Thread by @sarahdoody

Emails I generally ignore:

- Can I pick your brain
- Would love to get your opinion on this
- Can I buy you lunch or coffee so I can ask you some things?
- I'd love your advice [insert a 2,000 word message here]

Here are a few tips ...

1) Be brief!!!

Read and re-read the email before you send it. Pretend you have to ask your question in the length of a tweet.

2) Ask a SPECIFIC question

When you ask if you can pick someone's brain or for advice it generally means you haven't spent enough time thinking about it YOURSELF.

If you can't articulate your question in a simple way, it'll be hard for anyone to give you the advice you want.

3) Google the person you're asking & the topic first

Exhibit A ... when people ask me for advice about their UX portfolio I just think "um, did you Google me or that topic first?"

4) Consider if you need therapy vs advice

I'm surprised by how many people who ask me for advice probably need therapy due to trauma from past jobs. I'm not qualified to do that!

People have actually written, "I know you're not a therapist but ..."

5) Don't ask the same question on 5 platforms

Generally, if you spam someone across Twitter, FB, Email, Instagram, LinkedIn, and everywhere else ... they're not going to reply ;)