Simple Email Hack: Get Your Questions Answered

July 25, 2007 by Ben Yoskovitz 42 Comments

Whether we like it or not, email is still the primary mode of communication online. That’s not going to change any time soon.

We’ve got instant messenger, Twitter, Skype, message boards, project management tools, messaging applications, etc. The list of ways to communicate online is endless.

But email still rules the day. And it still works.

Of course, the problems with email are clear. People are overwhelmed with the volume of email they receive. They scan and skim instead of reading things in-depth.

The result – when asking a question via email – is a strong possibility you don’t get the answer you need. You might not get an answer at all…

And that’s frustrating. You can’t keep asking the same question over and over, and presumably you’re asking the question because you really want an answer.

Tip: The last question you ask in an email is the one that will get answered.

People will skim your email, get to the bottom and see a call to action. If you’ve peppered your email with other questions, it’s very likely people will miss them, or won’t bother responding. They will key in on the last question.

Be careful about adding a PS question. This is typically the most casual question, it’s an attempt at extracting just a bit more information and continuing the conversation. But it’s rarely the most important question (although sometimes it can be!)
Put questions on their own line. Even if this doesn’t make complete sense from a reading/writing flow perspective, do it anyway. Make questions stand out.
Make the last question the most important one. The one you need answered.

It comes down to smart copywriting.

Sending email is about telling a compelling story and encouraging action. Don’t fool yourself: Email is a great sales and marketing tool. It’s a great research tool. It’s a great relationship building tool. But to extract value from email means writing in a well-formatted, easily digestible manner.

And if you’re asking questions in email – focus your energy on the last one you ask. Make it count, because that’s the one people will answer.

julien

now this is an interesting post! great tips in here dude.
francesco mapelli

You still have to find a way to be sure the readers will readthe last question…

sometimes, the first question is the one that get the answer, because often people do not read the entire mail… don’t you think?
julien

now this is an interesting post! great tips in here dude.
francesco mapelli

You still have to find a way to be sure the readers will readthe last question…

sometimes, the first question is the one that get the answer, because often people do not read the entire mail… don't you think?
Futuristic

Nice tips, you know I thought the first question was the most important, apparently I should put that to the last one.
Futuristic

Nice tips, you know I thought the first question was the most important, apparently I should put that to the last one.
David Airey :: Graphic Designer

Francesco, I think the main point is not to ask superflous questions.

Ben, nice write-up. I often read emails that contain much more info than is necessary.
David Airey :: Graphic Designe

Francesco, I think the main point is not to ask superflous questions.

Ben, nice write-up. I often read emails that contain much more info than is necessary.
A N Techie

I think you need to expand this to what I call the emailing “rule of one”:

“If expecting a response to an email you are sending, you can only talk about *one* subject, or ask *one* question, otherwise the number of answers you get will almost certainly be less than the number of questions you asked.”

So actually the previous posters are right AND the article is right. You should make your most important question both the first and the last question, that is, the *only* question. It’s worth sending separate emails if you have more than one question to ask, you stand a much better chance of getting them all answered.
A N Techie

I think you need to expand this to what I call the emailing “rule of one”:

“If expecting a response to an email you are sending, you can only talk about *one* subject, or ask *one* question, otherwise the number of answers you get will almost certainly be less than the number of questions you asked.”

So actually the previous posters are right AND the article is right. You should make your most important question both the first and the last question, that is, the *only* question. It's worth sending separate emails if you have more than one question to ask, you stand a much better chance of getting them all answered.
Sara

Great post. I think it’s important generally to think about what it would be like to receive the email you are sending out. Because email is nearly instant, it is often stream-of-whatever-jumped-into-the-rain (read: selfish) and is not simple, clear, or brief enough. Convey quickly what it is you want from the person; don’t make them work through your thought process.
Sara

oops. “rain” should be “brain”. proving my own rule…
Sara

Great post. I think it's important generally to think about what it would be like to receive the email you are sending out. Because email is nearly instant, it is often stream-of-whatever-jumped-into-the-rain (read: selfish) and is not simple, clear, or brief enough. Convey quickly what it is you want from the person; don't make them work through your thought process.
Sara

oops. “rain” should be “brain”. proving my own rule…
Francis Wu

Pretty practical advice. Another tip is to take advantage of lists. Unline questions lost in a paragraph, lists of questions are very scanable.

Furthermore, because they’re pretty structured, you can expect your response to be equally structured. An ordered list of 10 questions should yield 10 answers.
Francis Wu

Pretty practical advice. Another tip is to take advantage of lists. Unline questions lost in a paragraph, lists of questions are very scanable.

Furthermore, because they're pretty structured, you can expect your response to be equally structured. An ordered list of 10 questions should yield 10 answers.
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Ben Yoskovitz

@Sara: I like your approach – send what you’d want to receive. “Do unto others…” right?

@Francis: No question. Bullet points and numbered lists – that’s key in any email.

Even if it ruins the flow a bit, and seems a bit less personal, I regularly do this. If I want to make a few points in an email, I use a numbered list. Everyone can then reference the numbers later on.

Thanks for all the comments so far!
Ben Yoskovitz

@Sara: I like your approach – send what you'd want to receive. “Do unto others…” right?

@Francis: No question. Bullet points and numbered lists – that's key in any email.

Even if it ruins the flow a bit, and seems a bit less personal, I regularly do this. If I want to make a few points in an email, I use a numbered list. Everyone can then reference the numbers later on.

Thanks for all the comments so far!
Wake Up Early

In situations like this, if I have a very important question that I need answered, I always send it in a separate email, containing only this one question. That gives me more confidence I’ll get the answer 🙂
Should be carefuly with this advice though – you do not want to be considered as a spammer 🙂
Wake Up Early

In situations like this, if I have a very important question that I need answered, I always send it in a separate email, containing only this one question. That gives me more confidence I'll get the answer 🙂
Should be carefuly with this advice though – you do not want to be considered as a spammer 🙂
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Palm Coast

Definitely some great tips right there, thanks for sharing.
Palm Coast

Definitely some great tips right there, thanks for sharing.
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eve

Goodness! Great tips- I am going to start using them ASAP, I recently received an email back and from reading it, they didn’t even READ 3/4 of the email, let alone answer the one question I asked! Thanks!
eve

Goodness! Great tips- I am going to start using them ASAP, I recently received an email back and from reading it, they didn't even READ 3/4 of the email, let alone answer the one question I asked! Thanks!
Country Music

Excellent advice. i know a lot of times I get frustrated when questions I ask in an email don’t get answered. Maybe it’s something as simple as reformating my message.
Country Music

Excellent advice. i know a lot of times I get frustrated when questions I ask in an email don't get answered. Maybe it's something as simple as reformating my message.
Ben Yoskovitz

eve — That’s definitely a problem. It happens to me too — you finally get a response from someone that you really want to hear from, but their response doesn’t answer the questions you asked because they didn’t really read the email. Very frustrating…
Ben Yoskovitz

eve — That's definitely a problem. It happens to me too — you finally get a response from someone that you really want to hear from, but their response doesn't answer the questions you asked because they didn't really read the email. Very frustrating…
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Sam

This isn’t even a hack it’s just tips on how to get your stupid email question responded to, thanks for wasting my time, friend.
Sam

This isn't even a hack it's just tips on how to get your stupid email question responded to, thanks for wasting my time, friend.
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Raymond Popowich

Hello,

This is an interesting opinion. It’s actually the opposite of what I would expect. I tend to ask my questions at the beginning of an email and then follow them with details. If I’m asking for help I’ll include any troubleshooting steps that I have already tried. Are you a top poster or a bottom poster? Meaning when you reply to an email do you reply above the original email or trim the email down to the relevant information and reply under the original email and questions?

-Raymond
Raymond Popowich

Hello,

This is an interesting opinion. It’s actually the opposite of what I would expect. I tend to ask my questions at the beginning of an email and then follow them with details. If I’m asking for help I’ll include any troubleshooting steps that I have already tried. Are you a top poster or a bottom poster? Meaning when you reply to an email do you reply above the original email or trim the email down to the relevant information and reply under the original email and questions?

-Raymond
Michael

What doe ~~~ after a signature mean? Thanks.
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Simple Email Hack: Get Your Questions Answered

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