I don’t know this guy.
We have no friends in common.
I get thousands of these requests, not counting the random ones in broken English from India offering IT services.
This morning, someone asked me if I could get him tickets to the next Golden State Warriors game for him, his buddy– oh, and also his girlfriend.
I don’t even know him.
You might laugh, but many of us are guilty of cold-emailing and cold-calling like these folks.
They ask for your time, money, and connections without adding value first.
Look, I believe in driving sales and working hard, like anyone else.
But the way to do it is to CREATE VALUE FIRST. Not blasting out thousands of messages, like some desperate college kid hoping that submitting thousands of job applications will improve his chances.
If you want someone important to give you their time– perhaps it’s a potential client or an expert that you’d like advice from– treat them like humans first.
Few people take the time to do their homework, get clarity on what they want, and create value first.
If you’re one of these folks, you already know how easy it is to get access to the busiest, most successful, most important people.