Professional Documents
Culture Documents
KLG - MS - W3 - Breakthrough Introductory Email Do's and Don'ts
KLG - MS - W3 - Breakthrough Introductory Email Do's and Don'ts
Do’s Don’ts
1. Engage in the first sentence. 1. Don’t have too much content.
2. Use humor, or clever, concise language, or 2. Don’t say, “Do you have any calendar
metaphors to spice up the content.
openings this week?” Assume these people
3. Read your introductory emails out loud for
tone, clarity, and impact. are in demand and be specific. Say instead,
4. Double-check your spelling and grammar. “Here are three dates over the next several
5. If you do have a connection to a person,
weeks. Do any of these work for you?”
make sure to use the person’s name.
6. If you are giving calendar options, give 3. Don’t call them by their first name. Err up to
multiple options, not specific time options. ‘Dear’, ‘Mr.’, ‘Ms.’, ‘Dr.’, ‘Professor’.
7. Use appropriate flattery, but not over the
4. Don’t use bland subject lines.
top. For example, “You know a great deal
about this subject. It would be fantastic to 5. Don’t be presumptuous.
get your insights.” 6. Don’t embed giant links.
8. Keep after it and don’t take silence for an
7. Don’t have so much content that they have
answer. Send a slightly modified version of
this introductory email 5-7 times until you to scroll to read.
break through, each time acknowledging 8. Don’t go overboard on your research.
that you are reading out again. 9. Don’t talk about yourself right up front.
Examples: Make it about them first, then you.