Here’s why you hate getting DMs, and people hate getting yours.
It’s because you’re treating an as-yet-unopened conversation as the opportunity to go full pitch.
But don’t worry. Most other people do this too.
Here are three totally rubbish first-contact DMs I’ve had recently:
1: An event invitation with zero context and completely outside of my clearly expressed areas of interest
2: A link to book a discovery call to “find out a bit more about each other” without any reason for me to even care
3: A begging plea to contribute money to one of their contacts’ “good cause” when I know nothing about them at all
As Seth Godin says:
“The purpose of most communication isn’t to completely explain yourself. Too often, we get stuck relieving tension, making our case and closing the door on the discussion.
The purpose is to open the door to interaction, learning and action.”
And the best way to encourage interaction, learning and action is to ask a simple, open question in a spirit of generous curiosity.
Tune in tomorrow for some examples of great conversation-starting questions.
Jonny