In this last poll we asked:
You get an email from someone you’ve never met (poor communication skills, but a decent idea) and they want to cut you in and give you control over a new web company they want to start. Do you:
And listed some potential responses. This is how you over 27,000 of you responded.
See the Pen Pie Chart with Conic Gradient by Chris Coyier (@chriscoyier) on CodePen.
The most common response was “Delete the email.” with nearly half the votes (46%). I don’t find this particularly surprising. I said in the premise that the email was worded poorly. That often scans as spam, which we have little tolerance for. Even if you can tell it isn’t, it’s not a good start. We are so busy these days, we don’t typically have time for even the best of ideas, let alone questionable ones. 6% would respond with “Thanks but no thanks.”
The second biggest slice was “Email back to discuss, but skeptically.” at 31%. This is the most pragmatic choice, assuming you don’t have so many of these the few minutes it takes to type up replies would eat up your whole day. Between outright rejecting the idea and being skeptical of it, we’re at 83%.
9% of you said you’d “Email back to discuss, all business.”
The remaining is split, 4% and 4%, between the two positive answers “Email back to discuss, flattered and positive” and “Jump right in, startupville here I come.”
Doesn’t bode well for our poor unsolicited email.
So what should they put in the email if they are trying to do better at finding help with their idea? I’m not sure our limited data can speak to that, but a little life experience and common sense could. I’d say:
- Be clear, direct, well-spoken, and honest in the email.
- Keep it short.
- Offer some evidence that you are real and your thing is real.
- Be excited and optimistic.
- Explain exactly what you need.
- Explain why it could be good for both of us.
New poll in next few days. Always open to ideas!
Well-written. You said yourself poorly written is an indicator of spam. I’d like a clear explanation of what the plan is and what is needed, enough detail with the offer to explain more if I’m interested rather than being overly excited – it’s got to read like a professional letter rather than a madly enthusiastic idea from someone that will burn out in 6 weeks time.
I’m not asking for a Gantt chart and all of that but enough to make me believe they’ve thought through their idea, they can express it clearly and they understand (at least broadly) what they need. That’s more than 10 lines but if that’s there, I’ll give it 10 minutes of attention, even if ultimately I decide no – but I’m more likely to decide yes if it’s good enough to engage me for 10 minutes than if it’s so bad I give up after 10 seconds or it’s so frustrating there’s not enough there that I have to ask for more after 30 seconds.
It could be a 30s to read email and then some links though, rather than huge download, if it’s a good intro to hook me and then a chance to read more and think it over before contacting them as well as contacting them directly that might be a better balance for me.
I chose “Email back to discuss, but skeptically.” Assuming after reading the email it wasn’t an obvious scam but I believe a genuine request I would likely at least hear them out. There are reason an email can be poorly written that aren’t an immediate strike-out, such as someone for whom English is not their native language.
Either way, a few minutes of time wasted is no big loss if it turns out to be bust. I see it as low risk for the small chance of something great coming out of it.
Poll idea…oldest browser you currently have to or do support…
Cool idea for basic guidelines, although commercially it’s not that simple – Browser support should be decided on a project by project bases depending on client needs at that time
Poll Idea: New-ish web technologies CSS-Tricks users are most interested in learning/adopting in 2015.
In addition to the items you mentioned that you’d like to see in the email: “Why you”? In other words, out of all the people on the internet, why did they pick me? They’d better know at least a little bit about me, and how I specifically will contribute.
Someone I’ve never met wants to give me control over their new web company? That’s a brazen red flag that warrants a quick delete from me. Even if the idea were brilliant and the request was legitimate, you would not go far with someone who chooses an unknown person to run their company. How could they possibly think I am qualified, knowing nothing about me? I think it would be ludicrous to not think of this as spam at best, and a waste of time and effort at worst.
For those who feel like their fame and wisdom precedes them, and the email request came because of their well-publicized experience, I think a cautious email to ask for more information would not be out of line.
Clearly stating why the venture would be mutually beneficial is indeed important because I believe many of the message recipients would be wondering, “Why are they so eager to sell me on this idea? What’s in it for them?”.
Ha! I actually thought the poll itself was some kind of scam ad popping up on your site!
Or is it just a really elaborate ad and now you’ve played right into their hands…
Future poll idea:
With client work, do designers:
– ship and split,
– do further work as and when required,
– have a service arrangement for recurring revenue?
Meet the individual or ask for more details. 15 minutes is enough to get a solid impression of the person and the idea for a start.
I’ve worked with people who had a clear idea of what they wanted but couldn’t put it into words, and others that … well, after half an hour of talking it all came down to “make it look good, I can’t tell you what I want, you do what you want, but I must like it when it’s done”.
PS this is usually a communication problem, not just on their side, but yours as well, since rarely you’ll meet a client that knows AND understands what he wants.