3-4 sentences, clear ask, clear value add. No fluff.
Tim Ferris elite cold outreach template from “The Third Door”:
Dear So-and-So,
I know you're really busy and that you get a lot of emails, so this will only take sixty seconds to read.
[Here is where you say who you are: add one or two lines that establish your credibility.]
[Here is where you ask your very specific question.]
I totally understand if you're too busy to respond, but even a one- or two-line reply would really make my day.
All the best,Tim
Hack: Send a pitch deck to pitch yourself (use gamma.ai): Why you’d wanna meet
Hack: “Sent from my iPhone" to emails can boost your response rate by 15%
Hack for sales: Having your team use the CEOs name and email to reach out to customers instead of
Hack: Incude GIFs for follow-ups:
Remember: No one wants to listen to voice messages
Sales: “No upfront payment” is great
Tell a funny story they can relate to
Hack: Don’t do it cold, do it warm
Some people find attachments sketchy. If sending links, use common sources; e. g. DocSend
How to land in the “mental spam” folder: “I hope you’re well”
Find some piece of information on them no one else knows (early day podcasts are great examples)
Follow up at least 3 times. Give them about a week to respond. If they don’t respond, it’s rarely personal
Be specific: Don’t ask to “pick their brain” unless it’s a scientific conversation
Hack for scientists (credit to Daniel I.): 1. Research their space deeply, 2. send an elaborate email about why you care about what they do, offer to buy them lunch at their fave restaurant any day in the next 8 weeks.