Do people dread seeing your name in their Inbox? That may sound extreme, but I’ve recently heard from leaders that some people’s emails are so long and full of details, they put off reading them.
It’s interesting how certain topics come to my attention in clusters. A leader said she had an awful experience in a meeting with her peers and leader. Her leader said he hated seeing emails from her because they were long and tedious to read.
Others told me they have colleagues who write such long emails, they don’t know what the writer wants from them. They put off opening those emails until they have time (and a cup of coffee) to look for the main points meant for them.
It reminded me of an experience years ago. I sent a lengthy email with much detail covering everything I thought the leader would want to know. He replied pretty quickly, “What’s your point?” Whoa, that took me by surprise. I knew I would have to be succinct with messages to him. But, he actually did me a favor, because I realized others probably felt the same but hadn’t said it.
I ask clients: What do you want people to think when they see your name in their Inbox? Will they know your message will be clear, succinct, and you’ll tell them what you want from them?
I recommend: When you’re writing, put yourself in your reader’s shoes. Their Inbox is full. They’re working on a bunch of priorities, have meetings to prepare for, and your email is one of many.
What do you want them to know? What action do you want them to take? Can you summarize your key points, at the top, and ask specifically for what you want?
If you like to unload everything you’re thinking so you’ll have it all in one place, ask yourself, is all this content necessary for my recipients? Could I preface this message with key points requiring their attention, then write: READ BELOW IF YOU WANT MORE DETAILS AND BACKGROUND.
Mark Twain famously wrote, “I didn’t have time to write a short letter, so I wrote a long one instead.” It may take longer to write brief, succinct messages, but it’s worth developing the habit. Because you’ll get what you want in return. And your colleagues may start looking forward to opening your messages.
