"Stebbings, the 29-year-old founder of venture capital firm 20VC, interviewed the Salesforce CEO in 2023 for his podcast. He wasn't the easiest guest to score, but Stebbings was committed to getting him on the show. Stebbings spoke about his strategy for getting Benioff to say yes - which involved sending 53 cold emails over a year - during a November 12 episode of the "Biography" podcast with Wouter Teunissen. It's a skill that Stebbings has honed over the years of hitting up potential guests."
"It starts with a clear subject line that doesn't sound needy, he said, and an introduction that skips the filler phrases like, '"I hope you're well."' You should state your objective almost right away after your salutations. Then, he said, you'll want to give your claim some validity and explain why the receiver should say yes, using some brief background information."
A high-profile podcast guest agreed after 53 cold emails sent over a year. The outreach relied on a clear, non-needy subject line, an introduction that avoids filler salutations, and stating the objective immediately. Credibility was established with concrete proof points such as subscriber numbers and past guests. The sender specified the time commitment asked of the guest and tested personalized touches ranging from gifting whiskey to referencing holiday homes or company results. Iterative testing of message variations and using language models to discover little-known personal details supported effective personalization and persistence.
Read at Business Insider
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