5 essential tips for writing that first killer email

photo credit: london's online dating photographer, saturday night's alright

Are you struggling to make a cool first approach?  
Hopefully you know me well by now, but if not I'm here to make your dating life a little easier, a little more successful and a whole load more fun wherever possible.  I thought it was about time we took a look at how you're making your first approach with someone who has caught your eye.  Have you nailed that charming, witty, enticing first email? Or do you still need a bit of a hand?

Here are my 5 tried and tested tips for writing that first killer email. (yes, I know the photos are of people attempting snail mail and phone calls rather than email but they are way more eye-catching aren't they?)

1. Start with the subject line
This sounds obvious but it really isn't.  Most people just put 'Hello' in their subject line or something equally interesting.  Hmm.  You're missing a trick.  The subject line is like your window dressing.  Start as you mean to go on by making an effort here.  Be brief but aim to arouse their curiosity.  Or just be funny. That doesn't mean wacky though.  You don't want to scare them.  If you are unsure of the difference between what's wacky and what's funny, message me, I can tell you.

2. Use their name (or username)
When you start the email, rather than just saying 'Hi', include their username too.  They will instantly feel more of a bond and will therefore be more likely to respond positively to your message.  Yay!

3. It's all about them
You know the emails I used to hate the most?  The ones where someone had cut and paste a good chunk of their autobiography into your message.  Way to make me feel special!  The emails that I loved were the ones where they focused on me and mentioned things they liked about my profile or joked about the things they didn't like.  Worked a treat.  Remember, people love hearing about themselves so always focus on them rather than you in your first email.  They will naturally be impressed if it's obvious you've read their profile.

4. Make it easy for them to reply
A good thing to bear in mind when you're composing your masterpiece is that you want them to find it very easy to respond to what you've written.  If you ask a couple of questions, interesting ones mind you, you will then make it easy for them to respond without having to spend time thinking about what to write.  Bam!

5. Keep it brief - leave them wanting more
No one wants to read an essay from someone they don't know.  Be brief and leave them wanting to know more.  Much like this post.  Ha.

If you want me to look over your first killer email prototype, send it over.  I'm looking forward to hearing from you.