Chapter 1: The Need for Effective Networking

For entrepreneurs, forging connections is crucial, but the process of scheduling meetings can often feel daunting. During my initial foray into the startup world, I found myself overwhelmed by the sheer number of meetings I had to arrange or attend. I recognized that to cultivate valuable relationships with potential clients, partners, and investors, I needed to invest considerable time engaging with people. Yet, this often meant entire weeks consumed by back-to-back meetings.

Simultaneously, I needed to focus on building, marketing, and supporting my startup and its offerings. Balancing these responsibilities while trapped in meetings felt impossible. I realized that I lacked the time to excel in any of my tasks, resulting in subpar outcomes across the board.

Then, I stumbled upon a clever strategy that drastically improved my ability to secure meetings with others more efficiently.

This may sound too good to be true, and initially, I felt the same way. I kept this strategy under wraps for fear of it becoming too mainstream and thus losing its effectiveness. However, my circumstances have evolved. No longer am I a struggling entrepreneur chasing after clients and funding; I now teach entrepreneurship, which compels me to share valuable insights. So here I am, ready to unveil the method I developed to secure meetings with anyone, anywhere.

The Technique: "Can I Buy You Lunch?"

Back in the early days of my startup, I dedicated hours to searching online, especially platforms like LinkedIn, for individuals who could aid in my company's growth—potential investors, customers, partners, and employees. Once I identified someone worth connecting with, I would track down their email addresses and send a cold email featuring the subject line:

"Can I buy you lunch?"

Imagine receiving such an email! Who wouldn't feel at least a hint of curiosity? This approach led to near-perfect open rates; as long as I had the correct email, recipients almost always opened my message. This alone made my strategy far more effective than any other cold emailing method I had previously employed.

However, this technique was not solely about the enticing subject line. While it captured attention, the core of my email was the offer itself: I genuinely proposed to buy lunch for the recipient.

At first, this might seem like an absurd offer. How could one possibly buy lunch for someone located miles away? Surprisingly, it’s more manageable than you might think. Our increasingly interconnected world allows for relatively seamless arrangements to provide lunch to someone in a different city. I identified several national and international quick-service restaurants that offered delivery and online payment options. For instance, I would use chains like Domino's or Jimmy John's. In my invitation emails, I included links to their menus, informing recipients that they could select any meal they desired. The kicker? I required them to submit their food orders using the same scheduling form I employed for setting appointments (like Calendly).

The Outcome: Success Rates that Speak Volumes

When I employed this strategy, I witnessed an astonishing success rate of about 70%—a remarkable achievement in the realm of cold emails. To put it into perspective, a 5% response rate is typically considered outstanding for cold email outreach. My numbers meant that I was 14 times more successful in securing actual meetings compared to industry standards.

While I'd like to attribute this high success rate to the allure of free meals, the reality is likely more nuanced. Many recipients were probably just curious to see if a stranger from afar would truly follow through with the offer.

Regardless of the reasons behind its effectiveness, I was thrilled with the results. I arranged hundreds of meetings with individuals I wanted to connect with, which was my primary goal.

Now, you might wonder how I managed the logistics of ordering food. Upon receiving a confirmation email from my scheduling service that someone had booked a meeting, I would also receive their meal order. I would promptly email the individual to confirm our meeting. On the day of our virtual conversation, I would visit the restaurant's website, place the order, make the payment, and schedule the delivery. A few hours later, we would connect over a video call—almost like magic.

An Example Email

To illustrate the "Can I buy you lunch?" email networking strategy, here’s a sample email I might send to a prospective customer. Of course, you’d want to customize this template based on what you’re offering and your target audience, but this should provide a solid foundation.

Subject: Can I buy you lunch?

Message Body:

Hi [first_name]!

I noticed you're the director of marketing at [company name], and I lead a startup that can enhance website conversion rates by up to 35%. If I buy you lunch, would you be open to giving me 30 minutes to share more details?

Feel free to choose whatever you'd like to eat from the menus linked below, fill out [link]this form[/link] to set a time on my calendar, and let me know your food choice. I’ll handle the delivery, and we can chat. Does that sound good?

Here’s the list of restaurants:

[Pizza Place]

[Sandwich Shop]

[Burger Joint]

[Coffee House]

[Alternate Sandwich Shop]

Looking forward to chatting!

• Aaron

FAQs: Addressing Common Concerns

While this strategy is highly effective, it's essential to recognize that it involves multiple moving parts, which can lead to unexpected challenges. Here are a few Frequently Asked Questions that may arise based on my experiences implementing this technique over the years.

Q: What if the food doesn’t arrive on time?

A: In my experience, food rarely arrives precisely on time. However, this often works in our favor, as most people feel awkward eating during virtual meetings. I always clarify in my confirmation emails that food might be delayed, but we’ll proceed with the meeting as planned—it's completely fine if they choose to eat before or after our chat.

Q: Isn’t it costly to buy meals for so many people?

A: While there are costs associated with this approach, I argue that it’s quite economical given the time saved. Meals typically range from $10 to $15, and considering the value of your time, you’ll likely find that the time saved outweighs the expenses incurred.

Q: What if someone orders something extravagant?

A: I was concerned about this initially, but it never occurred. Most people aren’t unreasonable, and if they were, they probably wouldn’t be worth meeting. If such a situation did arise, I'd simply decline the meeting.

Q: What if someone cancels?

A: In my experience, cancellations were infrequent and always for legitimate reasons, often communicated well in advance. This is a stark contrast to my experiences with traditional meeting setups.

Q: What if the food order is incorrect?

A: While mistakes can happen, I’ve never received complaints about incorrect orders. Most people understand that issues with the restaurant aren't my responsibility.

Q: What about other unusual scenarios?

A: There are certainly nuances to consider, but if you have specific inquiries, feel free to ask in the comments or shoot me an email—perhaps we can discuss it over lunch!

As you contemplate using the "Can I buy you lunch?" cold emailing strategy, remember that the ultimate goal is to secure more meetings. Yes, this method can be a bit clunky and awkward at times, but the outcomes it produces are invaluable.

Learn More About Startups and Entrepreneurship

If you want to dive deeper into the world of startups and entrepreneurship, consider enrolling in my (FREE) mini-course today!

This first video delves into the R.E.P.L.Y. Method, focusing on mastering cold emails in 2023. It offers valuable insights and techniques to improve your outreach efforts.

The second video features a masterclass on how one entrepreneur generated $15 million using cold email strategies, providing practical advice and real-world examples.