In a recent blog post, Peter Diamandis provided some valuable insight on how to get your emails read by your recruiting prospects.
Keep it under five lines. I don’t read emails over five lines. I just don’t. I don’t have time for it. If you can’t communicate your message in the first few lines, it shouldn’t be an email—instead, the email should be a request for a phone call or meeting.
Make the subject line unique, meaningful, and easily searchable. I’m frequently searching for emails I previously scanned, and I need to be able to remember unique keywords in your email subject to find it quickly. Otherwise, it’s going to get buried.
Use easy-to-read formatting. It sounds intuitive, but you’d be shocked by how many emails I get with font size 9. Hard to read means it’s not read. Use line breaks to your advantage. Spacing is key. Give important details their own lines.
Make the ask really, really simple—so simple, it’s hard for your reader to say “no.” Have your email make a single, specific, simple request: “Do you have time for a 5 min call this week?” “Can you make a quick intro to XYZ person?” I should be able to reply to the email in one word (ideally yes or no).
Email is not a replacement for a phone call. Keep emails very short and factual. If they are long, then schedule a call or a meeting.
These rules may not apply to every email you send, but they do help you better understand what your readers are experiencing.
Great recruiting starts with great communication.
