In a minute, I\u2019ll give you the secret to getting an email reply from almost anyone. But first, some context\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Even though I have the tiniest public profile imaginable, I get a lot of emails from strangers. I do my best to reply to all of them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The majority are kind words paired with a simple request, which I tend to reply to quickly. It\u2019s usually something straightforward like \u201cCan you recommend a mortgage broker?\u201d: either I can or I can\u2019t, and it\u2019s a one-line answer either way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A smaller number sit in my inbox for much longer, until the guilt of staring at them gets too much. These often contain multiple lengthy paragraphs of back-story, with the request buried somewhere in the middle or only hinted at. Even if the request is identical to the previous category, I hold off replying because it takes so much time and effort to locate it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And an even smaller number I can\u2019t meaningfully reply to at all. Sometimes it\u2019s endless detail (sometimes with charts and graphs) about the sender\u2019s plans, and a request for \u201cyour thoughts\u201d \u2013 which would take hours to absorb and formulate a response to. Sometimes it\u2019s a short message like \u201cI read your book, do you have any extra advice for me?\u201d, which makes me think (a) surely I would have included it in the book if I thought it were relevant, and (b) how can I give specific advice when I know nothing about you?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The general lesson here is the shorter the email and more specific the request, the more likely I am to reply<\/strong>. But there\u2019s one type of email I\u2019ll reply to quicker than even the shortest request: one\u00a0I don\u2019t have to reply to at all<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n That\u2019s because even the smallest question or request still creates an un-asked-for obligation that the recipient has to meet \u2013 and the volume of small requests becomes overwhelming, even for someone as non-famous as me. But if you share something kind or useful with no strings attached, it jumps the queue and I\u2019ll reply because I want to<\/em> \u2013 not because I feel I have<\/em> to.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I\u2019ve tested this out on other people, and received replies from lots of internet-famous people when I immediately release them from obligation by starting my email with \u201cThere\u2019s no need to reply, but\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n And even if they don’t<\/em> reply, your name will register somewhere in their mind \u2013 with a positive association, because you didn’t require them to do anything. Repeat this a few times, and you will<\/em> get a reply.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So that\u2019s how you get a reply from almost anyone: share something helpful and tell them they don\u2019t have to reply. Even if you do<\/em> want to ask for something, you\u2019ve opened a line of communication that might allow you to make that request successfully a couple of emails later.<\/p>\n\n\n\n That\u2019s the secret \u2013 now don\u2019t use it cynically.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" My secret for building relationships with very busy people. Don’t use it for evil…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n