Explain Why You are Calling and How You Cot the Contact Information

Briefly explain the nature of the research. For example: Michael Reel at the Franklin County Clerk's Office suggested I contact you about a research study I am working on. I am working with him and the Office of the Secretary of State to evaluate how usable a new web site is for registered voters. To do this, my colleague Dana would like to observe you using the web site and then ask you a couple of questions. We're doing individual 30-mimite sessions all day on Tuesday, August 28. Does this sound like something you might be interested in? 

By all means, be sure to mention that the session requires the participant to be recorded, because you want participants to raise any objections to being recorded now, and not when they arrive for testing. Ask the potential participant if he or she is interested in hearing more, and, if so, explain how long (worst case) it will take you to ask all the questions on the screening questionnaire. (If it is a really long questionnaire, fudge a little bit about how long it will take. Many professionals simply say that it depends on the answers, which is true, we suppose.) If the person is not interested, then express your thanks, mention how much fun he or she will be missing, and, if appropriate, ask for recommendations of other interested parties.