Using the "So What?" Factor When Writing E-Mails

In today's world, e-mails are one of the most preferred methods of communication. It’s not uncommon for people to receive dozens, if not, hundreds of e-mails per day at their place of work. Managing and prioritizing these e-mails now has become an integral part of their work day as well as whatever their everyday duties may be. And whether it’s real or perceived, many people feel this additional task eats up a significant portion of their day. As a result, e-mails are scanned instead of read word-for-word. If an e-mail is opened up and it’s exceptionally long, it might be skipped or not read to the end. It could be one of your e-mails.

By nature, I am a talkative person and that chattiness carries over to my written communication as well. I always feel the need to explain everything in painstaking detail to let the receiver know there is a valid reason for whatever request I’m making. Over the years, I noticed that I was receiving fewer responses to my e-mails or the response I did receive didn’t answer my question or address the issue I was e-mailing about. I then realized my e-mails frequently contained information that was completely irrelevant to the receiver. That’s when I started using the “So What?” factor. I thought of the term myself, but I do see it’s used by others, so it’s not a novel concept and I certainly can’t take credit for inventing it.

Using the “So What?” factor is quite easy. Write your e-mail like you normally would. When you’re done, read through it and, as best you can, pretend you’re the receiver of the e-mail. After each sentence or talking point, see if you find yourself asking, “So What?” If you do, it’s likely the receiver will too. Determine if deleting the sentence or sentences will make the e-mail’s purpose unclear. If not, get rid of it. The shorter and more succinct your message is, the better. Here’s a short example:

“Hi Jane,

The sales report is due by the end of today and I still haven’t received the commission numbers from your department yet to complete the report. When I receive your report, it takes me about an hour to import the information into the master template, incorporate it with the other department’s commission numbers, and generate the charts. Would you let me know when you’ll be able to send it to me?

Thanks,

John”

Odds have it that Jane doesn’t care about how the process works on your end or how long it takes you to complete YOUR part of the job. Also, assuming Jane is competent, she already knows you don’t have the commission numbers yet. It doesn’t help to know when she will be able to send the numbers to you, either. It’s just an additional e-mail you’re asking her to send. Just what she wants to do, right? Send two e-mails instead of one. Let’s rewrite the body of the e-mail:

“Would you please send me your department’s commission numbers by 2:00 today? The sales report is due by end of day. If this isn’t possible, let me know so I can inform management of the delay.”

The rewrite might come off as a little abrupt, but it’s concrete, close-ended, and factual. If the person wants to know why it has to be 2:00, then you can tell them how long the process takes on your end.

On a personal level, the “So What?” factor also applies to e-mails you’re sending to companies to complain about an issue with their products or services. If you want timely rectification, avoid telling your life story. Customer services representatives read and hear life stories all day long. Clearly state the issue, describe how you would like to see the issue resolved, and ask what can be done on their end to resolve it. Anything outside of that will probably be just white noise and doesn’t contribute to the resolution.

Remember, most people are busy, feel like they’re busy, or both. Perception is reality. Staying courteous, cutting the fluff, and using the “So What?” factor will increase your chances of getting your questions answered or issues resolved and reduce the time spent following up on sent e-mails. It’s a win-win for both the sender and receiver.