The key thing to ask yourself is, “How do I make my email a no-brainer?” The subject line must be appealing and completely beneficial to your reader. In this example, there’s a clear and relevant proposition that the people at BackBlaze want. Legitimacy is huge. Anyone who’s popular gets contacted frequently, so social proof is necessary to show you’re a real "player." Most companies love their customers. If you can tie in how your customers are salivating and talking about them, you’ll have a much easier conversation. Bonus points for specificity. Companies have a HUGE list of priorities that they’re committed to. Trying to insert yourself in that list is tough with a random email. Some things to keep in mind:
- You need to understand the other business’ priorities before you try to biz-dev/sell /partner with them. Consider that you might make the WRONG assumption about what their priorities are. If you get rejected, try to focus on what’s important to THEM, not just what you want to offer.
- You must focus on the relationship, even if the partnership isn't as immediate. When Noah tried to get a deal with Zynga, he spent over a year nurturing that relationship. Ditch your instant gratification impulses.
- You MUST show proof that you’re worth their time and demonstrate value before your reader even considers chatting with you. Last thing: Add a ticking clock. We've seen at least a 15% increase in response rates just by adding a time-sensitive call to action at the end, like "Email me back by…."
