How to Email Busy People
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How to Email Busy People
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Re: How to Email Busy People
#2These are some good advices, and they're not limited to VC. In the academic domain researchers and professors also have a lots of email to deal with, maybe not as much but we also have to consider that reading email is even less their job than a VC (and they have enough freakin administrative tasks that take on their working time). As a matter of fact, I've always had quicker (and often better) responses when I wrote email that more or less follow the rules described in the linked post, for instance when looking for an internship, or requesting a specific paper.
Re: How to Email Busy People
#3If it doesn't all fit in the subject line, put what you're asking for in the first sentence. This makes the purpose of your email immediately clear, and if the recipient is interested in the details they can read the next four lines. A busy person will appreciate you getting to the point and not beating around the bush.
Re: How to Email Busy People
#4Sometimes, if you've recently met the person, it's just good to send a "nice to meet you" follow-up with no ask at all. You're very likely to get a response, and once the response has been made, you can make the simple ask (once they've responded once, they're probably more likely to respond again).
This is akin to the "one-line hook" in online dating: http://www.onlinedatingmatchmaker.com/match-messages/
Re: How to Email Busy People
#5I agree this advice does not only apply to emailing VC's. It applies to emailing ANYONE in the course of doing your job: interns to CEO's.
5 sentences often is too much. If you can get it down to 3 sentences (or even 1 or 2 with judicious subject line) that is better. Just state the situation and what action you request.
For christ's sake, above all, don't resort to voicemail.
Re: How to Email Busy People
#6I agree this advice does not only apply to emailing VC's. It applies to emailing ANYONE in the course of doing your job: interns to CEO's. 5 sentences often is too much. If you can get it down to 3 sentences (or even 1 or 2 with judicious subject line) that is better. Just state the situation and what action you request. For christ's sake, above all, don't resort to voicemail.
I agree on the voice mail, although I've come to realize that some people avoid email and online communication altogether and if you don't call them, you won't talk to them.
Re: How to Email Busy People
#7the shortness is very important...before I used to spell everything out thinking it'd help them make their decision...and my response rate was horrible.
now it's just a simple...would your company be interested in X...and if they say yes...thats when I send the rest of the details
Re: How to Email Busy People
#8Be brief and say what you want.
Re: How to Email Busy People
#9I agree this advice does not only apply to emailing VC's. It applies to emailing ANYONE in the course of doing your job: interns to CEO's. 5 sentences often is too much. If you can get it down to 3 sentences (or even 1 or 2 with judicious subject line) that is better. Just state the situation and what action you request. For christ's sake, above all, don't resort to voicemail.
Many people are really bad writers. Further, many people are really bad readers. Restricting yourself to email with someone who functions better on the phone or in person is just asking that relationship to collapse. At some point one of you will take something the wrong way, or write something the wrong way, and you'll just get deeper and deeper resentment and other fundamental causes of relationship dissolution.
If you're working with someone who doesn't "get" email, even if they think they do, you do everyone a favor by manning up and calling when you have to and meeting in person when possible.
Re: How to Email Busy People
#10I just weighed in on this in a slightly different way... how to email people for the first time: http://chriscoyier.net/2011/05/04/how-to-write-an-email-to-s...