How to write emails people actually answer

Busy people triage email in seconds. If they can’t tell what you need from the subject line and first sentence, your message waits.

Five habits

1. Put the ask in the subject. “Approval needed: Q1 budget by Friday” beats “Quick question”.
2. Lead with the request. Context comes second.
3. One email, one topic. Two unrelated asks usually get one answer.
4. Make replying easy. Offer options: “Does 10:00 or 14:00 Tuesday work?”
5. Keep it short. Aim for under 150 words, or about five sentences.

Before and after

Before: “Hi Sam, hope you’re well! I wanted to follow up on a few things from last week’s meeting, and also there’s the budget thing…”

After: “Hi Sam, could you approve the attached Q1 budget by Friday? It matches the numbers we agreed on Tuesday. Reply ‘approved’ or tell me what to change.”

Following up

If there’s no reply after a few working days, reply to your own email with a one-line nudge so the context stays attached.