Seriously, Know Your Target Audience.

I’m not kidding. Please know this.

Nik Parks
Inspire the World
Published in
3 min readApr 16, 2014

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I stumbled across this article on Business Insider several months ago. This might be old news by now but I think we should take a moment to read an email that is…let’s just say less than professional.

The backstory: a University of Wisconsin student sent this email to a job recruiter. Unfortunately, this email went viral on Wall St. (Think about that for a second, there are some things that should never go viral.)

From: REDACTED
Sent: Tuesday, October 01, 2013 11:06 PM
To: REDACTED
Subject: Question

Hey REDACTED,

We talked a couple weeks back at the UW-Milwaukee accounting night. (I was the one looking for equity research positions and had a zit on my lip that could have passed for a cold sore. Lol. Whew. It was not. You’re probably like, “uh.. What?” Maybe that helps you recall, maybe not. Not completely important, I suppose.

Anyways, if you have a chance here is my question: (background first) I interviewed with BDO and Baker Tilly today, two firms that seem like good places to work, I believe they don’t kill you like a big 4. Tomorrow I have an interview with Deloitte :O somewhere I thought I’ve always wanted to work. Obviously I don’t have an offer so this is all hypothetical thinking, but if I get the job, the reality of the situation is that I’m getting old. 25. I know you can’t force love and I know it just comes when you’re not looking, but would working for a big four completely squash any possibilities for potential relationships if one came along? Is working for a big four a potential career — love trade off? I mean, I like money(as do most females) but love is…great ☺ What are your thoughts?

Thanks!

REDACTED

Sent from my iPhone

Moral of the story: Know Your Target Audience

I don’t want to pick on the person too much—we all make mistakes. However, you absolutely have to show more professionalism when sending a professional email. Don’t talk to job recruiters, clients, or potential bosses as if they’re your buddy.

Ultimately, I have a fairly informal dialogue with my clients but it takes a few conversations/emails to reach that point. Even within my informal conversations, I’m still professional. I don’t talk about zits or questionable cold sores and I most certainly don’t talk about my love life.

I don’t use emoticons until my client uses them first. The same goes for abbreviations like “LOL”. Honestly, email etiquette is an art. I try to find the perfect balance between showing my professionalism and letting my personality shine. I don’t want to be a boring, stoic businessman from the 20th century but I also don’t want to sound like a love struck puppy with a need for Clearasil.

Here’s another thing: if you’re going to send a professional email with your smart phone, don’t use the default “Sent from my iPhone” line in your signature. This signature can convey a subtle undertone. It can say, “I’m not willing to take the time out of my day to converse with you…so I’m going to send a quick email while I wait in line at the pharmacy. Gotta take care of this cold sore LOL #AmIRight?”

When sending an email, please know your target audience.

If you like what you read, be sure to get our FREE eBook: How to Price Yourself as a Creative Professional.

—Nik Parks, Co-Founder of Launching Creative

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Nik Parks
Inspire the World

@Nik_Parks is the host of the Launching Creative Podcast. He’s an entrepreneur, podcaster, interactive designer, blogger & co-founder of LaunchingCreative.com