How to really reach people

Seth Goldin has a great post that I'm sure will make the folks at Forbes.com squirm. (Read full post here.)

In short, he got a rather impersonal message to join a supposedly special group of people. He wrote back to Forbes.com and got what he believes to be, and I agree, was a rather snippy response to the effect -- are you in or not? Seth rightfully points out the absurdity of this all and this goes on to make this point:

You can contact just about anyone you want. The only rule is you need to contact them personally, with respect, and do it months before you need their help! Contact them about them, not about you. Engage. Contribute. Question. Pay attention. Read. Interact.

I seem to deal with issue every day. "How do we reach these people?" And it's normally about reaching a relatively small number, usually in the hundreds. What they're asking for is a magical formula. What I tell them is this -- call them and tell them. And give them information they will find useful. And if you don't have such information, ask. Most civil human beings don't mind being asked questions. Just don't ask too many times.

And don't do what Forbes.com did here.