I get a lot of bad emails. From messages clearly sent by Russian spammers, to awful newsletters that I have no recollection of signing up for, to marketing emails clearly meant for someone else. They all have some common themes. You can avoid a lot of those, so give me a moment to tell you about them. In fact, reading this full blog will take longer than fixing the problem.
Terrible grammar and / or spelling. We really do get email from Russian spammers. When we post a blog article, I can practically guarantee random spam will be submitted for comments. This is the first sentence of one received today, “Natural comes suitable for HealthLocated in close offers apartment in the cisco kid out of mnt Diablo.” I’m still scratching my head on that one. That’s why there’s an approval process before your comments appear online.
I wish I could tell you the terrible grammar and spelling comes only from Russian spammers. When we teach classes on email, I often get some back which leave me wondering what the recruiter was trying to say. Those do NOT drive valuable responses.
Do you know what a Preheader is? It’s the initial text in an email which appears as a preview. And with a lot of email systems you can set it. And if you don’t complete it, you get a message sent to your prospects which says something like “Pre-header copy goes here.” I saw this, from a top webhosting site, last Thursday. I won’t name names, but I promise you’ve heard of them. Needless to say, I only opened the email to use it as an example for this blog.
There’s a fashion brand that has zero male clothing. None. Well, probably a bunch like that. But there’s just one which sends me daily emails. While I’m not the judgmental type, you can rest assured I wear none of their attire. I would not make an attractive woman, even if I shaved. Nevertheless, here they are constantly marketing to me.
Here’s what each of these have in common: an extra minute spent could resolve the issue. Less than a minute is required to check the Pre-header and customize it. Less than a minute is required to correct the bad spelling and grammar which is already underlined by the email program. Less than a minute is required to make sure the person you’re emailing will find the email relevant.
Spare a minute, and your emails are already better. Spare two hours with our Mail Mastery class on January 30th, and you will see your response rates really come alive.
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Jason Thibeault, acclaimed recruiter, trainer, coach, and superhero. Jason brings decades of experience in search, and is also a published author, a black belt martial artist and a former chess champ. His specialty is getting into the minds of people and unlocking the big picture and clearing the next obstacle. You’ll have so much fun with him; it won’t feel like work.
Great article, Jason… Will you write one for us?
Probably. Send me an email about your needs and we’ll discuss.