Bringing your sustainability idea in the world is going to take a lot of nerve. You’re going to have to persevere, make some mistakes, fail a few times, learn how not to do things, and then start seeing what works, building case studies, winning customers, and growing faster than you can believe.
Through all of that growth and ups and downs, it’s almost a certainty that you’re going to be getting very familiar with your email inbox. You’re going to be dealing with people who might intimidate you, who might not reply, and who don’t value your time.
You’re going to have to learn to show them you've got something they need.
5 Tips for Becoming an Email Legend
- Keep it concise. No waffling, no filler. Instead, define exactly what you want to talk to them about, exactly how long for, and even a day and time for the call. Here’s an example of a brief but powerful email: ‘Hi David, I’d like to discuss [specific thing] with you for 10 minutes on Wednesday the 8th June between 1pm and 3pm. Are you available?’.
- First impressions are sacred. When you finally get in front of the person you’ve been trying to, remember to make yourself positively memorable. Do this well and you’ll get your desired responsive. Avoid clutter, fluff, and ambiguous statements. Speak in their professional language, use relevant data and information, and hit the right chords. Never make yourself an unwelcome guest in someone else’s inbox.
- Do your research and let it be known that you’ve done your research. If Google could answer your question, don’t expect a response. If they’re not the right person to ask, don’t expect a response. Instead, do your research, ensure they’re the right person, namedrop if you need to, and reference the fact that you’ve sought them out. For example, ‘Hi David, after speaking with one of your colleagues, I’m sure you’re the person I need to book a quick meeting to discuss [XYZ].
- Name-dropping isn’t a bad thing. If you’re trying to get a response from a particular individual who is notoriously hard to get a response from, try name-dropping one of their superiors. This tactic might backfire if you don’t have the right authority to do so. If they are the most superior person, talk about how much you respect their time, and provide multiple options for the meeting or call you’re trying to organise with them.
- Add value, be persistent. Some people click delete before they even open an email. If it doesn’t contribute to their day-to-day operations, they will shut you down. You are actively competing for their time and attention, so make sure your email is interesting enough of an opportunity, and clear enough in its contents, to attract them and get a response.
Some of these tips you can start using tomorrow. Which was your favourite? Which one is going to play on your mind? Let us know how you get on!
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