Two years ago, I made a commitment to do something that made me profoundly uncomfortable. I had just finished writing my first book, and I promised my publisher that I would reach out to bestselling authors and senior leaders, asking them to read my book and consider endorsing it.
I knew their quotes would go a long way toward attracting readers. But as someone who generally prefers to be on the giving side of exchanges, rather than the asking and receiving end, I knew it was time to pick up some new tips. I began seeking advice, scouring the research evidence, and test-driving what I learned in my quest to capture the attention of busy people.
Three months ago, I became one of those people when the New York Times ran a cover story on my work, “Is giving the secret to getting ahead?” In that piece, Susan Dominus wrote that I was “more reliable than Google and almost as fast,” and that I “virtually never” say no. Suddenly, my inbox was flooded with messages from thousands of strangers asking for help. [The most entertaining one came from a woman who wrote, “I just wanted to test you, to find out if it’s true.”] I noticed that I responded much more quickly to some emails than others—and the ones that elicited fast replies followed the same principles that I studied. Here’s what worked for them, and for me.
1. Perfect the subject line.
I knew their quotes would go a long way toward attracting readers. But as someone who generally prefers to be on the giving side of exchanges, rather than the asking and receiving end, I knew it was time to pick up some new tips. I began seeking advice, scouring the research evidence, and test-driving what I learned in my quest to capture the attention of busy people.
Three months ago, I became one of those people when the New York Times ran a cover story on my work, “Is giving the secret to getting ahead?” In that piece, Susan Dominus wrote that I was “more reliable than Google and almost as fast,” and that I “virtually never” say no. Suddenly, my inbox was flooded with messages from thousands of strangers asking for help. [The most entertaining one came from a woman who wrote, “I just wanted to test you, to find out if it’s true.”] I noticed that I responded much more quickly to some emails than others—and the ones that elicited fast replies followed the same principles that I studied. Here’s what worked for them, and for me.
1. Perfect the subject line.
