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9 Word Email Mistakes

We love a nine-word email. Usually, they are used for re-engagement, and they don’t have to be exactly nine words. Here are a few examples:

  •     Are you still looking to hire a software engineer?
  •     Is the position still open for a project manager?
  •     Are you still looking for a new job?

Notice the word “still”? This is the re engagement part. There’s no greeting, no signature, we’re only looking for engagement. But people often to these emails wrong. Here are the four main mistakes people make when writing nine-word emails.

Mistake #1 – Making it about you instead of them. Instead of saying, “Are you still interested in interviewing with my client,” instead we’d say, “Are you still interested in expanding your career?”

Mistake #2 – Solve the mystery too soon. We don’t want to give more than the hook. If we say, Are you still looking for a new job? If you are, you should really be talking to me, the recruiter in the world. No. Don’t answer the question in your email. Let the 9-words stand alone.

Mistake #3 – You’re caught off guard when they respond. The purpose of these emails is to get a response. Any response. Because the email is so short, it feels more like an instant messaging conversation and should be treated as such.

Mistake #4 – Going for the sale too early. This is reengagement and that means re-engage. Not shove your opportunity down their throats.

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Tricia Tamkin, headhunter, advisor, coach, and gladiator. Tricia has spoken at over 50 recruiting events, been quoted in multiple national publications, and her name is often dropped in groups as the solution to any recruiters’ challenges. She brings over 30 years of deep recruiting experience and offers counsel in a way which is perspective changing and entertaining.

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