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A Daunting Task
A few years ago I got a contract to write the book on high-character leadership I'd proposed. I wanted to interview leaders from across the U.S. and around the world but didn't know where to start. Well, why not with LinkedIn?
I perused some of my 5,000 connections. They were from every conceivable field: financial services, law, accounting, health care, hospitality and the military. There were owners of small businesses and C-suite executives from global corporations. I hadn't met most of the people in person and don't believe I'd had much interaction with many of them. Would they even be amenable to an interview? I had no idea.
So I wrote to them. I didn't hire someone to do it for me. I don't remember the exact number of messages through the LinkedIn portal, but it was a substantial portion of the total number of connections. Here are the elements of what I sent:
Hello ____,
For a book I'm writing about hiring and promoting high-character people, I'd welcome the opportunity to interview you.
I've already spoken with several distinguished people, including _______.
The book is called "The Good Ones: Ten Crucial Qualities of High-Character Employees." (Then I briefly described the book.)
I'm keen to learn more about your work with ____ and how you and the company evaluate the character of job applicants.
Are you available for an interview within the next several weeks?
Thank you kindly.
Sincerely,
Bruce Weinstein, Ph.D.
The Ethics Guy®
Author, "Ethical Intelligence" and "Is It Still Cheating If I Don't Get Caught?"P.S. [Here I talked about something in common that we had, based on that person's profile and my experiences.]
The Responses
Most people did not respond. Some wanted clarification. A few asked, "Why did you choose me?" In each case, I explained why I wanted to interview that person and added that in a phone call I'd be happy to answer any questions they had.
I wound up interviewing over 100 fascinating people from all over the world. Eighty percent of the interviews in the book came from my LinkedIn campaign. I repeat: eighty percent of the people I quote in my book were LinkedIn first connections. They contributed moving stories about high-character employees they knew whose honesty, accountability or courage directly benefitted their organizations. In some cases, they talked about how an employee's poor choices harmed both the company and the employee's career.
When people tell me they like The Good Ones, inevitably they mention its inspiring or memorable stories. I would not have gotten these stories without reaching out to my LinkedIn connections.
What This Means For You
If you've been thinking about writing a book, I encourage you to make use of a vast resource you may be overlooking: your own LinkedIn connections.
"But why would they want to talk with me?" you might ask.
It's simple. People like to help. This is something I learned from my colleague Cindy Ashton when she presented to the New York City chapter of the National Speakers Association earlier this year.
Yes, many of us like having our names in other people's books, especially if there's also a reference to one of our accomplishments. But Ashton is right. Most people are honored to be asked to share their knowledge or skill.
Your Homework Assignment
If you're serious about writing a book, do the following:
Compose
Compose a short, focused note explaining what your book is about and why the person you're writing to would enrich it. Mention briefly (one sentence) how you will market the book and that you will be happy to include a reference to the person's book, website or company.
Review
Review every single LinkedIn first connection you have.
Write
Write only to the people who would be a good fit for your project. Your success in writing a book and avoiding being a nuisance depends on this rule. Ignore it at your peril.
Respond
Respond to everyone who writes you back. Begin by thanking them, even if they're declining your offer. And if they do turn you down, leave it at that.
Get To Work!
Now you have a group of people who want to contribute to your book. Set up a call (I used to use Skype but now prefer Zoom because it makes scheduling calls so easy), get permission to record the conversation, and get to work.
This worked for me, and if you follow my advice, it will work for you, too.
P.S. You may be wondering why I included a P.S. in the note I sent to my LinkedIn connections. Pitches with postscripts have higher response rates. Why?
I believe it's because of the emotional connection that the phrase "P.S." has for many people. After all, the first time we ever read those letters was at the bottom of a note we got from someone special in our lives: "P.S. I love you."
