I emailed 40 local organisations asking what their problems and frustrations are

[JAJT]

I may be in the minority on this but am I the only one who thinks it's super cringey to ask random folks who don't know you "Hey, what are problems you have that I can solve?"

I realize it's what all the books say, but I do really feel like they are trying to tell you the IDEA of what to do, not HOW to do it.

If you want to ask questions like this, IMHO, you need to do in an appropriate, natural way. No in a "fire and forget" email.

If you are at the barber, chatting pleasantly, and asked "hey, I know nothing about cutting hair - what's the hardest part of this job for you?" well then that sounds natural. Similarly you could say "that hair clipper looks hard to use - is there anything you wish it did better?" again - makes sense.

If, however, you emailed the barber and said "I am an entrepreneur, what are your problems and I'll try to start a business based on that", it would hit the trash bin immediately.

Asking about problems is great, but they should be highly targeted, specific questions that are asked in a way that is likely to get a good response. You need to have some kind of opportunity for rapport.

 

[Argue]

Hey @Fab89,

Here are some of my thoughts.

1. Your original email is lacking. Here's why:

Subject: How can I help your organization? (Vague Subject Line)

Note: You want to use a better headline. Make it personalized.

• For example: SuperPizza, We Can Help You...

Hello _______,

My name is Fab and I live in [my local area].

• Don't write where you live. Instead, introduce yourself as the company.

• Example: My name is Fab and I'm from [add company name].

I am looking to become an entrepreneur
I have a background in software development and mechanical engineering.

• Remove this. Companies want professionals, not beginners.

I was wondering if you would be able to share any problems or frustrations [organization] has at all.

• Remove this. Do your homework before writing to a company. Instead, present the company's problems.

Example: I see that you have a high bounce rate that's causing a decrease in revenue. My company helps create more traffic. We help optimize websites to keep bounce rates low. (Don't write this. This is just an example.) Of course, you want to keep the writing personalized. Avoid technical jargon.

I'm hoping to find a solution and sharing it with you so you can make a profit or become more efficient.

• Avoid saying this. This statement tells the reader you have no clue what you're doing. Instead, talk about how your company can help provide solutions to their problem.

Example: Our focus is to help maintain traffic to your site. We help keep bounce rates low. We generate more traffic through referrals. Lastly, we create more long-term clients through our SEO techniques. We can help achieve this for you. You save time and money!
(Don't say this, I'm trying to illustrate a point.)

Maybe there is a better solution with ordering stock or dealing with customers. Please share anything and I will be happy to look into it.

• The reader may interpret this the wrong way. In their perspective, your company looks lazy. You did no homework (research). Failed to address their pain points and frustrations. You failed to provide solutions to their problems.

2. Do your homework. Here's why:

Before writing to any company, research what kind of company are they.

• Draw up a User Persona.

Example:

SuperPizza​

• Who: Pizza company with mobile app that guarantees fast delivery.
• Goals: Their goal is to get subscribers to their app.
• Frustrations: Customers use the app one time, and don't subscribe. Customers leave the app because of slow delivery time.

~~~~​

• Solution: Our team at Legend Developers help generate new subscribers and avoid slow delivery times.
• How: We offer special rewards to help get new long-term subscribers. We use special referral programs subscribers love. Lastly, our new technology helps speed up delivery time.

In summary, these are a few examples. These tips help you get an idea for your next e-mail campaign.

I would suggest reading more about cold-emails.

• search the forum
• search Google
• search Amazon

 

Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

[SteveO]

A step is a step... Keep taking them.

 

[Vigilante]

If I have a problem I need someone smarter than me to solve it. That's not some random that emails me that doesn't know anything about anything I'd be interested in.

On a somewhat related note, I got a sales demand letter from a company that wanted to sell me their services today. See, the end of their fiscal year is in 10 days so she put forth a letter that stated that if I wanted to take action I needed to do so in the next 10 days to affect their year-end.

I told her to f*** off. Nobody has time for any of this type of stuff.

Dane Maxwell's Foundation can suck it. This email is a Massive Action fake. You add no value. The reason you got no response from 40 attempts is 40 people clicked delete as soon as they read it.

To add value to a company you have to create a reason for them to call you.

You have to have something they want.

I think you're fortunate that all you received is 40 non replies.

 

[MJ DeMarco]

Thread moved to Sales/Marketing and marked NOTABLE...

I might be in the minority here, but I do believe unsolicited emails work if you demonstrate you HAVE something of value that the other person WANTS, AND you show that your email is personal and not mass-market garbage.

This email does not.

For instance, if you're selling a mystery shopper service, you don't email a restaurant owner and ask to review his company. You just do it and then send him the report. And then maybe toward the end of the report, say, "If you want to hear our recommendations, just message me." For the opening email, I'd title it like, "On my recent visit to [enter rest. name] this was my experience." Think that will get the email opened? You bet.

This demonstrates value and personalization. Is it time consuming? Hell yea, but finding customers is never easy.

In another example, I grew my company via highly targeted unsolicited emails. When I found a client I couldn't service in a particular area, I would message a company in the area, "Need ride from SEA-TAC to Olympia." and then I opened with a FREE lead and an introduction to my service. I gave them value (a free lead, a customer, and maybe hundreds of dollars) with no expectation of a return. But it got me IN THE DOOR.

Some food for thought...

 

Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

[Andy Black]

I'm just starting out and I have no idea what I should be doing yet. I know that I need to find a problem to solve so instead of sitting back I thought I'd send out some emails to local organisations. I asked taxis, pubs, manufacturing, garages, charities, schools, self storage and construction organisations.

Do you think it is a productive idea? Can you give me feedback on my email?

Cheers.

Fair play for taking action.


I dunno about this "idea extraction" via email though.

Personally I prefer to speak to people face-to-face, to "spend my money on diesel and coffee".

I get chatting to business owners all the time. My normal hello to anyone I meet is a cheery "Hey, how's it going?". If they want to say "Great. How're you?" then that's cool. If they tell me how things are going then we're having a conversation.

If they're a business owner then I ask "How's business going?" ... and then stfu.

No-one ever asks a business owner that, or genuinely gives a sh*t when they do ask.

Ask them how they're doing, and let them talk?


PS: Wondering what problem businesses would like to solve? How about some of these:

• How to work less and make more.
• How to make more sales without increasing overheads.
• How to make more damn sales already.

Is there anything more sexy to a business owner than helping them make more sales?


PPS: You might find these threads helpful:

• "Spend your money on diesel and coffee"
• Who can you help?
• And some of the bolded links in my signature.

Good luck!

 

[ZCP]

We research the company, figure out what they do, determine what they need, then send a targeted email to a decision maker with a solution to the problem they may not have known they had.

Needless to say our response rate is better than average......

 

Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

[JAJT]

A step is a step... Keep taking them.

Honestly, I feel bad now for not saying this as well.

Any action is more action than most folks take.

Excellent job at taking the first step towards your goals!

 

Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

[AgainstAllOdds]

Try this. I wrote it in two minutes, but should be a better start than what you had:

Hi [Name],

I source materials from overseas and helps business owners cuts costs by up to 90%.

Is there something that you're getting ripped off on? If so, just reply to this email and I'll start looking at ways to cut your costs.

Best,
Your name

 

[jon.a]

You are not alone.

I may be in the minority on this but am I the only one who thinks it's super cringey to ask random folks who don't know you "Hey, what are problems you have that I can solve?"

I realize it's what all the books say, but I do really feel like they are trying to tell you the IDEA of what to do, not HOW to do it.

If you want to ask questions like this, IMHO, you need to do in an appropriate, natural way. No in a "fire and forget" email.

If you are at the barber, chatting pleasantly, and asked "hey, I know nothing about cutting hair - what's the hardest part of this job for you?" well then that sounds natural. Similarly you could say "that hair clipper looks hard to use - is there anything you wish it did better?" again - makes sense.

If, however, you emailed the barber and said "I am an entrepreneur, what are your problems and I'll try to start a business based on that", it would hit the trash bin immediately.

Asking about problems is great, but they should be highly targeted, specific questions that are asked in a way that is likely to get a good response. You need to have some kind of opportunity for rapport.

 

Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

[Walter Hay]

In the case of my first business I had learned in my employment about manufacturing problems in a big range of industries. This equipped me with the knowledge of pain points that I could relieve.

So, ask friends and relatives about issues they encounter at work. Alternatively, get a job and soak up all the information you can, with an eye to those problems that almost every business will have, but wouldn't talk to you about unless you went to them, knowing the problem exists, and offering a solution.

Likewise, before starting my importing business I was fortunate enough to have several family members working in various roles in one industry, but different organizations.

I asked them about problems, and pain points, and they had quite a few complaints, most of which were outside their control, but many of them seemed universal to that industry. I addressed those problems in my advertising, added a USP that no competitor had, and the business took off.

Walter

 

Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

[jon.a]

How many people have you spoken with face to face?

Just a quick update: Not one response.

It's my job to find problems and solutions so I shouldn't expect others to do that for me. I also have nothing to show what I've done before to even show I have the skills to help.

Since sending the email I have had an okay idea so I'm just concentrating on that process for now.

 

[AllenCrawley]

For instance, if you're selling a mystery shopper service, you don't email a restaurant owner and ask to review his company. You just do it and then send him the report. And then maybe toward the end of the report, say, "If you want to hear our recommendations, just message me." For the opening email, I'd title it like, "On my recent visit to [enter rest. name] this was my experience." Think that will get the email opened? You bet.

Back when I was providing digital marketing services for local businesses I would do something similar. I would create a screencast type video of me navigating their website and explaining areas of improvement and how it could increase foot traffic and or leads. I'd also summarize the video in a pdf. I'd email a link to the page they could view the video and download their custom report. Worked very well.

I also provided promotional videos. I would pick a local business I thought could really benefit and then create a promotional video for them. Let's say the video was 45 seconds long, I would re-edit it to where it would cut off at 20 seconds or so with a splash screen that said something like "Want the full video for "ABC grocery"? Call us directly to unlock the full video." Again, I'd email them explaining a promotional video was created for their business and to visit the link to view it along with a report explaining the benefits of the video, how and where it could be used, etc. This worked amazingly well.

 

[rogue synthetic]

Good for you for doing something, at least. But I agree with the sentiment here -- your pitch seems weird and uninviting.

Your first line alone says "this is all about me" I want to be an entrepreneur. The whole pitch is "me" this, "me" that.

On top of that, you're asking a business owner, who doesn't know you and is too busy to care about why this stranger is emailing him, to spend the time and effort to brainstorm up some ideas. Why should anyone bother with this for a total unknown.

A better way to do this, if you don't go the face-to-face or cold-call approach, is to re-think your pitch. Do some leg work on your own, find out who these businesses are and what they do, who they do it with, and approach them with their interests front and center.

Figure out specifically what you can offer to fix the pain you see in their business -- or better yet, take some real initiative and show them -- and get that across in your pitch.

If you aren't doing that, nobody's going to care what you want, what your education is, or anything else. I wouldn't.

 

[eliquid]

I haven't read all the posts here, I skimmed them and some touched on what I would say as well.

For me, the main idea is you're a nobody.

Not meaning a nobody loser, but a nobody to the person you emailed.

You basically went for the marriage proposal before you even dated.

You gotta make it hard for people to reject you.

How easy is it to reject a random cold email from a nobody? Pretty easy. Maybe some of your emails never hit their inbox or maybe the person you emailed is on vacation. Maybe only 30% got the email to their inbox at all. You set yourself up for a easy fail and even easier rejection if the email landed in the inbox.

Calling is a bit harder to reject you.

Why? Well you know you called the person and they picked up. Whereas with email the email might be in the spam folder.

Once on the line, you know the person heard you. You don't know if someone even opened the email.

On the phone, you can at least get a few minutes in. On email, they might just delete it.

But here is the kicker ( and also why I talk about domain authority in my SaaS thread here ), you can offer them value as soon as they pick up the phone ( or you meet face to face ).

Find out what they need by just learning about their industry in general.

1. What common problems come up in their industry? ( research news and reddit and other areas )
   
   
2. What common problems come up in business in general? ( again research )
   
   
3. If they sale products, who are their manufactures/brands they sell and what problems do those companies have? ( research those brands in the news )

People are always willing to buy things that make them money, save them money, and make things easier and faster for them since this can play into making more or saving more money.

If you can find a soft and easy first solution, maybe with advice or training.. you can go for the bigger solution.

Example:

Most business would like to generate more sales online with Facebook. This could be your easy and soft win to a potential client.

Can you help these people do that? Maybe you offer them a quick win here with a 15 min consult free of charge.

They take you up. You go in face to face or on the phone for 30 minutes ( over deliver ) and wow them.

Afterwards, you ask them what other problems they have in their specific business now.

More than likely, they will want to tell you a lot now about their needs that don't include FB ads.
​

Do this across several people in that industry, and you will find a common theme.

Then you work on that theme.

This works because you gave them something of value upfront. They now feel obligated to return the favor and you just asking them about their needs is a easy pass back for them to return the favor.

They also trust you now because you helped them too, upfront, without any real incentive ( like exchanging money ). You're looked at more like a "value" to them, then some sleazy salesman asking about their problems.

Got it?

It's not hard. Just think a bit more out of the box.

Work yourself into their trust zone. Over deliver. Wow them. Now you ask the question you really wanted to know because you are not a random cold call person now. Take notes and then repeat on someone else until you find the problems you can work on and solve and charge money for.

.

 

[Fab89]

I'm just starting out and I have no idea what I should be doing yet. I know that I need to find a problem to solve so instead of sitting back I thought I'd send out some emails to local organisations. I asked taxis, pubs, manufacturing, garages, charities, schools, self storage and construction organisations.

Do you think it is a productive idea? Can you give me feedback on my email?

Cheers.

Subject: How can I help your organisation?

Hello,

My name is Fab and I live in [my local area]. I am looking to become an entrepreneur. I have a background in software development and mechanical engineering.

I was wondering if you would be able to share any problems or frustrations [organisation] has at all. I'm hoping to find a solution and sharing it with you so you can make a profit or become more efficient.

Maybe there is a better solution with ordering stock or dealing with customers. Please share anything and I will be happy to look into it.

Regards,

Fab

 

Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

[SteveO]

Honestly, I feel bad now for not saying this as well.

Any action is more action than most folks take.

Excellent job at taking the first step towards your goals!

Why would you feel bad? You give great feedback to this forum on a regular basis.

 

[GoodluckChuck]

Your goal with this email seems to be to discover other people's problems that you can potentially solve with a business idea.

Many times in life the results we get are not what we expected.

Keep down this path and maybe you won't discover the problems you are expecting, but you might solve another problem.

It's a problem you have right now:

How do you initiate a conversation with someone you don't know and have it lead to something productive?

Solve this problem and you will have made a tremendous step towards being the type of person that can make sh*t happen. Being able to cold approach people and get them to talk to you is one of the most valuable skills anybody can have.

Cheers for giving it a go. Cheers again for posting it here. And one final cheers for learning from the experience.

 

[Fab89]

Just a quick update: Not one response.

It's my job to find problems and solutions so I shouldn't expect others to do that for me. I also have nothing to show what I've done before to even show I have the skills to help.

Since sending the email I have had an okay idea so I'm just concentrating on that process for now.

 

[Almantas]

Don't get me wrong, but your approach sounds similar like asking a girl you've just met, "what would make you fall in love with me?" - I think she would feel damn weird - I guess that's exactly how company owners felt about your e-mail, too.

 

[Real Deal Denver]

If I have a problem I need someone smarter than me to solve it. That's not some random that emails me that doesn't know anything about anything I'd be interested in.

On a somewhat related note, I got a sales demand letter from a company that wanted to sell me their services today. See, the end of their fiscal year is in 10 days so she put forth a letter that stated that if I wanted to take action I needed to do so in the next 10 days to affect their year-end.

I told her to f*** off. Nobody has time for any of this type of stuff.

Dane Maxwell's Foundation can suck it. This email is a Massive Action fake. You add no value. The reason you got no response from 40 attempts is 40 people clicked delete as soon as they read it.

To add value to a company you have to create a reason for them to call you.

You have to have something they want.

I think you're fortunate that all you received is 40 non replies.

I LIKE this reply. Hit the nail on the head. Especially the last sentence.

Throw this weak and insulting idea away now.

1) I'm amazed at how many people think an unsolicited email will do anything for them. Although I have spent money on things from unsolicited emails, that was only after visiting their website to shore up my expectations of what I wanted. That happens less than 3% of the time.

2) I know what I'm doing. Anyone insinuating that they can run my business better than me - especially on outsider - better have a vast amount of information and references to back them up. And after that, they better have referrals and accolades from past customers. Then I might - maybe - begin to listen.

3) So you got a degree. Congratulations. I employ many people with degrees. But I admire your spunk that you think, yes think, you can grab my attention with your sheepskin and talk to me as your peer. Um, really not so much. I'm not only insulted, but irritated, at this point.

4) I admire good work, and pay my people well, but they know their place. If any one of my people approached me in this style, they'd immediately jeopardize their hopes and dreams of any advancement. Of course, they might have a brilliant idea, so I would listen to them, if they took the proper steps of scheduling time to discuss it, and then having their information presentable in a highly professional manner. If they even "hinted" at wanting to look at my operations so they may "find" some area of deficiency, (fishing for ideas, as you are) they would be immediately informed of how valuable my time is, and in a way that they would not find enjoyable.

5) I detest spammers and people that waste me time. Here's a fun fact - I block no less than two callers a day on my phone. That's a lot of callers, over time. I guess their call out of the blue, or unwanted spamming, tactics don't work too good. But they keep trying because it's easy, and they've been told (wrongly) that it's a numbers game.

As Vigilante said: I think you're fortunate that all you received is 40 non replies.

 

Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

[Iammelissamoore]

I know for quite some time you have been seeking ideas to create a Fastlane venture, and its great you are making genuine efforts; however, it seems as if you are over thinking the process and in a way, it is preventing you from getting to the root of what you desire.

I often admit that Unscripted helped create a HUGE mindset shift for me as it helps me recognise issues from that productocracy perspective, in which you not only see something, but you gain the opportunity to see how, if necessary, it can be improved.

Do not forget that producing something doesn't mean you have to bring something totally new to the market, it can be something which already exists that you improve and you bring positive change to the market.

I don't see your issue as finding a problem to solve, but I see it more as finding the perfect problem to bring a perfect solution to the market, and in seeking that perfect solution you are losing sight of many existing opportunities awaiting your attention.

 

[Fab89]

I may be in the minority on this but am I the only one who thinks it's super cringey to ask random folks who don't know you "Hey, what are problems you have that I can solve?"

I realize it's what all the books say, but I do really feel like they are trying to tell you the IDEA of what to do, not HOW to do it.

If you want to ask questions like this, IMHO, you need to do in an appropriate, natural way. No in a "fire and forget" email.

If you are at the barber, chatting pleasantly, and asked "hey, I know nothing about cutting hair - what's the hardest part of this job for you?" well then that sounds natural. Similarly you could say "that hair clipper looks hard to use - is there anything you wish it did better?" again - makes sense.

If, however, you emailed the barber and said "I am an entrepreneur, what are your problems and I'll try to start a business based on that", it would hit the trash bin immediately.

Asking about problems is great, but they should be highly targeted, specific questions that are asked in a way that is likely to get a good response. You need to have some kind of opportunity for rapport.

True, I would of probably deleted the email too.

 

[Merging Left]

I agree with @ZCP. Try to do as much work up front as you can and save them the trouble. You're trying to help them. Not the other way around.

 

[Fab89]

Hey @Fab89,

Here are some of my thoughts.

1. Your original email is lacking. Here's why:

Subject: How can I help your organization? (Vague Subject Line)

Note: You want to use a better headline. Make it personalized.

• For example: SuperPizza, We Can Help You...

Hello _______,

My name is Fab and I live in [my local area].

• Don't write where you live. Instead, introduce yourself as the company.

• Example: My name is Fab and I'm from [add company name].

I am looking to become an entrepreneur
I have a background in software development and mechanical engineering.

• Remove this. Companies want professionals, not beginners.

I was wondering if you would be able to share any problems or frustrations [organization] has at all.

• Remove this. Do your homework before writing to a company. Instead, present the company's problems.

Example: I see that you have a high bounce rate that's causing a decrease in revenue. My company helps create more traffic. We help optimize websites to keep bounce rates low. (Don't write this. This is just an example.) Of course, you want to keep the writing personalized. Avoid technical jargon.

I'm hoping to find a solution and sharing it with you so you can make a profit or become more efficient.

• Avoid saying this. This statement tells the reader you have no clue what you're doing. Instead, talk about how your company can help provide solutions to their problem.

Example: Our focus is to help maintain traffic to your site. We help keep bounce rates low. We generate more traffic through referrals. Lastly, we create more long-term clients through our SEO techniques. We can help achieve this for you. You save time and money!
(Don't say this, I'm trying to illustrate a point.)

Maybe there is a better solution with ordering stock or dealing with customers. Please share anything and I will be happy to look into it.

• The reader may interpret this the wrong way. In their perspective, your company looks lazy. You did no homework (research). Failed to address their pain points and frustrations. You failed to provide solutions to their problems.

2. Do your homework. Here's why:

Before writing to any company, research what kind of company are they.

• Draw up a User Persona.

Example:

SuperPizza​

• Who: Pizza company with mobile app that guarantees fast delivery.
• Goals: Their goal is to get subscribers to their app.
• Frustrations: Customers use the app one time, and don't subscribe. Customers leave the app because of slow delivery time.

~~~~​

• Solution: Our team at Legend Developers help generate new subscribers and avoid slow delivery times.
• How: We offer special rewards to help get new long-term subscribers. We use special referral programs subscribers love. Lastly, our new technology helps speed up delivery time.

In summary, these are a few examples. These tips help you get an idea for your next e-mail campaign.

I would suggest reading more about cold-emails.

• search the forum
• search Google
• search Amazon

Amazing stuff. Cheers!

 

[AgainstAllOdds]

I'm not sure 'ripped off' is the correct wording if you should use something like this

Definitely the correct wording.

If someone is getting "ripped off", then it's a pain point.

Once you identify that pain point, you identify an entire big money business you can build around it.

If the pain's not big enough where they think they're "getting ripped off", then the pain's likely not big enough to build a business around.

 

[Andy Black]

I'm new here and recently read TMF . I've begun a (hopefully) life changing arc from slow lane to fast lane. Right now, I'm trying to notice problems/pain points that I know are in plain sight. I'm also trying to generate business ideas from these problems.

What do you mean "high friction at the beginning"? What do you mean "sharpens the sword"? I'm certainly at the beginning right now so I'm very interested in these things!

High-friction means you don’t have it all automated so you don’t speak to your market anymore. Go out and speak to people, one at a time, over a coffee.

• "Spend your money on diesel and coffee"

Your sword is your skillset, mindset, business, etc. It’s your ability to get things done. It will improve if it’s sharper. It will get sharper when you pound it in the heat and pressure of the smithy. It will get sharper with the high-friction of engaging your market.

 

Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

[RAZR]

I am relatively new on the forum, however, I have been involved or currently are involved in a few of the businesses that you listed. I am glad to see that you are trying. I agree with the others that the approach is not effective. Over the years, I have never responded to one of those emails or even cold calls. My time is more valuable than that. I have responded to one on one conversations. But you need to do your research and be well informed. Many times I did not realize that there might be a better way to do what I was doing. You don't know what you don't know. And that is where you come in. For you, that research might be getting a job in one of the areas. It might also be something that comes from relationships that you begin to build with individuals in the areas that you are truly interested in. I, like many other business owners, have learned to smell BS from a mile away. Be encouraged, it's a Journey. Failure and success often go hand in hand.

 

Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

[Andy Black]

Thread moved to Sales/Marketing and marked NOTABLE...

I might be in the minority here, but I do believe unsolicited emails work if you demonstrate you HAVE something of value that the other person WANTS, AND you show that your email is personal and not mass-market garbage.

This email does not.

For instance, if you're selling a mystery shopper service, you don't email a restaurant owner and ask to review his company. You just do it and then send him the report. And then maybe toward the end of the report, say, "If you want to hear our recommendations, just message me." For the opening email, I'd title it like, "On my recent visit to [enter rest. name] this was my experience." Think that will get the email opened? You bet.

This demonstrates value and personalization. Is it time consuming? Hell yea, but finding customers is never easy.

In another example, I grew my company via highly targeted unsolicited emails. When I found a client I couldn't service in a particular area, I would message a company in the area, "Need ride from SEA-TAC to Olympia." and then I opened with a FREE lead and an introduction to my service. I gave them value (a free lead, a customer, and maybe hundreds of dollars) with no expectation of a return. But it got me IN THE DOOR.

Some food for thought...

^^^ This!

Why do business owners even carry a phone and check their emails at all?

They hope to get a nice juicy enquiry or sale.



I've really enjoyed ringing folks with a lead. I act to all intents and purposes like the big brother of someone looking for a local business. I'm their concierge "Google it for you" service.

"Hi. Are you a blacksmith?"

"Yes."

"Are you in Dublin?"

"Yes!"

"Great. I have someone who's looking for XYZ to be done in ABC location. Is this something you can do?"

...



I've also filled in contact is forms on websites, asking them to ring me because I'm looking for an XYZ in ABC location to do BDE job.

I was amazed so few responded. (Seriously... there's a reason many small businesses are small. SMH.)



What's my perfect subject line?

"Andy, we need your help with our AdWords campaigns." ?

"Andy, where can I buy your course?" ?

What's *your* perfect subject line?

 

Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

[Andy Black]

I haven't read all the posts here, I skimmed them and some touched on what I would say as well.

For me, the main idea is you're a nobody.

Not meaning a nobody loser, but a nobody to the person you emailed.

You basically went for the marriage proposal before you even dated.

You gotta make it hard for people to reject you.

How easy is it to reject a random cold email from a nobody? Pretty easy. Maybe some of your emails never hit their inbox or maybe the person you emailed is on vacation. Maybe only 30% got the email to their inbox at all. You set yourself up for a easy fail and even easier rejection if the email landed in the inbox.

Calling is a bit harder to reject you.

Why? Well you know you called the person and they picked up. Whereas with email the email might be in the spam folder.

Once on the line, you know the person heard you. You don't know if someone even opened the email.

On the phone, you can at least get a few minutes in. On email, they might just delete it.

But here is the kicker ( and also why I talk about domain authority in my SaaS thread here ), you can offer them value as soon as they pick up the phone ( or you meet face to face ).

Find out what they need by just learning about their industry in general.

1. What common problems come up in their industry? ( research news and reddit and other areas )
   
   
2. What common problems come up in business in general? ( again research )
   
   
3. If they sale products, who are their manufactures/brands they sell and what problems do those companies have? ( research those brands in the news )

People are always willing to buy things that make them money, save them money, and make things easier and faster for them since this can play into making more or saving more money.

If you can find a soft and easy first solution, maybe with advice or training.. you can go for the bigger solution.

Example:

Most business would like to generate more sales online with Facebook. This could be your easy and soft win to a potential client.

Can you help these people do that? Maybe you offer them a quick win here with a 15 min consult free of charge.

They take you up. You go in face to face or on the phone for 30 minutes ( over deliver ) and wow them.

Afterwards, you ask them what other problems they have in their specific business now.

More than likely, they will want to tell you a lot now about their needs that don't include FB ads.
​

Do this across several people in that industry, and you will find a common theme.

Then you work on that theme.

This works because you gave them something of value upfront. They now feel obligated to return the favor and you just asking them about their needs is a easy pass back for them to return the favor.

They also trust you now because you helped them too, upfront, without any real incentive ( like exchanging money ). You're looked at more like a "value" to them, then some sleazy salesman asking about their problems.

Got it?

It's not hard. Just think a bit more out of the box.

Work yourself into their trust zone. Over deliver. Wow them. Now you ask the question you really wanted to know because you are not a random cold call person now. Take notes and then repeat on someone else until you find the problems you can work on and solve and charge money for.

.

So add value first?


(Rep)