How to Cold Email to Invite Someone for a Networking Coffee [ACTIVATE THE SUBTITLES!]

- Hi there.

I'm your English coach, Christina,

and welcome to Speak English with Christina,

where you'll learn about American culture

and business know-how to become confident in English.

Networking is important, no matter who you are,

unless, of course, you live under a rock

and well, enjoy living there.

For everyone else, networking is our friend.

Having a strong web of connections can come in handy

at any point during your professional or personal life.

You might be a college student,

looking for professional contacts for

when you start your career.

Or you may be an established professional who wants

to meet more colleaugues in your field.

Plus, consider this, in the US,

most jobs are filled by word of mouth.

That makes networking valuable when searing for a job.

But, even if you aren't looking for a job,

networking is a great way to make connections

with other people in your industry and stay on top

of the latest news and advancements in your field.

So, can we agree on the value of networking?

Good, but how do you network, exactly?

If you're outgoing and love meeting people,

networking may be easy for you.

But, if you're a bit shy, making new contacts

can feel awkward and even a bit scary.

The good thing, you don't have to be a social butterfly,

that is someone who loves to meet new people, to network.

All you need is email.

Not sure how to write an email to expand your network?

That's what we'll discuss in today's episode.

Let's go.

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You don't have to feel like you're

a used car salesman and you don't have

to feel like you're running for president.

All you need to build your network is to write

a succinct, short email to invite the person

that you're interested in for a quick meeting, say coffee.

Yes, coffee is the universally understand code word

for a quick networking meeting.

What is the perfect cold email for

a networking coffee look like?

Let's break it down.

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If you send an email to someone you don't know

or don't have prior contact with, it's called a cold email.

Let's warm this cold email up a bit

with a nice salutation or greeting.

Dear, so-and-so is common.

Of course, you'd replace with so-and-so

with the name of the individual

that you're interested in inviting to coffee.

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Next, you wanna introduce yourself,

mention your job title and where you work.

For example, you might write Dear Mr. Smith,

I'm Carol Rose and I'm a marketing strategist

at the Gold Agency in Los Angeles.

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Next, describe the purpose of your email.

Why are you contacting this person?

This is an opportunity to mention an achievement

or work that this individual has done

that has special importance for you.

For example, I'm reaching out because after reading

your article in the New York Times,

I'm fascinated by your approach

to growth hacking for startups.

(lively music)

Now that you've introduced yourself and stated why

you're reaching out, you can extend the invitation

and mention what you'd like to discuss.

For example, you could say, I know you're busy,

but I would love to meet for a coffee and learn

what you think are the most innovative ways startups

are leveraging social media to scale customer acquisition.

(lively music)

Now, it would be a good idea to bring your cold email

to a smooth landing by mentioning a specific amount

of time the meeting will run and asking

for their availability.

For example, just 15 minutes of your time

would be greatly appreciated.

Do you have availabilities in the next two weeks?

(lively music)

Then close your email with sincerely

or even thank you and your name.

You may also wanna provide

your social media contact info or a phone number.

To recap, start off the letter

with a greeting such as dear.

Introduce yourself, your job, your location.

Next, state the reason why you're contacting them.

Then, extend the invitation to coffee and mention

what you would like to discuss.

Finally, request their availability to schedule

and close your email with sincerely

or thank you and your name.

I understand that sending a cold email can feel

a bit scary but just remember to ask yourself this:

what's the worst that can happen?

Perhaps they say no or they simply don't reply at all.

That isn't so bad, right?

And the best thing that can happen,

you get a meeting with someone you admire

and you broaden your network.

What about you?

Have you ever sent a cold email inviting someone

for a coffee meeting to expand your network?

Do you have any tips or tricks to get a positive response?

Share them in the comments.

And if you wanna practice speaking English,

then consider my Faster Fluency Conversation Club.

Club members can participate in up

to three group sessions per week.

You'll be paired up in small groups

with other motivated students and get some help

from a Fluency Club leader, too.

The small group size ensures that you get plenty of practice

to speak English and receive feedback on your mistakes

or ways that you can speak more colloquially.

So you gain fluency faster and you can get all the details

to join the Fluency Club by clicking on the link below.

You'll also get extra resources

and a conversation guide book to help you increase

your vocabulary and become more confident in conversations.

Thank you for learning with Speak English with Christina

and I'll see you next time.