The Silent Roar of a Cold Email...

Hey there, as I head off to unwind with my loved ones, a one-of-a-kind gathering popped up in my vicinity. I wish to share it with you as you head off into the new year. May it bring you good cheer, writing tips, and a dash of boldness!

(No subject): “Good Evening everyone. This is our regular gathering of “unsent emails”. My name is “(No subject)”, and I will moderate this session. Let’s open this meeting with a moment of silence for our companions who were sent to the unknown destination we call the web ** silence**. This is a time for us to share our experiences, strengths, and weaknesses with each other so we can finally come out of the “Drafts” folder. We want to help our indecisive writers gain confidence in their ambitions. Everyone is familiar with the goings of this event. We can each take a turn to speak, and the others listen with kindness. This is a safe space. Who will go first?”

Draft: “Hi, I can go first. My name is “Draft”, and I am a cold email. I live in a cramped space with many others who share the same name. We have a hard time knowing who is who, needless to say, but we are not on good terms. And every other day a new email pops up. Sometimes, the new guys have names, those with more letters are arrogant.”

(No subject): “Now, now Draft. We are all in this together. No name-calling, please”

Draft: “Sure, I will stay civil. So I was saying, I am stuck between two emails with the same name. Every newcomer pushes me further down the lot. Honestly, I just want a name. My only request is a simple subject line. Because my name changes according to the one I’m trying to convince. Or in this case, the person I wish would open me. Every reader is unique. I thought about it and I would like something along these lines “XX, It was great to speak with you”, “Do you have time to speak, XX about Y?” Something catchy, yet not clickbait. My writer is not a sales representative.”

(No subject): “How does the fact that you are without a subject line make you feel?”?

Draft: “Well, empty. My body started out promising, it was not a simple “Dear XX”, or “To whom it may concern” but a cheery “Greetings, XX”. The writer was on a roll. He made sure to add three key features to get that first call. Number #1, I was specific: I had a purpose! My writer wanted to get on a call to inquire about a development project occurring in the area. Often cold emails or messaging get a bad rep because we are vague and lengthy. The reader ends up asking himself what they are trying to respond to. A waste of time for both the writer and the reader, in my honest opinion.”

(No subject): “Draft, your word count is getting scattered. You mentioned three key features?”?

Draft: “Isn’t this an earnest space to share? I am sensing a bit of trouble shooting at me. Anyway, the second feature is honesty with a hint of humor. Of course, use caution if humor is not your forte. Stick to honesty. I have heard from earlier emails who made it out of this crowded cyberspace that the writer added a short honest self-introduction. And also why their passion is in alignment with the prospective reader. That is currently missing in me, the only introduction I read is the workplace of the writer.”

(No subject): “Last but not least, what is the third essential feature?”

Draft: “… length. See, my current writer is African and their first written language is rooted in Latin: Fran?ais. I don’t know if you heard, but word on the net, is that it is an extremely wordy language. As beautiful and romantic as they describe it, french is a big fan of? “forme de politesse”. It is a language that thrives on long-drawn-out texts and fancy words. It is tedious! And to top it all, African cultural values are rooted in manners. Reverence is NOT taken lightly. This lovely cocktail of cultures makes for wordy messaging. I am currently four paragraphs long and unfinished! Heck typos are the least of my worries at this point. A good first cold email should be short and concise. Tricky but possible.”

(No subject): “You had quite a few weaknesses to share, Draft. Perhaps you would like to finish on a joyful note?”

Draft: “Yeah, great idea. I am full of possibilities to create meaningful connections in the real world. I can be life-changing, by bringing like-minded people together. If the writer just pressed send. After all, the worst that could happen is no response or being labeled SPAM. I am rich with the possibilities of connecting strangers. I go an extra mile further than a simple swipe.”

Do you think that after multiple proofreading sessions Draft ever makes it out? #FreeDraft, unleash your possibilities, and start pressing send this coming year.

Happy Holidays to you all!