Katia Beauchamp had no experience in technology or beauty when she co-founded the company whose name would become synonymous with the subscription-box model.
“I cold-emailed every CEO of the beauty industry you can imagine,” Beauchamp says. “And it worked.”
Here’s her recipe for the perfect cold-email
1. Have a “very compelling subject line.” The CEO used “Reimagining beauty retail online,” according to Inc, and credits the snappy line to the high response rate.
2. Make sure the email is short enough that a person can read it without having to scroll down on his or her smartphone. The less time and energy it takes to read it, the better.
3. Don’t attach a business plan. That’s asking too much. Instead, include a “one-pager” with more information.
4. “Ask for something that’s pretty hard to say ‘no’ to,” she says. Beauchamp did not ask CEOs for big favors or free products. Instead she asked, “Do you have five minutes to give me advice?”
Beauchamp says that cold-emailing isn’t just for young professionals or early-stage entrepreneurs. It’s a way to continually grow your business and your career.
