How to write a successful email if you’re researching an issue.
How often have you emailed someone, or sought their advice and they don’t reply? Perhaps unbeknown to you, you’re at fault. There’s a science involved that generally works.
It revolves around emotional intelligence and removing the focus from yourself. Several years back, I provided a structural framework to students.
I recently invited an alumni to share her experience as a journalist, the amazing BBC Correspondent Shaimaa Khalil (now a friend). At the time of writing she is the BBC’s correspondent for Australia and New Zealand.
Shaimaa offered this intervention during a session on getting into the industry and making contacts with people.
Writing an email is akin to building a relationship. I’ve witnessed many instances in which there’s an assumption the recipient of an email is there to serve. It’s reflected in atypical emails such as this
‘Dear James,
My name is David and I’m a Masters student at the University of Cardiff….”
It sounds relevant we should say this. It’s like walking into a room and greeting people, yet there’s ample evidence this has little affect on the recipient of an email with whom you have no prior relationship.
Modern etiquette alone would suggest you demonstrate an empathy, or understanding of what the recipient does, and a reference at least to that part of their work which may help you.
Lots of people too have little interest in a new email unless it’s relevant to them.
The idea is to show empathy and emotional intelligence. Imagine you opening an email with the first line above. The likelihood is almost off the bat you’re guarded. Is someone trying to sell you something?
Now consider the expert you’re emailing who will be combing through copious emails on the day, and with the deadline of tons of things to do.
A hello from someone unknown, which is akin to cold selling, is the last thing, they’ll respond to.
So how do you get their attention? What follows is not a cynical ploy at writing emails, but a genuine attempt to accomplish your task of finding a relevant source who might help you.
Make the email about them (empathy!). We know this in principle but rarely practise it professionally.
When you see a friend, or are introduced to someone with a new haircut or new car you compliment them. This makes them feel good. You have acknowledged them.
To professionals and academics, what possibly could be a compliment? Their work.
So you’re better off in your first line saying addressing the recipient with Dear and NOT hi, hey, or watcha!
‘Dear Dr Purnell
I came across your article on climate change in the Independent newspaper online in September 2020 where you say ‘doing nothing when you can, is as criminal as burning the rain forest. ‘
Three things have happened here. Firstly, you’re making a direct genuine reference to Dr Purnell’s work. That requires researching.
Secondly, whilst you could be just citing the article for attention, you’ve proven you’ve read it by citing directly from the text. Ensure it’s verbatim or if you are summarising you’ve got it right.
Thirdly you’ve saluted recipient by his professional title. If he wasn’t Dr Purnell, then Mr Purnell or… Avoid addressing the recipient by their first name, until, if anything they give their permission. When you go to the GP, do you call them by their first name? No!
You now have the attention of Dr Purnell. Now what do you want becomes the focus of the next step. This comes in the shape of publicising.
There could be other reasons that you might come up with, but for academics and journalists, knowing that their work has had an impact is something they all wish for.
We had the international journalist Afua Hirsch on a zoom. When she was asked about her story on Rihanna by a student her eyes lit up. Her words were, “thank you so much for asking that question, because I suffered doing that assignment”. Afua flew to the US and back with 10 hours to do the interview. So how might you publicise their work?
I’m David from Cardiff University and I’m writing an article for my university’s blog about climate change and the pressing need for action and what you said interested me for an article. Here is my school blog.
Three things are happening here.
Firstly, you’ve informally introduced your name and where you’re from.
Secondly, you’ve said why you’re interested in the article because you’re doing something for your University’s blog Jomec 360.
Thirdly you’ve made mention of how his article has affected you.
Now Jomec has a blog called Life360 ( https://jomec.co.uk/life360-2019/), which is where you’re likely to post your dissertation multimedia articles. It’s not active at the moment, but it’s still there as evidence.
For those of you who have personal blogs, you may want to use them instead. Reason for this? Your interviewees will genuinely be interested in where they can read about your article, once you’ve written it.
I can’t stress this enough to students, develop your platform. Students that do, have a greater opportunity to directly show their potential interviewees an example of their work. This is Caitlin from last year, her blog https://caitlinlpowell.wordpress.com/
Sometimes interviewees will respond to an email if the article is being written for course work, but for some interviewees that might not work for them. Your research on your potential interview should help you determine the wording whether you say course work or your intentions for the piece.
The final paragraph is the call to action.
I was wondering whether you could spare five minutes for a phone interview for me to ask you a few questions around your article. Would sometime this week, say Thursday or next Monday be ok?
Here, significantly, you’ve said how long it will take and your intentions of a few questions. In those questions you’ll have ones you want to ask specifically about your piece too. Five minutes is a psychological time. Most people understand it will take longer than this, and If you’re liked it could go on ever further. If they have an appointment, you might reschedule.
After salutations and usually a regurgitation of (again) why you’re contacting the interviewee, that gives you on average 3–4 questions.
If the interviewee warms to your questions, ten minutes can become fifteen and so on.
Would sometime this week, say Thursday or next Monday be ok?
Giving your interviewee a time frame matters, but remember emails are not about immediacy, so give you recipient time to have received it. They may have a busy schedule that week, so you could give them a couple of days or a week for your request. If you’re in a hurry, ring them!
Here’s the whole email below. You can adjust it to suit your style of English, but the framework has worked for many over the years; from last year’s cohorts to a former student (2005) Shaimaa Khalil.
The whole email below can be read in 20 seconds and does not require scrolling. If after your name you can provide a link to something relevant, it’s very likely the interviewee will click this to become more familiar with who you are
‘Dear Dr Purnell
I came across your article on climate change in the Independent newspaper online in September 2020 where you say ‘doing nothing when you can, is as criminal as burning the rain forest. ‘
I’m David from Cardiff University and I’m writing an article for my university’s blog about climate change and the pressing need for action and what you said interested me for an article here for on my school blog.
I was wondering whether you could spare five minutes for a phone interview for me to ask you a few questions around your article. Would sometime this week, say Thursday or next Monday be ok?
Yours sincerely
David Brown
Masters student, Cardiff University
( blog/ Twitter / etc/)
