Most emails are too long. And most emails, long or short, are either emotional deserts or they transmit the wrong emotional content.
Short is the only solution to email overload, and radical email shorthand is employed by nearly all the successful busy people I know. But it only works if you pick words that transmit feeling too.
One word shorthand for…
Friendly: Hey, hi, please, help, okay, great
Informal: yeah, yup, nah, sure, yo, …,
Aggressive: just (“it’s just that”), never mind, forget it
Dismissive: whatever (…you want), fine, c’mon
Connection: thank you, truly, warmly, visit (with), sorry
Encouraging: go for it!, absolutely, fabulous, super, yes!
“Just the facts” is a nice idea. But like it or not we’re communicating emotions, even in six words or less.
