I receive solicitations from vendors every day…just like recruiters or employers who receive resumes and emails from eager job candidates every day.
The email I received today struck a nerve and I guarantee I will not respond to it. And it’s probably the same reason a recruiter or employer is not replying to your grad.
Good Afternoon,
My name is Karen and I am an Account Executive with AT&T. I wanted to reach out to introduce myself as well as make myself available to you to discuss any accounts that you currently have with AT&T as well as any services that you may have been interested in getting with AT&T. Please reach out to me to see what mobility promotions are currently happening. If you are interested in internet or voice services, please provide me with your business address so that I may qualify it for service. If you would like to schedule a meeting to discuss, please let me know what days and times you will be available. Please keep this email for future reference should you decide you need AT&T services in the future. Thank you and I look forward to hearing from you.
Best,
Karen
Here is why…
- The email is not addressed to me. This person may have figured out my email address but did not do the homework to use my name in the greeting. Please use my name.
- Way too wordy. She is making herself “available” to speak with me? I don’t have an account with this company, and she hasn’t made it clear why I should keep reading.
- I should reach out to her? Where is the value? What’s my incentive to speak with her?
- Throwing spaghetti on the wall. She told me she could help me with too many things. Just like grads who say they will do anything. Too many choices and not enough focus.
- Scheduling a meeting is too vague. We advise giving two dates and times of availability. Make it EASY for someone to pick a time to speak with you.
It is always the candidate’s responsibility to be persistent and reach out to meet or speak with someone. Don’t leave it open-ended and vague…less likely they will reply.
The irony here is that my first job out of college was as an Account Executive for AT&T.
I remember the stress and anxiety of reaching out to people to get them to buy a phone system or voice mail system (yes, I am that old). I was lucky in that I received training and had mentors to teach me how to sell effectively to prospective clients. And over the years, I have learned a lot about how to sell a product or solution. That is one of the reasons I love to teach young adults how to sell themselves to get a job.
The lesson is: do your homework, offer value, and make it easy for someone to connect with you.
Maybe I should reach out to her and offer some help?
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