So you’ve decided that you like the profile of someone at an online dating site. Their picture strikes you as attractive. They have an interesting background. They live in the same city. Now is the time to gather up your courage and write them an email introducing yourself. But how? What to write? An introduction email, even if it is only a few lines, can be painstaking to complete.
Save yourself the time and mental anguish of puzzling over a first-time communication with the following tips. Remember: just writing something is better than nothing at all. As Wayne Gretzky once said: “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.”
1. Keep it short and sweet
When introducing yourself via email, don’t write a novel. Tell the person hello. Explain briefly who you are. Tell them why you thought you have a connection. Ask an open ended question or two. That’s it. The point of the email is to begin a dialog between two people. If you haven’t already started a conversation, make sure not to over do it on the first email.
2. Be friendly, but not over the top
People respond to upbeat and friendly communications. Your energy level and tone within the email must be appropriately good natured. Start with a “hey” or a “hi” to begin your interaction. Take pains to not come across as too needy, however. If you are too nice and come across as needy, you’ve already lost. Just be your natural, friendly self and it should work just fine.
3. Spell correctly and use proper grammar
You would be surprised how many people don’t spell check their emails. You want to come across as intelligent and well spoken. Misspelling and poor grammar are a major turn off. Take the time and effort to put your best foot forward!
4. Be humorous
Humor is an attractive quality to prospective matches of either sex. When you inject a funny/cocky/not so serious comment into your email, you break the ice. It also displays confidence that you are willing to be funny in your initial email. This is a good thing.
5. Be specific
A formulaic email that you have copied and pasted to many different people is completely ineffective. Don’t waste your time. If you are truly interested in contacting someone, make sure to include relevant details in your email that are specific to the person you’re contacting. Does the person love to ski? Are they really into fashion?
Specificity is what makes your email authentic. Also, include specific details about yourself. What makes you interesting? There is no preference for the average in online dating. Make sure that you stand out by including interesting details and qualities about yourself.
The first email can be a nerve wracking experience. Don’t let it be! If you take the time to write a genuine note to someone new, you will be rewarded.
