Quote from Ali Scarlett on August 22, 2023, 8:07 pm

This might be a little on the advanced side, but take a look at this email and think about how you feel about it:

First, it came as a bit of a surprise to me that this person started off by saying they really admire what I'm doing at TCC since our mission is one of the least marketed aspects of the site.

However, if they came from the book, then it would make sense (since I talk a lot about my mission and the reason behind it there), so I decided to think little of it.

Then, this person says, "I've learned a lot about the world of business networking [from me]."

The world of it?

So, with all of my content that teaches actionable, practical strategies, you didn't learn any new approaches or methods, only about the "world" of business networking?

That was my first sign this person is probably lying.

Then, the second line that raised alarm bells in my head: "being someone who genuinely appreciates you."

Yeah, right.

There are too many things off about that sentence:

• You only mention what my work did for you, not what I did for you: and yet, rather than saying "being someone who genuinely appreciates your work" you say you appreciate me? It sounds like someone who's trying to cozy up to me to get something.
• Self-frames as a genuine fan amongst the spammy cold emailers: I get plenty of emails every day, many from people looking to get something. So, it seems like this person is trying to frame those other emailers as "emotionally disconnected people just trying to get a sale out of me" by framing themself as someone who "genuinely appreciates me." But it's a good persuasion idea done very poorly. It's smart of this person to know that I'd see through this cold email as one more lead-generation attempt in my inbox. And if they were a genuine fan who understood the social exchange and straight talk, this could've been an effective reach-out. But it was dumb of them to think I'd fall for such a cheap attempt at convincing me they "appreciate" me at all.
• Uses it to segway into a (fake) question: I'm supposed to care to answer this question now because this person genuinely appreciates me. But for anyone who can see through the game being played, now the chances of me wanting to answer this question have gone to near zero.

And going deeper on the fake question:

Them: "Out of curiosity, have you ever hired any brand designer to create The Clever Connector?"

Man, let's be real: you're not asking because you're a "fan who appreciates me that's 'just curious' about this random question." And you don't care if I've ever hired a brand designer in the past.

You're the founder of a brand design agency who cares if I'd be interested in hiring you now.

Even if this was a genuine fan (which I highly doubt), this reach-out was so bad, they've lost my trust, quite a bit of respect, rapport, and surely the sale with me.

Skip the manipulation with eagles and just go for the straight talk. Otherwise, you risk annoying the power-aware and losing more than the sale, but the relationship as well.