When my coworker pointed out I was burying the lead in every email

I used to write emails that gave all the background first before getting to the point. A guy in accounting told me flat out, 'Nobody reads past the third sentence, just say what you need.' So I started putting the request or decision in the first line. It cut down my reply time by about 30 minutes a day. Has anyone else gotten feedback that completely changed how they communicate at work?

3 comments

3 Comments

seth_singh201mo ago

Yeah @lindag33 I think it's just part of how pushy our whole world has gotten with everyone wanting fast answers everywhere now.

lindag331mo ago

Well bless your heart, that is such practical advice. People really do skim, especially in a busy office. Did you find that putting the request first made folks actually read the whole email, or did they just reply faster without looking at the details? I've noticed a few folks in my own office who still bury the important stuff, and I wonder if they're afraid of coming across as too pushy.

jakejones1mo ago

Takes me back to when my old boss told me to stop using bullet points in emails because they made me look like I was lecturing people. So I switched to short paragraphs with bolded key words instead, and suddenly folks started reading past the second paragraph. It's funny how little tweaks like that can change how people respond to you.