If you’ve ever written a detailed email and received silence in return, you’re not alone. Long emails get skimmed, ignored, or misread. The solution isn’t more detail – it’s less. Shorter emails show respect for your reader’s time and make it easier to say yes, no, or move forward.
The fact is that email remains one of the most used tools in professional communication, yet many still misuse it.
A long email might feel thorough, but in practice, it’s likely to be skimmed, misunderstood, or ignored altogether.
In contrast, a concise email respects your recipient’s time, gets to the point, and often gets a quicker reply.
If you want to get more deals done, you need to master the skill of writing short, clear, actionable emails.
Here’s how to make every word count.
Keep It to Four Sentences or Less
Use the “four sentence” rule as a guide: aim to communicate your message in four sentences or four short paragraphs (with each paragraph no more than two sentences).
This structure forces clarity. It eliminates fluff. And it makes your message easy to process, fast.
Stick to Under 100 Words
If your email is more than 100 words, it’s probably too long.
Why 100? Because it’s just long enough to say something meaningful, but short enough to be read in less than 30 seconds.
And if your goal is action (and not just dumping information), you don’t need much more than that.
Subject Lines That Get Opened
Your subject line is your first impression. If it doesn’t capture attention, the rest of the message might not be seen.
One-word subject lines that look personal and appear to be for a specific recipient often stand out in cluttered inboxes.
Keep It Simple
Aim to write at a level that would make sense to someone in Year 5.
That doesn’t mean dumbing it down – it means making your message clear and easy to absorb.
Trade the jargon for plain language. Use short sentences. Avoid filler. This approach is more professional, not less, because it puts clarity first.
Use Attachments for the Details
Don’t try to squeeze every bit of information into the email body. If you’ve got data or supporting content, attach it.
Use the email to highlight key points and explain what the attachment includes and why it matters.
Think of the email as the “executive summary” that prompts the recipient to take a closer look if they want more depth.
Optimise for Mobile
Most people are opening emails on mobile devices nowadays.
That means your email needs to make sense without scrolling.
Test your emails on your phone. Can you read the whole message at a glance? If not, trim it down.
Always Make the Action Clear
Every email should lead somewhere; to a decision, a reply, a next step.
End with a clear ask: “Please advise by Wednesday,” or “Let me know if 3pm Thursday works.”
Ambiguity leads to delay. Clarity gets responses.
TL;DR
Brevity isn’t about cutting corners. It’s about being precise.
Shorter emails don’t just save time. They get read.
They get answered. And they help you move faster in a business where speed and clarity are critical.
If you want to improve communication, start by trimming your emails. It’s a small change that can make a big difference.
