Slide into my DMs

Sliding into someone's direct messages on social media has become a bit of a running joke.

I think the memes and the gifs are amusing, but I’ve found that DMs on social media are actually one of the best places to do business.

Because of DMs I’ve sold watches, marketing services, and reached people I thought might never respond to my messages.

I’ve hired photographers and videographers through DMs just because I thought their work was fantastic and I wanted to know their rates.

I’ve ended up making deals with people online to sell my watches in exchange for a % of sales all through DMs.

I found a physical fitness trainer online because I reached out to him via direct message.

Last night I was on the phone for an hour with a guy I met on Twitter just a few months ago. Turns out we’re in a very similar phase of life and there are going to be plenty of opportunities for us to help one another in the days to come. Things that will generate revenue for both of us.

But NONE of this would have happened without a leap of faith and a direct message.

There’s nothing to lose if you do it tactfully and respectfully.

If you’re punching up and trying to reach someone with a ton of followers and you only have a few hundred, follower count becomes irrelevant when the approach is right.

I've DM'd people with hundreds of thousands of followers and I have less than 1,000 myself.

I generally start by thanking the person for something. If I’m reaching out to them, then there’s a likelihood that they’ve helped me in one way or another. It could be a resource, or a book, or a PDF, or even a perspective shift. Whatever it is, I start by saying thank you and then telling them how much I love and appreciate their content.

That's half the battle. Sometimes I send direct messages that just say, “thank you” and “keep up the great work.”

I don’t always need something from these people, but I know it’s good to complement and flatter them because they’ll remember it and you never know when that might come in handy.

The rest of the time, I’ll ask them if they’d be interested in X (free watch or something like that as a show of appreciation) just to get conversation flowing. The other times, I’ll ask them how much they charge for their work. And if I’m the one looking to move a conversation forward for myself, then I’ll ask how I can serve them.

"What’s the biggest problem you're facing? What are you working on? What’s challenging you right now? Where do you need help?"

Because even if I’m not the right fit, hopefully, I can point them in the direction of someone who can. I know I can't help everyone myself, but that doesn't mean I can't point them in the right direction.

It’s not always about a direct pay off.

Sometimes, shooting someone a DM is just the beginning of a long play.

But it’s free and shows you’ve got the hustle to make things happen or you’re willing to try.

Most people respect that.

The question is, what are you waiting for?