Don’t do that, do this instead.
What Not to Do
❌ Ask a stranger if they want to grab a coffee.
❌ Ask if you can pick someone’s brain.
❌ Ask for 30 minutes.
Do This Instead
✅ Instead of asking for advice, give advice.
For example, here’s a LinkedIn voicemail I received from Nelly Jebran:
“Hi Josh – been following your posts and love your overall message, especially the 1:1 role-plays, which have been helpful in my biz dev job.
One of my colleagues shared a play from your Badass B2B Guide, and I noticed some awkward sentences and instances of problematic grammar/syntax. I hope you don’t mind, but in the attached PDF, I put some markups and recommended fixes.
I’m wondering if you’d like me to edit your guide so the written message matches the impact of your content.”
Why did this work?
- The acknowledgment was genuine and sincere because it was specific.
- No risk. By giving away free and high-quality work, Nelly showed me what I could expect if I hired her. Instead of telling me how awesome she was, she showed me how much more awesome I could be.
- She was humble (“I hope you don’t mind.)
I hired Nelly the next day.
The takeaway?
You’ll have a much better response rate when you come from a place of giving rather than taking.