Contacts and channels
Writing a message people understand
What decides whether a third party acts today or leaves it forever.
The notice is read by someone outside your context, probably on a phone, among twenty other things. They have ten seconds to work out what you want and why it matters to them.
The structure that works
- 1
Who and why
"We are X, we work with you on the Y site." Without this, the rest goes unread.
- 2
What you need, specifically
"The social security clearance certificate", not "the outstanding documentation".
- 3
By when
A real date. "As soon as possible" is not a date.
- 4
What it unblocks
"With this we can register you and start paying invoices." It gives them their own reason.
What sinks a message
| Mistake | What it causes |
|---|---|
| Subject in capitals or with "URGENT" | Filters send it to spam |
| Internal names: "doc 3", "phase B" | They do not know what you want |
| Three paragraphs of context | They do not get past the first |
| No date | They leave it for later, and later never comes |
Watch out
Do not write anything resembling an automated threat ("failure to comply will result in…"). The recipient is not a debtor: usually they are someone who did not know you had asked.
Worth knowing
Read it aloud before sending it to two hundred people. What cannot be read aloud without sounding odd does not read well on screen either.
›Can I save wording that works?
Yes, as a reply template, so it is not rewritten each time.
›Do I sign with my name or the company's?
Both. A personal name raises response.
›Which language for a foreign supplier?
Theirs if you can; otherwise English, with the document name also in theirs.
A real case
The situation
A notice asks for "the outstanding phase 2 documentation" and nobody replies.
What you do
- Rewrites it naming the three documents
- Adds a date and what it unblocks
What you get
Eleven of fifteen suppliers deliver within forty-eight hours.
The situation
The message uses internal jargon and nobody understands it.
What you do
- Rewrites it for somebody who does not know you
What you get
Clarification calls drop.
The situation
The message does not say when it is needed by.
What you do
- Includes the specific date
What you get
The recipient prioritises sensibly.
The situation
The message does not explain why it is being requested.
What you do
- Adds a line of context
What you get
People reply without asking first.
The situation
The subject looks like marketing and is not opened.
What you do
- Writes a specific subject
What you get
The email gets opened.
The situation
The message asks for five things in one paragraph.
What you do
- Lists them one by one
What you get
The recipient sees what is theirs.
This article answers
- how to word a document request
- email template to request documentation
- the supplier does not understand what i want
- improve notice wording