If you’re looking to grow your business, partnerships are an extremely valuable way for you to do so. 

Why? Well, partnerships can help to get your product in front of more people, bolster your team, and get access to resources. But how do you go about building strategic partnerships? You can’t just snap your fingers and expect that to happen, right? 

Luckily, email outreach continues to be a crucial way for you to build relationships and open lines of communication. While email outreach isn’t the only way to approach a partnership, it’s definitely worth considering as part of your strategy. You just need to have a killer elevator pitch.

Why is Email a Crucial Aspect of Your Partnership Outreach?

Perhaps you have a brand that’s so enticing that potential partners are falling over themselves to work with you. For most companies, however, ensuring fruitful partnerships can feel like wading through treacle. Small businesses and startups, in particular, have a tough time inking deals with potential partners. While they’re flush with potential, they’re short on the resources and experience needed to realize it. In these circumstances, however, email outreach can be a great way to get the ball rolling. 

An email is an excellent method of reaching out to influencers who may not be aware of your business. It can help you amass credibility from the get-go, opening up doors that would otherwise be closed. 

It’s also an affordable way to get started, costing you nothing more than time to research and write the emails. 

Mistakes to Avoid When You’re Doing Partnership Outreach

When using email outreach to build your potential partnerships, mistakes can be made easily. You may think a follow-up is harmless; however, the approach could be off, or the outreach could be too frequent, and your recipients may think you’re bombarding them with messages that are hard to distinguish from spam. 

So how do you ensure your emails don’t get lumped in with unsolicited emails? Check out these partnership email outreach mistakes to avoid if you want more people to respond to your messages and partner with your small business or startup.

1. Not Researching Your Potential Partner

Letting assumptions about your potential partner lead you into false “assessments” renders your outreach email seven shades short of the mark. Before you fire off any outreach emails, you’ve got to do your due diligence. Without careful preparation, your outreach email will come across as weak, insincere, and unprofessional. 

Getting to know your prospect will almost always result in a successful outcome. Because when you take the time to learn more about the person on the other end, the emails you send will be more authentic and reflect your genuine commitment to establishing a mutually beneficial partnership. Here’s an example of how to use research as an ice-breaker in your outreach email.

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The prospect was so impressed by how the email creator took the time to offer such individualized attention that she replied right away.

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2. Using the Wrong Tone of Voice in Your Outreach

Although email outreach is a great way to connect with potential partners, it can also send you tumbling down the slippery slope of catastrophe if you don’t keep your tone in check. It’s important to think about how you are communicating with your prospect. Are you being too pushy? Is your approach too formal? Or perhaps you’re being too casual? 

Using a tone that’s too informal can make you appear an amateur, while using a tone that’s too lofty can make you seem like an obnoxious salesperson. Both of these things work against your goal of building trust. As a rule of thumb, you should aim for a friendly, professional tone. An excellent way to accomplish this is by avoiding overused buzzwords and simply conversing with your potential partners on a human level.

The tone of your email should also depend on the person you’re emailing. For example, C-level executives from large corporations will appreciate formality. On the other hand, a more relaxed tone would work better with mid-level startup employees. The right tone is vital for keeping your prospects engaged and helping them feel comfortable with you.

3. Using Too Much or Too Little Text in Your Email Body

The point of an outreach email is to pique interest. With a lengthier message, your email may come across as being boring and will potentially get ignored. On the other side of the coin, if you don’t give a detailed enough overview, your recipient may think you are lazy. If you can hit the sweet spot where they get the most out of it without wanting to click the delete button, then you’re good.

However, be sure not to let brevity be an excuse for lack of courtesy. It’s alright to thank someone for something or wish them well. Your potential partners are humans, after all. Just don’t let your pleasantries take precedence over your message. 

Here’s an example of an email outreach that’s as long as it needs to be — and no longer — while still getting the point across and demonstrating appreciation for the recipient.

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4. Using Spammy Subject Lines

Your recipient’s inbox is already flooded with emails. For that reason, you must make sure your email subject lines attract immediate attention. Let’s face it; recipients are more likely to open an email if the subject line is interesting. So make it good, but don’t go overboard. It should convey the tone of the email without giving too much away. 

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Also, avoid sending generic blanket subject lines or using shortcuts and tricks. While this may seem like a good way to increase your open rates, the reality is that these sorts of emails don’t actually help you in any tangible way. It can even hurt your endeavors down the line. So make sure to avoid spam triggers and salesy wording – as both detract from your chances of being read.

The Power of Partnership Outreach

Getting started with partnerships can seem intimidating. You are facing off against businesses that are already established, who have the inside track on partnerships. But don’t let this deter you. Partnerships are about one thing: value. And if you focus on providing value to your partners, they will be incentivized to work with you. Just make sure you take the time to write a thoughtful, personal email to get the conversation started.

Author Bio

Ahmad Benny is a London-born lover of technology, eCommerce, and digital marketing in general. He loves learning, researching, and curating value nuggets to save you time, money and help you achieve your goals.