Cold emailing is now a very prevalent tactic used for building connections for getting us where we envision ourselves sometime down the road.

To stand out, your email needs to be quick to read, understand and answer. (And that doesn't just go for emails to influencers. You can use these tips for every email you send.)

Often, I will carry a letter around in my purse for weeks, until I have an interlude and setting suitable for responding. Rereading the letter, I like to glance back and forth between different sections to be sure I have taken in the details where the pain or joy resides. All of this is part of encompassing the gift that a friend has finally unburdened herself or opened her heart.

Nothing drives people crazier than an email where someone sends over a lot of information but doesn't say what they'd like you to do. I often respond to those immediately by asking: What do you want me to do?