Check relevance before you write
Before you write anything, find one public fact that links what you offer to what the office has said or done. If you cannot find one, the office is probably not a fit yet. Go back to your vetting notes.
A message structure that works
- Subject line. Specific and plain. Name the topic plainly.
- Who you are. One sentence: name, role, firm, what the firm does.
- Why them. The public fact that links you, with its source.
- Why it may matter to them. One or two sentences. No statistics you cannot support.
- One small ask. A short call, or permission to send a two-page summary.
- An easy way out. Tell them a one-word reply is enough to stop further contact.
The first email template follows this structure.
Respect contact preferences
- If an office says it does not accept unsolicited proposals, respect that.
- Use the channel the office publishes, such as a general inbox or a submission form.
- Write to one person at a time. Do not copy several staff at the same office.
- Honor every opt-out at once and keep a record of it.
- Email and privacy rules differ by country, for example CAN-SPAM in the US and GDPR and PECR in the UK and EU. Check which apply to you.
Follow up reasonably
If there is no reply, one or two short follow-ups spaced at least a week apart is reasonable. After that, stop. A polite close leaves room to reconnect later. See the follow-up template for timing and wording.
Common mistakes
- Attaching a full deck to a first message
- Claiming a connection or introduction that does not exist
- Sending the same message to everyone on a list
- Treating silence as interest