Month 2 of the Praxis bootcamp is focused on building a portfolio project. I love this module: it falls perfectly into my education ideal of project-based learning. My project is a podcast, focused on education. Read my previous project update here.
A key part of my project experience is focused on the marketing and sales aspect of the podcast.
First, I started molding my social media conversation toward the subject of education. I asked questions on Facebook like “What does education mean to you?” It’s been inspiring to see the varying answers that come from people. I also have been open about the learning I am doing with my siblings. For example, I am working on research projects with my 13- and 15- year old siblings. We are writing research papers on their preferred subjects: the origin of the Civil War for my brother, and Mark Twain’s impact on American culture for my sister. (Join the conversation: let’s connect on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lita.allgyer)
Second, I created lists of my contacts through email and phone. This week of my project is focused on cold emailing and cold calling people I know. It’s intimidating; I’ll admit it.
Why am I not making one all-encompassing email to reach everyone I can? Here’s where my mind has been recently: I’m never going to have this time of my life again. Now is when I have the time to reach out directly to everyone in my contact list. Now is when I have the freedom to invite everyone around me to watch the process of my learning experience. Now is that magical time to build a strong network.
Who knows what will happen later? When I have a full-time job, I won’t have as much time to reach directly out to my friends. It’s only going to get busier from here out: I can feel it. Later on, I won’t have the luxury of asking people to join my learning process just because. They’ll have to come because they have been drawn by something I have already accomplished.
So I took the time to think out emails that would speak directly to each person in my contact list. It took a lot of time. I didn’t get near the amount of emails sent out that I wanted to. But on the plus side, I already have 5 people excited to be on my mailing list. Tomorrow I’ll have more of a flow, and I’ll send more emails. That’s the exciting part: I can only grow from here!
Here was my formula for the majority of the emails:
- Compliment. Sincerely, of course. Being optimistic in nature, it’s easy for me to find something genuinely good in each person I email. (People love compliments and are much quicker to give you what you ask for if you have puffed up their ego some. Even if you know the science behind this, it still works. If someone tells me I have impacted their life in a positive way, I’m going to listen to what they have to say.)
- Offer something of value. For some of my friends, this was the offer to be a second voice in editing some of their posts. For others, it was a coffee date (coffee on me). For some, it was simply outlining the value that being on my mailing list would bring to them.
- Ask. Short, to the point, in bold. May I add you to my mailing list? Simple as that.
- Show genuine interest. I started and ended many of the emails with comments on recent social media posts, or questions about projects I know each person has been working on. This way, they know I value their time and their information.
Did I have to be this specific? Could I not just send an email asking the golden question? Sure, but through personalizing each email, I strengthen the connection with each person I touch. Even if they don’t want to be on my mailing list, even if they think the idea is a little crazy, the facts remain: I took the time to connect to each person individually. It’s true: I value the friendship and connection of each person I emailed today. I value their input on my project, and I want them to succeed at life as well.
And why not? Now is when I have the time.
Photo by Tristan Colangelo on Unsplash