![]() ![]() For that reason, you’ll want to avoid stock or cookie-cutter phrases that might get your email lumped in (and glossed over) with others.įor instance, for a speaker ask for the 99U Conference, I typically avoid run-of-the-mill phrases like “speaking opportunity” or “speaking invitation,” because they can turn people off before they’ve really assessed my particular opportunity. Keep in mind that while it’s always good to be clear, you also don’t want to give anyone a reason to dismiss your email before reading it. If I were asking someone to speak at our annual 99U Conference, for instance, I might use a subject like: “Jessica + Behance’s 99U Conference?” (Analysis: Using someone’s name feels personal mentioning Behance in addition to 99U gives more chance of name recognition and the question mark gives a sense of possibility/ creates curiosity.) If you’re cold-emailing someone you’ve never met, it’s important to strike a balance between being direct and being interesting. ![]() Step 2: Write an intriguing subject line.Ĭomposing a good email subject line is akin to writing a great headline. Look at your email and ask yourself: “Can the recipient say ‘Yes’ without further discussion?” If the answer is yes, you’re doing well. If you are asking someone to take the time to answer you, it should be very clear what you are asking for. Do they want to have a coffee? Do they want to do a phone call? It’s unclear, which means that instead of saying, “Yes!” I have to respond by asking them what they’re asking me for in the first place. I frequently receive emails from people who are interested in some sort of knowledge exchange but never clarify how they would like for me to take action. Sadly, it’s also where most people fall down on the job. When it comes to giving good email, making it easy to say “Yes!” is objective number one. One that requires craftsmanship, charm, concision, and a lot of self-editing.īased on years of drafting, redrafting, observation, and misfires, here are a few pointers to keep in mind when composing an email “ask”: Step 1: Make it easy to say, “Yes.” In short, getting someone that you don’t know to pay attention to you-and respond-is a delicate art. They can identify an impersonal templated email in 0.5 seconds, and they can spot a time-wasting “let’s explore the possibilities” ask from a mile off. Most people who receive any significant quantity of email in a day have developed extremely refined bullshit detectors. This rule gets magnified by a factor of 10 when it comes to composing unsolicited emails. One of the golden rules of writing is: Respect the reader’s intelligence. ![]()
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