In short: Invite experts for a short 20 minutes Q&A remotely that doesn't need preparation and keep the first email super short.

Make the ask tiny: 20 minutes without preparation

Invite experts for just 20 minutes. Tell them they have nothing to prepare. Explain that you'll conduct a short interview about their expertise with specific questions decided on the day, so really there is nothing to prepare. If they want to prepare, propose a short two-minute presentation about themselves and why they are so passionated about their expertise.

Make it remote

Make it easy by inviting them to join remotely. This way, they avoid travel time and can just hop on a video call for 20 minutes. After that, they're done. No further commitments.

Show you know the expert's work

Explain why you chose them specifically. Mention that you've read their book, articles, or watched an interview. Show that you're already invested in the relationship and have done your homework.

Send a super short email

Your first email should be super short. Introduce yourself, state why you want to invite them, how long it will take, and make clear that there's nothing to prepare. That takes three to four sentences. They can quickly answer with a: "Yes, tell me more", or "Not interested" quickly because you made the message short to read.

Made with AI help
This article is based on an Audio note I made while walking, which was transcribed and clean by the app AudioPen, and I then reviewed it and improved it by hand.