Last month, I received a message from a well-known entrepreneur with over 500,000 followers. He wasn't pitching me—he was asking if he could speak at our next summit.
This wasn't luck. It was the result of a strategy I've been deploying for years, one that consistently lands us speakers who would normally be impossible to reach through traditional outreach.
It's called the $1.80 strategy, and when applied correctly, it transforms cold outreach into warm invitations.
The Problem with Traditional Speaker Outreach
Let me paint a picture you might recognize.
You're planning an event. You need speakers. So you do what everyone does: you find people with impressive credentials, craft a "personalized" email (that's really just a template with their name swapped in), and hit send.
Then you wait. And wait. And wait.
Maybe you get a response. Probably you don't. And even if you do, it's often a polite decline or a request for a speaking fee you can't afford.
This approach fails because it violates a fundamental truth about human psychology: people say yes to people they know, like, and trust.
A cold email, no matter how well-written, comes from a stranger. And strangers don't get the benefit of the doubt.
Enter the $1.80 Strategy
The $1.80 strategy was popularized by Gary Vaynerchuk, and the math is simple:
- Find the top 9 posts in hashtags relevant to your niche
- Leave your "two cents" (a thoughtful comment) on each
- 9 posts × $0.02 = $0.18 × 10 hashtags = $1.80 per day
But here's where most people go wrong: they treat this as a growth hack for followers. They leave generic comments like "Great post!" or "So true!" and wonder why nothing happens.
That's not the strategy. That's spam with extra steps.
The Synergy Collab Adaptation
We've adapted the $1.80 strategy specifically for relationship-building with potential speakers and collaborators. Here's how it actually works:
Step 1: Identify Your Dream 100
Before you comment on anything, you need to know who you're trying to reach. We maintain a "Dream 100" list—100 people we'd love to collaborate with, speak at our events, or build relationships with.
This list includes:
- Established speakers in our space
- Rising stars who are building momentum
- Authors, podcasters, and content creators
- Industry leaders and innovators
We research each person. We know their content, their message, their recent projects. This isn't stalking—it's preparation for genuine engagement.
Step 2: Show Up Consistently
Here's the key insight: one great comment is forgettable. Consistent presence is memorable.
We don't just comment once and move on. We show up repeatedly on the content of people we want to build relationships with. Not in a creepy way—in a genuinely engaged way.
Over weeks and months, something shifts. They start recognizing our names. They begin engaging with our content. A relationship forms, even though we've never had a direct conversation.
Step 3: Add Real Value
Our comments aren't compliments—they're contributions.
When someone posts about a challenge they're facing, we share a relevant insight or resource. When they share a win, we add context about why it matters. When they ask a question, we give a thoughtful answer.
The goal is to be the person in their comments who consistently makes their content better. The person they start looking forward to hearing from.
Step 4: Expand the Conversation
Once there's recognition and rapport, we take the conversation beyond comments:
- Sharing their content with our audience (and tagging them)
- Mentioning them in our own posts when relevant
- Responding to their stories and direct messages
- Inviting them to smaller collaborations (podcast appearances, guest posts)
Each interaction deepens the relationship. By the time we're ready to invite them to speak at a summit, we're not strangers—we're colleagues.
The Transformation in Action
Let me give you a real example (with details changed to protect privacy).
There was a speaker we desperately wanted for our summit. She had a massive following, a bestselling book, and a speaking fee that was way beyond our budget.
Traditional outreach would have been futile. Her inbox was probably flooded with requests from people just like us.
Instead, we deployed the $1.80 strategy. For three months, we engaged consistently with her content. Not every post—that would be weird—but regularly enough to become a familiar presence.
We shared her content with our audience. We referenced her ideas in our own posts. We added value in her comments section.
Then something interesting happened: she started engaging with our content. She commented on a post. She shared something we created. The relationship had become bidirectional.
When we finally reached out about speaking at our summit, it wasn't a cold pitch. It was a message between two people who had been in conversation for months. She said yes—and she waived her speaking fee because she believed in what we were building.
The Compound Effect
This strategy works because of compound interest in relationships.
Each interaction is a small deposit in the relationship bank. One comment doesn't mean much. But hundreds of comments over months? That builds something real.
And here's the beautiful part: the relationships you build for one purpose often pay dividends in unexpected ways. The speaker who came to your summit might introduce you to their network. The connection you made might become a business partner. The rapport you built might open doors you didn't even know existed.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Mistake 1: Being transactional If your only goal is to get something from people, they'll sense it. The strategy only works when you genuinely care about adding value, regardless of what you get in return.
Mistake 2: Inconsistency Showing up intensely for a week and then disappearing for a month doesn't build relationships. Consistency beats intensity every time.
Mistake 3: Generic engagement "Great post!" is not a comment—it's noise. If you can't add something specific and valuable, don't comment at all.
Mistake 4: Rushing to the ask The biggest mistake is trying to shortcut the relationship-building phase. You can't deposit $5 and withdraw $500. Build the relationship first; the opportunities will follow.
The Long Game
I'll be honest: this strategy requires patience. You won't see results in a week or even a month. It takes consistent effort over quarters and years.
But here's what I've learned: the people who play the long game in relationships always win. While everyone else is sending cold emails and getting ignored, you're building genuine connections that open doors no amount of money could buy.
The speaker who messages you asking to be on your stage. The influencer who promotes your event without being asked. The industry leader who takes your call because they know your name.
These aren't lucky breaks. They're the predictable result of showing up consistently, adding value generously, and playing the long game with relationships.
Your Action Plan
Ready to implement this? Here's how to start:
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Create your Dream 100 list. Who do you want to build relationships with? Be specific.
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Set a daily engagement target. Start with 15-20 minutes of intentional engagement per day.
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Focus on value, not volume. Better to leave 3 thoughtful comments than 30 generic ones.
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Track your progress. Note which relationships are developing and where you're seeing reciprocal engagement.
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Be patient. Give it at least 90 days before evaluating results.
The $1.80 strategy isn't a hack—it's a philosophy. It's the belief that relationships are the ultimate currency, and that genuine connection beats clever tactics every time.
Start today. Your future speakers, partners, and collaborators are waiting to meet you.
