Randy Weber

When pitching a potential partner via e-mail there are a lot of factors to consider. For purposes of this discussion, we’re going to assume that you’ve already properly researched your prospect and know that what you have to offer will deliver value. The trick is how to communicate this value to the prospect and get to the discussion going. Think Simple Now shares some thoughts on the psychology of e-mail that are helpful for anyone in business development trying craft that perfect partnership pitch e-mail.

From the post:

Generally speaking, the sender and receiver see things from drastically different points of views. And from the perspective of a sender, we often do not spend time understanding who the receiver is and what their inbox might look like…

Observing the Receiver

• Gets a lot of email…
• Regularly gets asked a standard set of questions and favors…
• Does not have a lot of free time.

Observing the Sender

• Spends a long time crafting the ‘perfect’ (-ly long) email.
• Believes that their request is original, unique, and special.
• Believes that they are the first to ask for such favors.
• Cannot imagine why anyone would turn them away.
• Desires to tell the whole story, explained from every angle, so that the listener can understand their point of view.

Based on these observations, the take-aways from the post for the sender are:

• Quickly answering – “What’s the Point?”
• Clearly stating benefits – “What’s in it for me?”
• Keeping in mind the outcome – “What do you want me to do?”
• Sticking to the facts
• Trimming words

To illustrate these concepts, I’ve included a sample partnership pitch I’ve successfully used multiple times via Linkedin.

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