Direct Ask Email
Goal:
To Invite Someone to Be a Guest
DIRECT ASK EMAIL TEMPLATE
Template for Direct Ask Email – Short Version
Subject line: guest on my show?
I’d love to interview you on my podcast.
I’ve been in business for [insert years and social proof] and past clients include [Insert list of high profile clients] so I will be interviewing top people from [insert specific industry here Ex: Executives at Banks]
I am happy to share more details if it is of interest…
Template for Direct Ask Email – Long Version
Subject line: feature interview…
Hey !
I really admire what you have done with your company.
It would be an honor to feature you and promote your company on our show [Name of your Show Here].
I interview Top [your field of focus here] such as yourself, including [List of good social proof companies here] and many more so you will definitely be in good company.
We promote the interviews to our email subscribers, social media following, and our listeners on itunes, google play, spotify.
Would you be up for an interview? (all done via conference line for your convenience)
thanks!
[Your Name]
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[Your Name]
[Your Website url]
[Description of your website]
P.S. Here is the link to choose any time that is convenient>>
(I know you have a busy schedule so if other times work better throw out a few and we will make it convenient for you)
[Your Scheduling link here]
DIRECT ASK EMAIL EXAMPLE
John’s Example for The Direct Ask Email – Short Version
NOTE: John prefers to send a shorter initial outreach message with some social proof, followed by a follow up email with comprehensive details once they express interest in hearing more. You should insert your own social proof (i.e. “I have 20 years experience advising architecture firms…”). The last line “I can share more details…” opens a loop and increases the odds of a response.
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GIVE
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SOCIAL PROOF
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VELVET ROPE
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OPEN LOOP
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INSTANT CONNECTION
I’d love to interview you on my podcast. I’ve been podcasting since ____ and I’ve interviewed 400+ entrepreneurs, business owners, and business book authors, including the founders or CEOs of Activision Blizzard, Lending Tree, Open Table, ACT! Software, Contactually and more. I can share more details…
John’s Example for The Direct Ask Email – Long Version
Note: Send this after you have already contacted them and they are interested in more details
Subject line: Hey NAME … interview of you?
Do you ever do podcast interviews?
If so, I’d love to have you on my podcast…
Here are all the details:
I’ve been podcasting since 2012 and I’ve interviewed 400+ entrepreneurs, business owners, and business book authors, asking the question “what relationships got you where you are today?”
I love to learn how relationships (with mentors, colleagues, peers, referral partners, etc.) have helped to grow income, business and land more clients. I also love stories about how people have proactively developed relationships with people they admire (influencers, VIPs, etc.) and how those relationships have in turn helped their business.
Inc. Magazine named my podcast a top podcasts, and I’ve interviewed the founders or CEOs of Activision Blizzard, Lending Tree, Open Table, ACT! Software, Contactually and more. My past guests include business leaders such as Peter Diamondis, Guy Kawasaki, former Overstock.com President Stormy Simon, Gary Vaynerchuk, EO founder Verne Harnish, YPO President Sean Magennis, BNI founder Dr. Ivan Misner; authors such as Dan Pink, Michael Port, and Adam Grant; and speaker/new media influencers such as Marie Forleo, Jeff Bullas and John Jantsch.
If you are interested, you can grab a time at your convenience here:
smartbusinessrevolution.com/schedule/
(Be sure to select “Interview of You” from the drop down).
If you can’t find a convenient time, let me know and we can schedule something manually.
The interviews usually last about 30-40 minutes so you may want to budget an hour of time, though I try hard to be respectful of your time and wrap everything up in about 45 minutes.
Format: I record via Skype. I prefer video skype, so I can make the interview go further by publishing the video on YouTube as well.
My Skype ID is jhcorcoran.
By the way, I don’t prescript my questions in advance. I keep it casual but will walk to dive into your background/career and I particularly like asking about how you built key relationships along the way which made a big difference – i.e. mentors, friends, peers, colleagues, business partners, clients, referral partners, etc.
Here are a few episodes examples of past episodes:
Howard Marks, Co-Founder and CEO of the gaming company, Activision Blizzard, which at its peak generated over $50 Billion/year in revenues.
smartbusinessrevolution.com/howard-marks-from-founding-a-…
Steve Simonson | From Janitor to Over $750 Million in Ecommerce Sales
smartbusinessrevolution.com/steve-simonson-from-janitor-t…
Peter Diamandis | Exponential Thinking, Moonshots, and Abundance Mindset
smartbusinessrevolution.com/peter-diamandis-exponential-t…
About me: John Corcoran is an attorney, writer, and a father, and a former Clinton White House Writer and Speechwriter to the Governor of California. Throughout his career, he has worked in Hollywood, the heart of Silicon Valley, and owned his own boutique law firm in the San Francisco Bay Area working with small business owners and entrepreneurs.
He is the creator of Smart Business Revolution and the Smart Business Revolution podcast. He is the cofounder with Dr. Jeremy Weisz, of Rise25, LLC, a strategic advisory business through which they help B2B businesses to get more clients, referrals and strategic partnerships using a done-for-you podcast and content marketing.
His writing has appeared in Forbes, Entrepreneur.com, Huffington Post, Art of Manliness, Lifehacker, Business Insider, Get Rich Slowly and numerous other publications, blogs and websites.
Let me know if you have any other questions! I look forward to the interview.
– John
PS: Some people ask about the composition of my audience… my guest list is reflective of my listenership… I have an educated, upper income audience of entrepreneurs and professionals, including a lot of consultants, lawyers, business coaches, entrepreneurs, etc. They tend to be from service professions.
Jeremy’s Example for The Direct Ask Email – Long Version
NOTE: Jeremy prefers to send a shorter initial outreach message with some social proof, followed by a follow up email with comprehensive details once they express interest in hearing more. You should insert your own social proof (i.e. “I have 20 years experience advising architecture firms…”). The last line “I can share more details…” opens a loop and increases the odds of a response.
Subject line: feature interview…
Hey George!
I really admire what you have done with Vandalay Industries.
It would be an honor to feature you and promote your company on our show INspiredINsider.
I interview Top Entrepreneurs such as yourself, including founders/CEO’s of P90X, Quest Nutrition, Einstein Bagels, Atari, Mattel, Baby Einstein, Big League Chew and many more so you will definitely be in good company.
(check out the links in my signature for popular episodes)
We promote the interviews to our email subscribers, social media following, and our listeners on itunes, google play, spotify of over 165K people.
Would you be up for an interview?
(all done via video conference so you don’t have to leave the comfort of your home or office)
thanks!
Jeremy
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Dr. Jeremy Weisz
Founder,INspiredINsider.com
INspiredINsider: Interviews with Top Leaders ie Founders of P90X, Atari, Einstein Bagels, etc.
P.S. Here is the link to choose any time that is convenient>>
(I know you have a busy schedule so if other times work better throw out a few and we will make it convenient for you)
INspiredINsider.com/scheduleinterview/
