How not to send out an email campaign

Today I received an email which read:

Subject line: Courtesy Email

Hello .,

I hope you are well.

Just checking in to see if there any new vacancies that you would like us to help sourcing candidates for.

Best Regards,

(Name was signed but with no title)

PS: If you like our service, please vote for us in the SARA awards!

I was extremely amused by this because I am a Director of my own Recruitment Company and this email was sent to me from a competitor. I would imagine the writer is an inexperienced recruitment consultant who had seen one of my online advertisements and added me to her database of potential clients. Obviously she had not done any research at all on my company and has sent this ridiculously worded email, trying to pitch for business, to one of her competitors! It is no wonder our industry has a reputation for being cowboys.

Here are the mistakes this recruiter has made:

• Not researching my company
• Adding an email address to a database and SPAMMING
• Really bad subject line
• Not addressed to anyone
• Starts the email with a very personal statement even though it’s not addressed to anyone
• Asking me for business without proving she has done any research. Why would I want her help in searching for candidates when she clearly does not care less about what I do? She has proven she is careless and this email cries of desperation to meet her KPI’s and earn some commission.
• Asks a question without a question mark
• At the end of the email (below her signature) I am asked to vote for the Sara Awards - which is a Recruitment Award in Australia. I don't even know this company so why would I vote for them?

What she could have done:

Subject line: Your position for a Marketing Co-ordinator could be filled quickly by reading this short email

Dear Ms Carr,

I realise you are a competitor of mine, however I noticed an advertisement that you have for a Marketing Co-ordinator. I have an excellent candidate who has been personally interviewed by myself, reference checked and she meets all the criteria in your job description. Would you be interested in discussing a split fee? Of course I would be willing to sign a confidential information agreement and not approach your client directy.

Thank you for your consideration. This is a one-off email and I have not added you to any database.

Regards,

NAME

This email was so bad it prompted me to stop working and write this blog. What more can I say?

Debbie Carr is a Director of True Colours Recruitment. She is also the Principal of Coyote Managment International, an agency that represent celebrities and keynote speakers.