The mall nearest my house has one corridor full of skincare and haircare kiosks. Every time I walk through it, I'm bombarded by salespeople trying to hand me free samples or demonstrate their products.

As I was walking through it the other day, a woman who worked at the hair straightener kiosk approached me. "Excuse me, ma'am, can I ask you a question?" she said.

I already knew her question because I'd heard her ask another shopper 30 seconds earlier. "May I straighten your hair?" she asked.

It would be reasonable to ask some people this question, but my hair is pin straight and obviously so. I have no need for a straightener. If this salesperson would ask me of all people that question, perhaps her only criterion for potential customers was that a person had a head at all.

And maybe it was rude, but truth be told, I walked past the woman without acknowledging her question. (I suspect that, at one point or another, you may have done the same.)

Job-seeking physicians who are being emailed by recruiters across the country may sometimes feel similarly. A lot of recruiters are trying to get their attention and start a conversation, but recruiters — given all they have on their plates — have limited time to discern whether the physicians they're emailing are the type who would be interested.

Here's your Power Tip: Before sending a broadcast email, narrow your search and let candidates know in the message why you're contacting them. Demonstrate that you've read their profiles and, if they're available, their transcribed candidate interviews. Is your job in an area they've expressed interest in? Does your community offer opportunities that match their hobbies? Does the job entail procedures that they've listed in their profiles? 

As the recruiter, you know why you're contacting a certain batch of physicians and what your search criteria are, but the physicians you're contacting likely don't. If, based on your message, your only discernible criterion for choosing the recipient was that they had a medical degree and a head, they probably won't be too inclined to reply.

Though it may take a bit more time and may require you to break your broadcast email audiences into smaller segments, including a clear reason as to why you emailed the physicians you did will help show those physicians not only that you value their time but also why they should consider your opportunity.