You see, everybody has a present. Some can paint, whereas others code. However me? I’m an introductory e-mail savant, an outreach alchemist, a salesman’s finest pal.
Over time, I’ve realized if somebody has an electronic mail handle (i.e. everybody on earth), then it’s potential to not solely join with them, however create a relationship. An actual relationship. All you want are two issues:
1. understanding of the AIDA formulation (i.e. persuasive writing strategies)
2. persistence
Each are important for catching the eye of world-class CEOs (or anybody else you need to contact who’s tremendous in style). Right here’s how I do it:
Step 1: Discover the particular person’s e mail handle.
To seek out somebody’s electronic mail tackle, my favourite device is Thrust.io. You simply plug of their full identify and firm identify and ABRACADABRA … it pulls up a number of e-mail addresses.
For instance, that is how I looked for the CEO of Pandora, Tim Westergren:
A number of seconds later, I acquired these outcomes:
Discover that a number of emails pop up. My subsequent step is plugging every electronic mail into Sidekick, so I see their info within the contact profile on the right-side of Gmail.
Once I typed in [email protected], I knew it labored as a result of it confirmed (1) an image and (2) the outline is “Founder.”
(Sure, Sidekick additionally works for Outlook and Apple Mail as properly.)
I am going to additionally use Mailtester.com to confirm e mail addresses as soon as I feel I do know them, similar to how I can confirm them with Sidekick.
Step 2: Ship a singular e mail following the AIDA system.
Bought their electronic mail? Cool. Now you’ve received to catch their consideration. That is the onerous half. Why? Due to this one form of vital purpose:
MOST PEOPLE GET HUNDREDS OF EMAILS EVERY SINGLE DAY
Coming from somebody they’ve by no means met earlier than … why would they take the time to reply me?
They received’t. They usually shouldn’t. Hell, I’m not even a giant deal, however in the event you shoot me a boring, out of the blue electronic mail proper now ([email protected]), I promise I received’t reply.
Except I catch their consideration. Right here’s the e-mail I despatched to the CEO of Pandora:
How are you going to not learn an electronic mail that features a gif like that?
I have been a large fan of Pandora for years and years, and have adopted you since Charlie Rose however I will make this electronic mail fast.
Are you free Friday, April 24th?
We would like to have you ever keynote Hustle Con, an annual convention right here in SF targeted on nontechnical cofounders.
Near 500 folks shall be there they usually’d love to listen to your story, however here is how you may profit:
1. Hiring – Our attendees are loopy pushed and thirsty for information … that is why they arrive. We’ll be comfortable to listing your open roles on our web site and ship to our massive e-mail listing
2. Publicity – Our weblog, The Hustle, has a loyal following. A weblog submit can be written about you and seen by tons of of hundreds of customers. Plus, tech reporters shall be on the occasion. Right here is a few publicity from final yr’s occasion: Entrepreneur Journal, Quick Firm, Buffer.
three. Enjoyable as hell – Earlier than the convention we host a dinner for previous and present audio system. Here’s a listing of who shall be invited … the dinner is a good way to fulfill different founders.
We might like to have you communicate and can do no matter we will to make it value your whereas.
And should you want anymore convincing, make certain to take a look at final yr’s spotlight reel.
So … what do ya say? What can I do to make this a win for you?
Sam, head honcho of Hustle Con
PS – I learn your Linkedin article about public talking this previous summer time and ended up practising a speech of mine about 100 objects in entrance of a mirror … complete sport changer.
For individuals who’ve by no means studied copywriting earlier than, particularly if you’re an entrepreneur, in gross sales, or depend on convincing individuals by e-mail … READ ABOUT IT.
Actually, studying this ability has carried out wonders for not solely my gross sales abilities, but in addition the best way I talk each verbally and on paper. Neville Medhora’s Kopywriting Kourse is a superb place to start out (or this post, which summarizes the concept).
In a nutshell, there’s a formulation that’s the spine of strong copywriting known as A.I.D.A.. It stands for Consideration, Curiosity, Need, Motion:
- Consideration: Once you say one thing bizarre or state a burning drawback somebody has to catch their consideration.
- Curiosity: If you drop an fascinating truth or say one thing compelling.
- Want: If you checklist the advantages, or finish outcomes, the individual needs to realize and expertise.
- Motion: The decision-to-action for the receiver, equivalent to shopping for a product or saying sure to a query.
Since studying this formulation, I write practically all of my preliminary emails following AIDA. Lemme break down that earlier instance for you:
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Make sense? There are tons of AIDA examples on the market, so I’d extremely encourage you to learn up extra on it.
Step three: Comply with up persistently and CLOSE.
Lastly, you might want to follow up over and time and again. That is the half that makes some of these introduction emails doable. Persistence is EVERYTHING when making an attempt to get seen by hard-to-reach individuals. Why?
As a result of they’re not going to reply you the primary time. I promise you, they received’t.
As soon as I accepted that, I ended taking it personally when somebody didn’t reply after the primary electronic mail. I’d observe up many, many, many instances with somebody. For instance, I needed to observe up for six months with the CEO of Imgur earlier than he lastly obtained again to me.
However when he did, he accepted my invitation to talk at Hustle Con:
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When following up with, Brian Lee, founding father of LegalZoom and Trustworthy (i.e. cofounders with Jessica Alba), he even provided me a freakin job:
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Persistence is all the things. Persistence is every part. Persistence is the whole lot.
It took me endlessly to understand this. I used to ignorantly suppose I used to be spamming folks by following up persistently. However in actuality, if I didn’t comply with up persistently, I by no means wouldn’t gotten ANY of those CEOs to talk at HustleCon.
When you take away one factor from this text, it’s that it’s a must to be ruthless about following up.
Observe-up should you’re in gross sales. Observe-up in you’re networking. Or follow-up if you happen to’re attempting to get a brand new job. There are even templates for every one:
- 16 follow-up templates for sales
- 12 follow-up templates for networking
- 10 follow-up templates for after an interview
I hate to repeat myself AGAIN, but it surely’s price repeating because it took me YEARS to determine this out — persistency is every part. Don’t be afraid to comply with up over and time and again. Should you do, I promise you will see outcomes.