4 ms·

Be brief and say what you want.

• SeoxyS 15y ago
  I think this should apply for any kind of email, not just for busy people. Actually, this applies to most kinds of writing too. It'll come off much better if it's well-worded but simple and to-the-point. The more fluffy sentences you add to your email, blog post, internet comment or product copy, the less professional it starts to sound.
  • Psyonic 15y ago
    True, but long copy sales letters have been shown to be effective. It all depends on the audience.
    • vaksel 15y ago
      long copy sales letters tend to be aimed at the bottom 1 percent.
• Cherian_Abraham 15y ago
  To quote the Bard: Brevity is the soul of wit. Therefore, be brief when you can, but always..be polite.
• deleted 15y ago
  [deleted]
• lotharbot 15y ago
  Balance the two. Be direct in your requests, include enough details (pick the right ones!), say thank you, and cut out everything else.
• arctangent 15y ago
  I wish I could upvote this more than once. I'm a professional so I don't need requests to be sugar coated. I also don't need lots of detail in the first email. If I'm interested then I will get back to you!
• tapp 15y ago
  "Write tight."
• NickPollard 15y ago
  This comment is all the better for being both a description and instance of the advice.