David has a tough one over at Words at Work. The post is here.
Cold emails/calls are stressful on both parties. The sending party has got to be nervous about sending some, seemly random, email to a blogger or professor or acquaintance. The receiver has the awkward, if you care a little, situation of not offending yet keep their reputation untarnished.
David’s criticism is sound. For me, the sender has to make it easy for me to do what they want me to do. Since I don’t know all the details, nor want to know, I have to make a judgment call based on that one email. Giving me the most information without making me dig benefits the receiver. Anything short of that is a waste of my time and a waste of my friends/colleagues/acquaintances time.
