Curious to understand the psychology at work here…

I’ve done hundreds of these kinds of emails and I think most of your advice is right on point. One point should be expanded and bit and one should come with a warning.

Expand – The Magic Word
There are several words that work very well depending on how well you know the target contact. One that is important if you have any relationship, even if distant the word “help” as in “I’d love your help” goes a long way. I’ve found the human need to be helpful to those they know to often be a more powerful motivator than the status/flattery implied in “advice”.

Warning – State Emphatically that You are Not Selling
This one, if not delivered in exactly the right tone does more harm than good. When reaching out to people I’ve just been introduced to I’ve found that leaving out that reference can often lead to response rates that are triple those I get when including that caveat. The only time this isn’t true is when you’re asking someone to look at/review a product directly. In that case it seems to improve response rates.

Just one guy’s experience. Thanks for writing this. Good stuff.

John Prendergast
CEO & Co-founder
Value Media, Inc.
@johnprendergast

The key is to really, truly, authentically, honestly, no bullshitly really only care about the relationship. It turns out that that’s what matters most in the long run, but it’s easy to get focused on your immediate goals. Getting a gig for this Saturday night is great, but having another friend in the business is better.