Boyle argues that empathy does not require every subject line to repeat the crisis. He suggests using creativity, humor, and honest stories to stand out, while still acknowledging that customers are under pressure.

Overused crisis language can make an email blend into the inbox
Light, creative material can coexist with empathy
A story about real operating challenges can feel more human than a generic pitch
The tone should not make light of customer hardship

“how many emails have you seen with covert 19 in a subject line”
Rory Boyle · 17:00

“empathy is really important but it's also just just showing a little bit of creativity”
Rory Boyle · 17:30

#copywriting#email#creativity#empathy

Hot Take36:00

Boyle's Rule: Put 80% of Early Activity Into Revenue

Boyle's strong view is that roughly 80% of an early founder's activity should revolve around selling or generating revenue. He argues that founders should fit other work around selling because even a strong product is not a business until customers buy it.

Selling is the top early-stage priority in Boyle's view
Phone calls are one option, not the only revenue activity
Many products fail because founders avoid selling
Other work should be organized around revenue generation rather than displacing it

“eighty percent of your activity should revolve around selling or revenue generating”
Rory Boyle · 36:30

“you don't have a product and unless you could sell it”
Rory Boyle · 37:00

#founder sales#priorities#revenue#early stage

Hot Take44:30

A Disrupted Market Can Create a Better Launch Window

Boyle says he would still consider launching during the disruption, provided the product is chosen thoughtfully. His case is that changed behavior, reduced competition, lower advertising bids, and lasting adoption of remote work could create room for products designed around the next several years rather than only the immediate emergency.

Choose for durable behavioral change, not only temporary restrictions
A shaken market can clear space for differentiated products
Low overhead can make experimentation more survivable
The opportunity depends on genuine demand and thoughtful product choice

“right now presents us with a really unique opportunity”
Rory Boyle · 45:00

“what's the next three to four years gonna look like”
Rory Boyle · 47:00

#launch timing#innovation#remote work#market change

Explainer· 1

Explainer42:00

Why One Researched Detail Can Transform an Outbound Email

Boyle recommends researching the individual decision-maker and using a relevant detail from their public activity to make the outreach specific. He describes placing a prospect's LinkedIn team-lunch image into an email, connecting it to her culture role, and offering a free snack box, then following with a three- or four-email cadence.

Research the person as well as the company
Connect a public detail directly to the offer's relevance
Expect personalization to require more time than mass mailing
Use several useful follow-ups because recognition can build gradually

“do you research and find a little bit of out about who 44 00 you're contacting”
Rory Boyle · 43:30

“make sure that you send it three four emails”
Rory Boyle · 44:00

#cold email#personalization#linkedin#cadence

Story· 2

Story04:30

How Three Businesses Responded When Offices and Conferences Closed

Rory Boyle says the initial shock forced him to reassess three related businesses with very different exposure to lockdown conditions. He reports that two were selling at roughly twice their usual level, while the promotional-products company retained around 45–50% of normal sales despite losing its conference market.

The promotional-products range had depended heavily on conferences
The hamper business shifted toward gifts for remote employees
The office-snack business created a home-delivery proposition
Boyle explicitly notes that many businesses could not make comparable adaptations

“I've got three businesses two of which the selling double what that would usually sell”
Rory Boyle · 10:00

“I don't want to sort of say the you know doubling your revenue for businesses is easy”
Rory Boyle · 11:00

#business adaptation#e-commerce#lockdown#revenue

Story18:30

Why Boyle Chose Giveaways and At-Cost Help Over Opportunism

Boyle describes plans to donate hampers to aged-care facilities and healthcare workers, while also helping long-standing customers at cost when budgets had disappeared. He frames this as gratitude and community support, and says he does not want the business associated with price gouging or taking advantage of the situation.

The proposed giveaway focused on aged-care facilities and healthcare workers
Long-standing customers could receive at-cost support when budgets were constrained
The intent was framed as giving back rather than driving immediate hamper sales
Boyle explicitly rejects price gouging and opportunistic behavior

“we really want to like just give back”
Rory Boyle · 18:30

“nor do I want to I don't want to go to bed and think about business like that”
Rory Boyle · 21:30

#community#customer loyalty#ethics#giving

Takeaway· 4

Takeaway14:00

Empathetic Outreach Starts With a Human Conversation

Boyle recommends beginning with existing customers and asking how they are coping, what they are still spending on, and whether the supplier can help. His team combined this human approach with personalized email, LinkedIn research, social proof, remarketing, and direct messages from the CEO rather than heavy sales pressure.

Start with existing customers as the lowest-friction audience
Ask about the customer's situation before presenting an offer
Use several personalized touches instead of one aggressive pitch
Avoid messaging that appears insensitive to the circumstances

“just literally reaching out to those customers but not a Saleem just talking like a person”
Rory Boyle · 14:30

“be human beings because at this time we need to be human beings”
Rory Boyle · 16:30

#empathy#customer outreach#personalization#sales

Takeaway22:00

Treat Break-Even as a Win When Inventory Risk Is Extreme

With a large share of annual trade normally arriving near Christmas and supplies coming from China, Boyle says he built an almost worst-case cash forecast around breaking even. He planned to buy international stock conservatively and be more strategic about producing goods for the seasonal peak.

Supply disruption varied between Chinese provinces
The business normally relies heavily on the final months of the year
The forecast assumed an approximately break-even outcome
Boyle favored conservative international purchasing over a large speculative bet

“put together almost a worst-case cash forecast that worked on us breaking even”
Rory Boyle · 23:00

“survival's the cube right now”
Rory Boyle · 24:00

#cash flow#inventory#supply chain#risk

Takeaway25:30

Do Not Bet B2B Acquisition on a Single Channel

Boyle says his businesses combine telephone sales, email capture, Facebook remarketing, email cadences, and, historically, catalogs. He views concentration in one medium as dangerous and tries to preserve opportunities once a prospect has visited, opened an email, or started a conversation.

Use multiple acquisition and follow-up channels
Capture contact details before interested visitors leave
Follow up on observable engagement rather than discarding it
Channel diversity reduces dependence on one source of demand

“I believe in a really diverse range of activity”
Rory Boyle · 26:00

“I don't risk too much on one medium I think that's really dangerous”
Rory Boyle · 26:00

#b2b marketing#channels#remarketing#lead capture

Takeaway48:30

Break-Even Customers and New Skills Can Become Future Assets

In his closing advice, Boyle says businesses should keep selling, reduce necessary costs, and continue advertising, learning, and personal development where feasible. He argues that a customer acquired around break-even may still create later repeat sales, while knowledge developed during the difficult period can strengthen the business afterward.

Boyle treats survival and break-even as acceptable short-term outcomes
He advises against automatically cutting advertising and learning
A break-even first transaction may still lead to repeat purchases
Skills and customer knowledge can retain value after conditions improve

“don't cut your advertising don't cut your learning don't cut your personal development”
Rory Boyle · 49:00

“you can sell to a second third fourth time potentially when the dust settles”
Rory Boyle · 49:30

#break-even#learning#customer value#resilience

Frameworks in this episode

Call Scorecard Refinement Loop

Demand-Signal Product Pivot

Free-Sample Commitment Sequence

Preemptive Objection Reframe

Top-Customer Avatar and LTV Map

Insights & moments

◆Hot Take· 3

Drop the Crisis Clichés and Give Buyers Something Human