The following is an excerpt from an article by Jocelyn K. Glei on www.99u.com This area has been covered in some of earlier blogs. This compilation is very well done and I did want to make it available to my readers. Asking for something in an email is a very delicate process. There are considerations which touch upon each and every part of an email, including tone, timing and placement of message elements. The ramifications can be long ranging and far reaching.
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One
of the golden rules of writing is: Respect the reader’s intelligence.
This rule gets magnified by a factor of 10 when it comes to composing
unsolicited emails.
Most
people who receive any significant quantity of email in a day have
developed extremely refined bullshit detectors. They can identify an
impersonal template email in 0.5 seconds, and they can spot a
time-wasting “let’s explore the possibilities” ask from a mile off.
In
short, getting someone that you don’t know to pay attention to you—and
respond—is a delicate art. One that requires craftsmanship, charm,
concision, and a lot of self-editing.
Based
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.”
When
it comes to giving good email, making it easy to say “Yes!” is
objective number one. Sadly, it’s also where most people fall down on
the job.
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. 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.
Or, not respond at all.
If
you are asking someone to take the time to answer you, it should be
very clear what you are asking for. 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 not, you need to redraft.
Step 2: Write an intriguing subject line.
Composing
a good email subject line is akin to writing a great headline. If
you’re cold-emailing someone you’ve never met, it’s important to strike a
balance between being direct and being interesting.
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.)
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. 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.
For
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.
Step 3: Establish your credibility.
“Why
should I care?” is the tacit question hovering in most people’s minds
every time they open an email from someone they don’t know. This is why
establishing your credibility is crucial. Tell your reader why you are
different, why you are accomplished, and why they should pay attention
to you.
If
I’m contacting someone about contributing to 99u.com, I might share
stats on our monthly page views and social media reach to do this. If
the ask is related to one of our events, I would share audience size,
years sold out, and a power-list of past speakers.
If
you don’t have “data points” to share, you can also establish
credibility by being a keen observer of the person you are contacting;
you could tell them how long you’ve followed their work, how you enjoyed
the last blog post they wrote, etc. As long as it’s not fawning, most
people appreciate being noticed.
“Why
should I care?” is the tacit question hovering in most people’s minds
every time they open an email from someone they don’t know.
Step 4: Be concise & get to the point.
Never
assume that someone is going to read your entire email. You should make
it clear from the get-go exactly what you are asking for. That means
clarifying why you’re reaching out in the first sentence or two, and no
later.
However,
sometimes everything you need to say can’t be explained in 1-3
sentences. If this is the case for your ask, go ahead and say your piece
(as concisely as you can) but assume your reader will be skimming it.
This means using bolding, bullet pointing, and so forth as much as
possible.
If
it’s necessary to give some backstory prior to the ask, I like to just
go ahead and break out the ask in paragraph two with a bolded preface
that reads, “The Ask:” If you’re asking for something, there’s no point
in beating around the bush. Make your objective clear.
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In addition to this blog, I have authored the premiere book on Netiquette, "Netiquette IQ - A Comprehensive Guide to Improve, Enhance and Add Power to Your Email". You can view my profile, reviews of the book and content excerpts at:
www.amazon.com/author/paulbabicki
If you would like to listen to experts in all aspects of Netiquette and communication, try my radio show on BlogtalkRadio and an online newsletter via paper.li.I have established Netiquette discussion groups with Linkedin and Yahoo. I am also a member of the International Business Etiquette and Protocol Group and Minding Manners among others. I regularly consult for the Gerson Lehrman Group, a worldwide network of subject matter experts and I have been contributing to the blogs Everything Email and emailmonday . My work has appeared in numerous publications and I have presented to groups such as The Breakfast Club of NJ Rider University and PSG of Mercer County New Jersey.
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