Mistakes That Startups Make #6: Email

Communicating professionally is critical to a startups' success. But many startups treat communications like a get together with friends in a bar. Drunk friends.

If you were looking for a job and had the email address of a hiring manager, would you send the following note:

"Hi. I need a job. See my resume attached and call me."

Or would you send the following note:

"I am very talented and can make you lots of money. If you are interested, we should talk now about giving me a job. Send me your Skype name."

Or how about this one:
"I don't know what your company does, but I need to work for you. Look over my stuff at my website and then let me know when I can start."

Or finally how about this one:

"I have attached copies of everything I have ever done. Read through it all and let me know what kind of job you will give me."

Believe it or not, I get at least one email every day from a startup company that is saying the same things as the above statements only talking about their startup. Come on guys!

Now that Twitter is around, I also get the 140 character queries like: "check this out n let be prtners" This is a real one!

Virtually all of these communications I will immediately file away. Ok, I lied. I file all of them away.

I got one email last week from a startup and the email had 130 megabytes of attachments (pdf, docs, etc.) and the CEO of the startup asked me to review and give them my thoughts and recommendations. Yeah, I have two days to read this pile of stuff. Filed away!

If you want someone to give you money or advice or work with you to drive the success of your startup, then your emails need to sound professional and respectful and educated. The CTO of a $B company isn't going to respond to you at all. The angel investor is going to blacklist your email address.

The ones that I like the best: "Review this information about my startup. If you can't understand it I will understand." Yes, I got this one for real!

The ones I hate the most are the rambling texts with a hundred links and no real information unless I am willing to click and read everything on the web. Invariably one of the links has a virus attached.

You have one chance to communicate the amazing opportunity that your startup can deliver. Don't blow it by being lazy. Be professional, be articulate, be brief and yet be thorough. Explain who you are, what your startup does, what market it is in, why yours is unique and why you are contacting them. Ask them if they would like to learn more. Don't ask for money, referrals, reviews or to join your board...save that for future communications when you have a professional relationship. Thank them for their time and consideration.