By far, the best way to approach a new business contact or prospective client is to have a mutual contact introduce you. When you identify someone you’d like to meet, go through your list of contacts to see if you know someone who knows them, or might know someone who does. Ask for an introduction or permission to use their name.

If you don’t know anyone who can introduce you, you can still approach them. But it will take more effort.

Whether you contact them by email or by phone, your initial objective is the same: to get their attention and stay out of the slush pile.

A few do’s and don’ts.

DON’T

• DON’T pitch anything. Save that for later; probably much later.
• DON’T ask for anything, e.g., a guest post, a link, etc.
• DON’T brag about yourself; in fact, say almost nothing about yourself, focus on them
• DON’T lie or exaggerate
• DON’T ask them to read something or do something; they’re busy, just like you

DO

• DO mention your mutual friend or contact. How did you get their name?
• DO reference something you have in common (a mutual interest, cause, target market or industry, practice area, background, etc.)
• DO mention something you like about something you heard about them or read, (their article, post, video, interview, etc.
• DO tell them why you’re contacting them and what’s in it for them; give them a reason to listen
• DO keep your message brief; get to the point
• DO make the next step easy (ask them to reply, tell them you’ll call, tell them to watch their email)

So, what is in it for them? Why are you contacting them?

Here are some good options:

• To offer information that will help them or their clients, or information about something that interests them
• To discuss a mutual interest (an industry or local issue, similarly aligned clients, proposed laws or regs, etc.)
• To invite them to speak at your meeting, to interview them for your newsletter, to participate in a panel discussion, etc.
• To introduce yourself, learn more about what they do and how you might work together to your mutual benefit

To learn more about how to find and approach people you don’t know, and what to offer them, get this