How do you ask successful people for advice?

Most successful people in the entrepreneurial world where I am lucky enough to have spent my working life, are incredibly kind and helpful. But they are time-poor. Being exact on the question has a far greater hope of success therefore than a generic - err, can you help me - which will get you absolutely nowhere. And choose someone with care, so that the choice makes sense to them as well as to you and they feel the inquiry/question is appropriate and relevant.

What I’ve found helpful is the direct ask. We’re always learning and growing as we continue to achieve and break barriers across the board. Direct ask and honest transparent conversations are best. You never know what new possibilities may come out of an ask, a truth ( transparency) and honest conversations.

The initial step is to start following them. Then, engage with their posts and articles in a meaningful way. Consistently doing this will definitely get you noticed. Once you're comfortable with these interactions, feel free to send them a message. You could ask for support, offer to add value, or even request a one-on-one meeting for guidance or mentorship.

Knowing what you need out of the conversation is very crucial. Have clear questions and ask for strategies on how you can achieve your goal.

If the person you're trying to reach out is active in some platform, follow their content and use that to craft a personalized message that the other person would appreciate. This will help you to establish a connection from the first interaction.

Pinpoint who can help achieve your goals by researching on platforms like LinkedIn. Look for shared interests or connections to personalize your outreach and establish rapport. Keep it targeted and genuine.

The second i can tell that it is a cold email that has been copy and pasted I will delete it. Make sure you show me you know me by customizing the message to me. Tell me why me?

In my experience, to achieve your goals, connect with the right people on LinkedIn, Twitter, and at local events. Personalize your outreach by learning about their background and shared interests. This thoughtful approach fosters genuine connections and meaningful support.

Find the right fit. Research who can best help you. Look for successful people in your field and learn about their background. Find common ground to build rapport.

Avoid sounding like a salesperson. Be clear, honest, vulnerable and transparent. At the same time, show interest in them by acknowledging their journey and highlighting why they could be helpful. Personalise it! Finally, understand that you may not get a response so you will need to identify a number of potential targets.

Being vulnerable in this messaging is something that's difficult for some. Stating that you don't know something or need help isn't easy. Just ask. It's human nature to want to help and if you're kind about asking and possibly even offer something in exchange, it's rare that someone would turn you down completely.

I get asked for advice often. I love giving advice and helping founders. I am energized by the questions, the creativity, the energy, and the drive. But when the first contact is done badly, I say "No". So here are a few tips on how NOT to ask for help. DON'T: ? Start with an ask! ? Sound like you are entitled to help ? Ask for their time as though they have nothing else to do DO: ? Make the initial ask small & specific ? Give them some context about you, your company, and the situation you are in (why you want advice) ? Let them know why you chose them ? Get their agreement to help before trying to schedule something ? Make it easy for them to do a little research on you (include a link to your site and your LinkedIn profile)

Showcase value, make it clear that it's not a AI-generated message, and be clear about your asks. Good founders don't have time to review your deck. They may have time to respond to an email, or if you're lucky, do a 15-min call.

Si quieres captar la atención de alguien exitoso, olvídate de los mensajes genéricos. Sé breve, directo y relevante. En el asunto, evita clichés como "Un momento de su tiempo". Usa algo que despierte su interés. En el cuerpo, no te pierdas en introducciones largas: di quién eres y por qué le escribes en una sola frase. Haz tu pregunta de manera clara, sin rodeos, y ofrece valor a cambio, aunque sea peque?o. Termina con una invitación concreta: "?Podríamos hablar 15 minutos la próxima semana?" La claridad y el respeto por su tiempo son clave.

Si no obtienes respuesta de inmediato, no te desesperes ni te vuelvas insistente. Espera una semana y luego envía un seguimiento breve y educado: “Solo quería asegurarme de que viste mi mensaje anterior. Entiendo que tienes una agenda ocupada”. Si no responden, intenta en otra plataforma, pero sin parecer acosador. Un tercer intento, máximo. Si no hay respuesta, déjalo ir. Forzar la situación solo da?a tu imagen. La paciencia y el respeto te llevarán más lejos que la insistencia.

Persistence is key. But do not make them feel bad for not responding. No - "I sent you three emails already" type of messaging.

If you don’t hear back after your initial message, follow up politely after a week or two. Use different channels if needed, but avoid being pushy and respect their time.

Following up is fine, but don't be entitled. They aren't obligated to help you or give them your time - and if you're offering nothing in return, don't count on altruism. Founders are busy.

Once you hit send, be patient. Successful people juggle countless demands and may not respond immediately. Persistence is key, but so is respect for their time. Follow up tactfully after a reasonable interval, utilizing various communication channels. If they don't respond after a couple of tries, gracefully move on to explore other avenues.

Target operators. Forget "investors." You want to talk to operators in your space, who have relevant connections and experience. Focus on product. Obsess on it. They will recognize your obsession and want to help you even more.

If you get the opportunity to have a conversation, be prepared. Research them beforehand and have a list of questions you'd like to ask. Be punctual and polite. Share some context and information about yourself, before asking your questions. Be attentive and make the most of the time. Afterwards it's worth following up to say thanks, and perhaps briefly summarise what you spoke about and any follow up actions that either of you took away.

Transform short interactions with significant individuals in the field into lasting relationships by customizing inquiries, showing respect and intelligently following up.

When speaking with a successful person, make sure you are prepared and professional. Align your inquiries with your aim and their expertise, while respecting their time and agenda. Be punctual and considerate of their schedule. Maintain your focus, engagement, and humility while demonstrating real interest in their thoughts. Share something special about yourself or your work to leave a memorable impact. Follow up with a message that summarizes key points and action plans, and expresses genuine gratitude for their time and expertise. These strategies can help you create relationships and get valuable feedback.

Flattery is important, but so is research. You are asking them to teach and inform you, but you have to turn up with some of the homework at least attempted in your head - it’s ok to get things wrong, but do show you’ve tried to meet them half way. Always be grateful. Most people like to help, don’t forget that.

Ask for money, get advice. Ask for advice, get money twice. This is the saying I live by as an entrepreneur. Successful people love to be helpful and provide advice WHEN you can also provide value to them. So many successful people are time poor and trying to figure out what the best use of their time is. So, figure out what your value add is, maybe it's your network, maybe you're a specialist at something they need, and make that the key selling point to getting the conversation started!

Craft a personalized and concise message expressing admiration for their work and detailing your specific inquiries. Never forget to respect their time by being clear about your purpose, offering potential value in return, and requesting a brief engagement. It is good to utilize professional platforms like LinkedIn for outreach and I think that is important to consider attending networking events for in-person connections. Always express gratitude for any guidance received and maintain a professional and appreciative demeanor throughout the process. For me the key lies in demonstrating genuine interest, respect, and a willingness to learn from their expertise.

There are 4 strategies I’ve seen that work. 1?? Have something interesting to talk about 2?? Be a student under the age of 20 3?? Be direct, succinct, and ask for little 4?? Extremely personalize it Examples 1. When I was running my dev shop, I sent LinkedIn connection requests like this “Hey! Could we connect and grab coffee some time?”, and that worked almost never. Now I send requests like “?? I’m building the YCombinator of planet impact. Any chance I could pick your brain on Y” 2. Lead with “I’m a student” in X, I’m looking to learn, and would it be OK if I asked you a question about Y?” 3. Keep it to 1 sentence and make a direct ask for no more than 10 minutes 4. Tell them what you liked about X and say thanks and then ask.

Send them a thank you gift for their time. Could be a gift card, flowers, something personal they talked about. Anything - it's the thought that count's. And, include a hand-written note. Its amazing how much this little action matters.

The best time to plant a tree is twenty years ago. The second best time is today. I say that because growing your network before you actually need to ask your network for help is the ideal (and natural) way to make it happen. When we first started our company, I read a book that had chapters from multiple influencers in our space. I reached out to several of them commenting on what I liked, valued or appreciated about their chapter. I have now written two books with one of those folks and another wrote the foreword for my first book. Like anything you want to achieve in life - start now.