We’ve all received at least one email like this: a wall of words that seems to go on paragraph after paragraph. You vaguely realize that someone is asking you to do something and it’s probably important to them, but who has time to read through all that prose to get to the meat of the thing? And if we’ve been (un)lucky enough to receive these kinds of emails, odds are that we’re also guilty of having crafted a few, too.

If you want to get more replies to the messages you send (and move others to action more easily), then mind your ABCs – Action, Background, and Close – to write better emails.

Action: Don’t bury your call to action in the last sentence of your missive. Lead with it instead so that your reader understands what you are requesting from them.

Background: Then, clearly and specifically provide any relevant background information that the reader needs. Use helpful formatting like bullet points, numbers, and bold and italic words for emphasis.

Close: End on a cordial note, and take this opportunity to repeat your call to action. In doing so, you’ll head confusion and vagueness off at the pass, and be much more likely to elicit a positive reply to your message.

Last but not least, remember that brevity is the soul of wit. Try to stick to one main topic and no mare than 2-3 paragraphs. If your message needs to be longer, then consider relaying your message by phone instead.

Tell us: do you have any email tips to share?