To effectively influence partners, you must understand their priorities. A scrappy research method is to watch their executives' public interviews or internal all-hands meetings. This reveals their strategic goals and allows you to frame your proposal in their language, increasing its resonance.

Using phone, email, and social isn't merely about finding a channel that works; it's about becoming a known person. When a prospect has heard your voice on a voicemail and seen your face on LinkedIn, you are no longer an anonymous bot. This human connection dramatically increases the likelihood of a response, even if it's a polite 'no'.

When trying to influence external partners, start with those most eager to collaborate. This 'coalition of the willing' builds momentum, helps set standards, and creates social pressure for larger, slower-moving players to join the initiative.

Avoid pursuing prosumer and enterprise motions simultaneously. The optimal sequence is to first build massive bottoms-up love and brand trust with individual users. This creates internal champions within target companies, providing crucial momentum and turning a cold B2B sale into a pull-based motion.

Instead of spending big on trendy mega-influencers, Gamma found success by scaling relationships with thousands of micro-influencers in niche, high-trust "echo chambers" like education. These smaller, authentic voices spread like wildfire within their communities, driving more effective growth.

The list of people who recently viewed your profile is a source of pre-qualified leads. Initiate contact with a personalized connection request based on a non-sales commonality (e.g., location). If they accept, follow up by offering value, not a sales pitch.

To win highly sought-after deals, growth investors must build relationships years in advance. This involves providing tangible help with hiring, customer introductions, and strategic advice, effectively acting as an investor long before deploying capital.

Instead of a direct "just following up" message, tag your prospect in a relevant industry post on LinkedIn. This provides value, gives them visibility, and serves as a subtle reminder, positioning you as a helpful resource rather than a persistent seller.