Following on our last weeks Zero Inbox tip here is one of the most important tips you’ll read this year.

Keep your emails short

Our aim is to keep emails to 2 lines and never exceed more than 5. Sounds too difficult? Just think about the amount of time you’ve taken to write and proofread that email, then think about the amount of time it’s taken for your recipient to read, digest and understand your email. If your email too long and complex will you even get a reply? We know many individuals who simply don’t read long email messages, so if you’ve just emailed one of these types of people you’ve completely wasted your time.

Keeping emails concise and easy to understand makes you more efficient and increases your chance of a response.

Pick the best communication tool

If you find yourself needing to write a long email stop and pick up the phone or start an instant message chat. Over the last decade, new communication and collaboration tools, like Slack, Google Chat, Workplace by Facebook and Microsoft Teams, have entered the workplace. Having a conversation with someone can avoid the back and forth that often comes with reading long emails.