PQ & PA Skill Sharpener

July 2011
Write Email That Gets Answers

Most of us who spend our days in the domain of knowledge work use email as our primary communication tool. As a consequence, many people receive hundreds of messages a day. With the avalanche of email in our inboxes, our challenge has become writing messages to get answers. Precision Q+A is a powerful ally in this challenge. Combining precise questions with a bullet structure creates easy-to-read messages that get answers.

THE OVERLOADED INBOX
Most of us have had the experience of going on vacation, coming back to work refreshed, and opening our email to discover hundreds or thousands of messages clamoring for our attention. All that relaxation seems to disappear in the first hour of wrangling the inbox!

The simple fact is that most of us receive so much email that we cannot answer everything. As writers, we have to pay attention to this fact. If we need a reply to an important message, the best way to ensure receiving one is to craft a message that is easy-to-digest and straightforward to answer.

A REMEDY FOR THE OVERLOADED INBOX
Precision Q+A is a natural fit in situations that call for focus and conciseness along with analysis that gets to the heart of the matter. Using the five steps below, in combination with our Precision Q+A analytical skills, will dramatically enhance the responses we receive to the questions we ask in email.

Step 1: Write an introductory sentence that is focused, concise, and polite
Begin with one sentence that introduces the topic of the email in a highly focused manner. Use only necessary words to keep the introduction concise. Include polite words and phrases to make the tone clear. Some people worry about using Precision Q+A in email because they fear that conciseness might be mistaken for callousness. On the contrary, when we write email using these five steps the recipients are likely to experience the use of Precision Q+A as deeply respectful of their time and attention.

Step 2: Draft the questions
Most importantly, write questions, but do not regard them as finished! Use the rule that most of the questions that pop into our minds are too general. Generate a first draft that gets the thinking on the page, and prepare to edit.

Step 3: Pause and edit for precision
Take advantage of the fact that email gives us the power to recreate until we find just the right meaning. Pause after writing "first draft" questions. Take a deep breath and re-focus. Separate the questions to ensure that each one is distinct; ask only one question per sentence. For each question in the first draft, ask: "Is this what I really need to know?" Most of us will find ourselves editing the questions. Great! Edit them to be more precise, so that they can be answered with a yes, no, number, date, or short bullet list.

1. Question #1
2. Question #2
3. If yes to Question #2, then Question #3

Step 5: Pre-format the reply
Before hitting the send button, make the recipient's job really easy by pre-formatting their answers for them! This makes it very likely that we will not only get a reply, but also get the information we truly need. Use the structure from Step 4 to pre-format the reply in a way that is easy to copy and fill in answers. Point out to the recipient that they can easily answer by simply filling in the structure.

BUILDING NEW WRITING HABITS IN EMAIL
Writing email to get answers in the midst of so much information is a new form of prose. We are all still learning how to artfully communicate in ways that decrease cognitive overload and draw out our best thinking and the best thinking of our colleagues as well. The ultimate aim is to convey respect and information in a form that is easily digestible for someone who probably feels overwhelmed and pressured for time. Staying true to that aim will create better email-and easier work-for all of us.

THIS MONTH'S PRACTICE
Precision Q+A is a powerful ally in the challenge to write email that gets answers. When our goal is to draw out the best thinking amid information overload, we accomplish it by focusing our ideas, streamlining our words, and building a structure that makes giving the answers as easy as filling in the blanks.

PRACTICE 1
Rewrite the ineffective email below. Compare your rewrite with the sample, looking for the ways we've used the five steps outlined above.

Ineffective email:
Hey Kristin, how are you? Thanks for the email - I got it yesterday. After looking at it, I need to know some more information. Do you know what time to schedule the class to begin? And when did we say we wanted to end it-I can't remember? When the caterers come, do you want to break for lunch? I can't remember if we said we were going to create customized workbooks. How long would that take you, do you think, since I need to know when to send them to the printer.

Email to get answers:

Hello Kristin,

Thank you for your email yesterday. I have some additional questions, listed below:
1. What time would you like the class to begin and end?
2. What time would you like the class to break for lunch?
3. Would you like custom workbooks for this class?
4. If yes to #4, what date will the custom workbooks be finalized?

In order to make it easy, when you reply you can use the list above and fill in the answers following each question.

PRACTICE 2
Make a list of five messages you need to send that involve seeking important information. In this list, include the messages to which you most need a reply. For each of the messages, set aside 10 minutes and follow the five steps above. Allow yourself to proceed a bit more slowly and deliberately than you might be accustomed to in email. Do not send your messages until they are focused, concise, polite, structured with precise questions, and pre-formatted to make the answers as easy as filling in the blanks.

We're here to help. If you have questions, comments or suggestions for future topics, email us at QuestionMaster@vervago.com.

You may also join our LinkedIn group for Precision Q+A alumni by visiting us here at LinkedIn.

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