by Will Rotondi
Contrary to popular belief, you can multitask effectively in certain areas. After all, you’ve probably carried on a conversation with someone while you were walking, cooking, or surfing the web. But Fast Company would tell you that multitasking depends primarily on working memory, or the “amount of information we can hold in mind at one time.” Try to hold too much, and it’s like juggling too many plates: soon one falls, then all of them.
In order to decrease the amount of working memory you use, you have to partner a task with a habit – i.e., talking about a problem (task) while walking (habit).
Now apply this to your email prospecting. You’re looking for more conversations, which can require a certain amount of working memory to figure out:
- Who to reach out to: their industries and job functions.
- How to introduce yourself: “I’d like to learn about x at your company. Who can I talk with about that?”
- What content can educate your prospects and establish your authority.
Once you have these pieces figured out, make them your habit: pull data based on your ideal prospects, verify that you have their correct email addresses, ask if they’re the right people to talk with, and continue to nurture them with informative messaging.
Do this consistently, and you’ll find it’s easier to prospect and manage other activities at the same time.
