Email Introduction Etiquette
blog.42floors.com
Email Introduction Etiquette
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Re: Email Introduction Etiquette
#2This is spot on, but this is still a PITA for everyone involved. There should still be a better way.
Re: Email Introduction Etiquette
#3Great, actionable advice! I've been using Gagan Biyani's "forwardable email" as a guideline, which is very similar. https://www.udemy.com/raising-capital-for-startups/
It seems that the likelihood of the email being read increases the shorter email is. At the same time, I have found the shorter the email, the harder it is to write.
Re: Email Introduction Etiquette
#4As someone who does a lot of introducing, if someone already owes me a favor, sometimes I try to cut the middle step of, "Would you talk to X?" and just cc: them both, but I realize it's a bit presumptuous.
As the OP rightfully suggests, it's the little things in etiquette that are important.
Re: Email Introduction Etiquette
#5This is spot on, but this is still a PITA for everyone involved. There should still be a better way.
Yes, I fully expected this to be an article about how to "fix" this problem situation. I have to say that I have been in a few of the positions in this sort of chain, and now if I'm the inviter, I always just CC both. Not forwarding on the entire chain feels dishonest. (Obviously the invitee doesn't need to read the whole thread, but it's there for posterity, and to give context.) If the "busy person" is so rude that they wouldn't want the introduction in the first place, then they can be that rude themselves, and not leave it to the middle person, IMO. If they're not rude but not interested, then they can take the 2 minutes it takes to compose a "bowing out" email. Sheesh.
Re: Email Introduction Etiquette
#6As someone who does a lot of introducing, if someone already owes me a favor, sometimes I try to cut the middle step of, "Would you talk to X?" and just cc: them both, but I realize it's a bit presumptuous. As the OP rightfully suggests, it's the little things in etiquette that are important.
I do this as well, though it seems in my field this is fine and acceptable behavoir (Unless you're from a competing research group...)
Re: Email Introduction Etiquette
#7This is why it's unreasonable to have any faith in the contemporary Silicon Valley. Cold-calling used to work out there, because it was full of people who just wanted to do a good job and help each other succeed. Now, you need an introduction because it's full of emasculated social climbers who need some way of determining whether a person is of sufficient social status to merit 30 seconds of consideration. Because of that, the positive-feedback loops that occur when hard-working people want each other to succeed have completely stopped in the Valley.
Re: Email Introduction Etiquette
#8This is why it's unreasonable to have any faith in the contemporary Silicon Valley. Cold-calling used to work out there, because it was full of people who just wanted to do a good job and help each other succeed. Now, you need an introduction because it's full of emasculated social climbers who need some way of determining whether a person is of sufficient social status to merit 30 seconds of consideration. Because o…
I think people are just busy dude.
Re: Email Introduction Etiquette
#9Related: One of my favorite articles on how to send an email introduction: http://jfleeg.tumblr.com/post/21231029406/the-art-of-making-...
Re: Email Introduction Etiquette
#10This is spot on, but this is still a PITA for everyone involved. There should still be a better way.
Yes, I fully expected this to be an article about how to "fix" this problem situation. I have to say that I have been in a few of the positions in this sort of chain, and now if I'm the inviter, I always just CC both. Not forwarding on the entire chain feels dishonest. (Obviously the invitee doesn't need to read the whole thread, but it's there for posterity, and to give context.) If the "busy person" is so rude that…
> If the "busy person" is so rude that they wouldn't want the introduction in the first place, then they can be that rude themselves
I disagree. The "busy person" didn't ask to be put on the spot to decide whether the inviter's social capital is insufficient to overcome their busy-ness or lack of interest in the intro or whatever reason they have for declining, so you shouldn't put them in that spot.
Assuming it's laziness totally misses the social dynamics.