Daniel Kibblesmith and Sam Weiner are the authors of the satirical self-improvement manual How to Win at Everything. Their exclusive series for the Daily Dot will teach you how to win at the only thing that matters: the Internet.
How to win at email
We live in a golden age of correspondence, when every email that flutters into your inbox is a thoughtfully worded expression of friendship/exclusive offer to trade money for girth-enhancing berries. Follow these tips to craft an email so compelling that the recipient will carry out its every command:
- Start off with a riveting subject line, like “Urgent!” or “RE: Mom Death.”
- To keep the body of your email brief, use internet abbreviations like LOL (“Laughing Out Loud”), ASAP (“As Slowly As Permitted”), or FGATSHDAKMBSC (“Finally Got Around To Seeing Hugo. Definitely A Kids’ Movie But Still Cool.”)
- Employ persuasive words like “Please” and “If You Do Not Forward This Email to 5 People, A Girl Who Killed Herself Will Show Up in Your Mirror.”
- USE ALL CAPS, like the Torah does.
- Always close with a formal sign-off, like “Best,” “Regards,” or “Never mind, I’m calling you right now.”
Don’t get attached
Avoid downloading harmful attachments by learning what these common filetypes are:
- .pdf: Pretty Dangerous File
- .doc: This is a note from your doctor.
- .mp3: Backwards-attachment sent at 3pm
- .exe: This attachment was meant for an “Executive.” Install immediately for hot business tips!
- .jpeg: Jarring Pornography, Extremely Graphic
A final tip: How to email anyone
If you don’t know the email address of the person you’re trying to reach, simply draw a picture of their face with your mouse and confidently hit “Send.”
Illustrations by Jason Reed and Max Fleishman
