Here are the steps you should consider when establishing contact with an influencer:

1. Thorough Research: Start by comprehensively researching the influencer, beyond their social media presence. Understand their content style, engagement rate, audience demographics, and their core values or beliefs. This is where platforms like Flinque can be extremely helpful due to their comprehensive influencer databases and in-depth audience analytics.

2. Personalized Outreach: Reach out to the influencer by crafting a personalized and professional message. A generic mass email approach will not work. Make the outreach about them –- highlight their work that you like and explain why you think they would be a good fit for your campaign.

3. Clear Proposition: Clearly articulate why you are reaching out, what your campaign entails, and what you are asking from the influencer (promotion, content creation, event appearance etc.) Define your expectations about the timing and length of the campaign, and potential compensation.

4. Open to Negotiation: Influencers are more likely to engage if they feel they have a stake in the campaign’s success. Be open to their suggestions and willing to negotiate the terms of the partnership.

5. Follow Up: If you haven’t heard back, consider sending a polite follow-up message. However, avoid excessive follow-ups which might come across as desperation.

Platforms such as Flinque provide inbuilt CRM features, that streamline communication and negotiation workflows, making it easier to track and manage influencer campaigns. Ultimately, the approach depends on your needs and resources available.