A participant in one of my email webinars recently brought the following scenario to my attention.
Lisa gets an email from Robert. In the subject line, Robert writes, “Here are five examples.”
Robert’s first sentence then says, “Is this enough?” Puzzled, Lisa scrolls down, where she sees three attachments.
“Is this enough?”
Well, no! The request was for five; hence the subject line — which Robert himself wrote.
If I promised you $5,000 but showed up with $3,000 and said only, “Is this enough?” would you say, “Sure!”?
If so, call me; I want to be your banker.
If you’re not going to do what was asked, then you need to explain why. Was the deadline too aggressive? Did you struggle to come up with material? Are your examples so substantive that they should each count twice?
Don’t just declare “Here!” and force your respondent to play defense or become a mind reader.
In fact, let’s assume that three is enough. Still, you’re deliberating disregarding instructions that are clear. You may be right, but professional courtesy demands that you offer a little insight into your thinking.
Here’s the key lesson I teach: Because email is inherently devoid tone, you need to overcommunicate. Spend an extra minute illuminating your thought process — and thus spare yourself the brunt of a round of passive-aggressive follow-ups.
