One message, one ask

Every extra request, paragraph or detour lowers the chance that the request that matters gets done.

Shorter messages get more responses

Researchers sent 7,002 school district leaders a request to fill in a survey. Half got a 127-word email; half got a 49-word version. 4.8% of the short-email group clicked, against 2.7% of the long. Most people predict the opposite: when 148 people were asked which would work better, 67% chose the long one.

Give each message one job

When a message carries two unrelated requests, the second often gets lost: the reader answers the first and moves on. If you have two asks, send two messages, or number them so neither hides.

Make responding easy

A yes/no question beats an open one.Two options beat "let me know your thoughts".A link beats a description of where to find something.

Cut on purpose

People editing their own writing tend to add, not cut. In one study, 83% of people asked to improve a summary they'd written made it longer. Do a separate pass whose only job is to remove words.

The short version

Shorter messages get more responses, though most people expect the opposite.One job per message; number them if you must combine.Put the ask on its own line.Make answering easy: yes/no, options, links.Edit by cutting; we instinctively add.

Try it in Kanvo

Write your next request in Kanvo, then cut it in half. If it has two asks, send the second as its own message.

Sources

A 49-word request got 4.8% of 7,002 school leaders to click against 2.7% for a 127-word one, though 67% of people predicted the long one would do better; splitting a two-sentence text into two texts raised responses by 15%; rewriting truancy letters to a fifth-grade reading level made them about 40% more effective.