Читать книгу The Way of the Wall Street Warrior - Dave Liu - Страница 28

Now comes the finale—your signoff. People don't spend enough time on ending an email because they aren't aware of recency bias. It's the tendency of people to place a higher value on recent events than on ones that occurred in the past, which in this case means that the last few words of your email are more important than how you start. This is your last chance to make a final impression before you lose the recipient—potentially forever. So make it stick. Avoid the mundane and the boring. Sure, you can play it safe with something like Sincerely, the most vanilla in this category. No chance of totally screwing up with that one, but I always thought it a little weird—kind of like the written version of “To be honest… .” WTF? You've been dishonest and insincere this whole time and now you're finally going to tell me the truth?

Best or Best Regards has always been my personal go-to. If you're choosing between the two, I prefer Best Regards. It means I was willing to spend at least two words on you and I want only the best for you. Unfortunately, this makes Warm Regards and Regards the equivalent of a limp handshake. I'd avoid those.

Thanks is another one I like, as it can create a subliminal obligation for the recipient to reciprocate, which means you're taking advantage of the celebrated reciprocity bias, which is the scientific version of “You scratch my back and I'll scratch yours.” If you still have no idea what I'm talking about, check out the Glossary and get a refresher. You know how much work it takes to write a book? Show some respect!

There are other, more personal signoffs that can work, but only if you have, or are on the verge of having, a personal relationship with the recipient. Cheers, Your Friend, Adios Amigo, and Ciao only work if you really know the person, or maybe even if you think you do. And please, no emojis! This isn't your group chat where you message your girlfriends about how your BFF just became your BF.

A few final tips for how to introduce yourself: Always add your email and cell phone and any other method of contacting you. It shows your availability 24-7, which bodes well for being a great employee in the grit department. But never, ever, ever include social media sites like Facebook or Instagram. You never know when one of your girlfriends will decide to tag you in a G.O.A.T. pic. Also, get a Gmail account. You millennials might not even know what I'm talking about here, but nothing screams tool or luddite more than daveliu@AOL.com. Those of you who do still use AOL, if you send me a check for $1,000, I can get you a Google account. I know people….

One secret tip: No one ever uses P.S. (postscript) anymore, but frankly (I've been being frank the whole time, honest), I think it's a perfect vehicle to do something off the wall or get in a last comment or word. If you're one of the few people who reads this book aside from my Mom, use a P.S. and stand out. I sometimes use it to refer to something casual that was discussed during the interview and could help build affinity:

 P.S. Let's hope the Rockets recover from trading The Beard and have a better 2022, or I may have to become a Mavericks fan.

 P.S. If you're looking for a good bottle of wine, be sure to try the Rioja Gran Reserva. Spanish wines are so underrated!

 P.S. No one really uses P.S. anymore. I do. It shows you my respect for the past, present, and future.

One more super-secret tip: Remember attentional bias? Just checking. Well, think about ways to stand out but in a personal and meaningful way. I once got a thank-you note that was handwritten—in cursive! (I mean who the hell knows how to write in script anymore? I can barely write two sentences in block letters without it looking like I had a heart attack mid-sentence.) It means you've taken the time to gather your thoughts, write a personalized message, research my office address, place it in an envelope, lick it (OK, that's gross), spend some dough to put a stamp on it, get off your ass, and drop it in the mailbox. Now that's spam with heart, unlike the crap most of you Axiom passengers³ will cut, paste, and send out ad infinitum.

And here's my last two bits of advice about emails: Proofread carefully for missing and extra words. And spell-check! Nothing can get you knocked out of contention faster than a few well-placed typos—especially in the anal-retentive world of Wall Street. Some of my personal favorites include:

 I'm very interested in working on Initial Pubic Offerings.

 I enjoy writing prospectuses. After all, the penis mightier than the sword.

 I have a strong attention to to detail.

You might be meeting with someone as anal as I am, so you'd better double-check and then do it one more time for me!