- focus on proper screening before recruiting for a research study
- when cold calling, include a clear CTA — screening form or Calendly link to book directly
- it works better to send emails to specific people, not generic mailboxes like info@entity.domain
- be aware of unpredictable time friction: approval rounds, vacations, internal motivation, hesitancy
- iterative / adaptive recruitment — start with a small batch, see how they react, possibly adapt your copy, then reach out further; balance the number of people you want vs. those you need to screen out
- realistically consider 5–20% response rate during cold calling; previous exposure increases chances
- Kobe Bryant method: if you need 10 respondents, fire at least 100 emails (you don't score if you don't shoot)
- use Calendly for scheduling