Networking Pro-Tip: Do Better At Basic First Impressions

Heyy Rebecca ! <3

This was not an email salutation designed to foster a strong first impression...regardless of whether or not your name is Rebecca.

To avoid any confusion: my name is not Rebecca.

Yet a "Heyy Rebecca ! <3" landed in my inbox followed by all the reasons this organization was building something better...

Call me Doubting Dorothy, but it's hard to imagine this organization fulfilling any promise of "better" when they don't seem to have mastered mail merge.

Oh, along with spacing and spelling.

Unless the Heyy was intentional ! <3

This email is just one in along line of artificially architected communications which have found their way into my inbox. A single passing mention of generative AI in a recent LinkedIn post and suddenly I'm bombarded with email invitations to join a bespoke community of AI thought-leaders. If the sender had actually read my post, they'd know I was not someone to welcome into the fold.

But read it they did not.

Or, at least that was my very strong impression upon reading the "offer" - of something completely disconnected from my interests - being thrust upon me.

The bottomline is this - for those of you hustling to ensure a sold-out event or a community bursting with like-minded artificially-oriented souls (or whatever else you're selling for that matter) - first impressions matter. It's not something to ignore or to be "oops" cavalier about.

Consider:

🤯 How do your coveted brand partners feel about being associated with inaccuracies and typos?

🤯 How does your exquisitely curated community benefit from the extension of ill-planned offers of membership?

🤯 How would taking spending just a little time crafting initial outreach communications enhance impressions, engagement and outcomes?

Discover more (including a few oldies but goodies from the BYDN archive):

💡From My Inbox: First Impressions (yes, I've ranted on this subject before)

💡Five new rules of first impressions (the british psychological society)

💡 A Quick Cup Of Decaffeinated Networking (BYDN blog)

💡Are typos lethal in a work email? Nine digital communication tips from an expert (The Guardian)

💡 OPERATION! Build Your Dream Network (BYDN blog)