I know: You’re being flooded with messages urging you to hop on the AI bandwagon. And they’re not wrong.
But …
… that doesn’t mean you should abandon high-touch avenues that have worked for decades. And will continue to work for decades.
Because the fastest way to build the trust that leads to clients – especially high-ticket clients – is still personal connection.
Don’t believe me?
Here’s a true story from entrepreneur Jesse Itzler.
You may not know him, but you probably know his wife: Billionaire Spanx founder Sara Blakely.
When Jesse was getting his private business jet subscription business off the ground he had no way to connect with the deep-pocket movers and shakers who were his ideal clients.
Until he came up with this ingenious method. Which might even work for you:
Click Play to jump right to the section of the video
But that’s not his only brilliant idea.
Jesse has another low-tech trick that helps connect him the the folks who can give his revenue a jolt:
He calls it the Hot 50 List …
He identifies 50 folks he’d love to connect with at a deeper level, or get on their radar screen. Folks he really appreciates and admires.
Or folks he knows would be a perfect match for his offers.
And once every quarter he sends them a note.
Not an email. Or a text. Or a DM. A real live note. Handwritten. Old school.
He explains how he does it in 40 seconds. Click Play to jump to the point in the video where he explains it.
And he keeps doing it, every quarter, so it works.
While everyone else is doing a hard turn into AI, doesn’t it make sense that sending something personal and distinctive will help you stand out?
Just be sure it’s handwritten.
Amidst the cascade of junk mail, slick corporate-looking stuff and endless texts, when you get something hand addressed in the mail, what do you do?
You look at it immediately. And you open it immediately. Boom!
(At least that’s what I do).
It’s hard to resist something that looks like someone you know sent something personal.
Who could it be?
What could they want?
The curiousity is unbearable.
And that’s the point.
Just be sure the address (in addition to the note itself) is handwritten because it’s the first thing they will see.
You’re not using this for your entire list.
You ARE using it to get noticed by people who matter.
While most people are trying to stand out by flooding the zone with the same pitches you’ve seen a million times …
Why not try something a lot more effective?
Reaching out in a highly personal way that truly connects with and a small group of prospects, you have a much greater chance to get on the radar screen of people who matter.
Upping the level of your network, and the quality of the connection you have with that network, boosts the level of your success.
Great article Rob! With all the shiny objects its easy to forget the human connection.
Yes! And its funny how if you do it right, the human connection becomes the bright shiny thing. Because its done well so rarely.