Did you ghost someone this week? The call to action in our last post was to monitor who you respond to and what messages you left unanswered. This self-reflection will provide insights into changes you need to make to your own communications.
What made you decide to respond to certain communications? Did you find those emails easier to read? If so, why? Perhaps you are like more than 85% of people and use your phone to read/screen emails. This is an important consideration when crafting an email you want people to open! Keep your emails short and to the point. Use bullets instead of long paragraphs and complex sentences so the communication is not burdensome to read or perceived as requiring effort to answer.
Was a specific question asked and easy to answer? I know I respond to that style email more quickly. Seeing a long text or email results in my closing it down until I have more time to read through it… and hopefully I remember to mark it unread, so it gains my attention again! Frontload your communication (and your subject line) with a call to action or question and fill in the details in the following paragraph. Reframe the question from “would you like to…” to “when is a good time to…” or “which of these times work for you…” versus “when is a good time for you” to strengthen your request.
Did you respond because a deadline was given? Providing a deadline a few days away may result in a quick response. If the deadline is weeks away, it may result in a delayed response due to the thinking of “I have plenty of time to make this decision” or “I have no idea what I’m doing in 6 weeks.” Don’t forget to include “Why” when appropriate as that may save back and forth emails and will help garner a response.
After asking the KOL for their preferred communication style, putting that into practice as well as the other techniques outlined in this series of posts, and continue to be ghosted, talk with your colleagues. Reach out to an MSL who is practicing the art of being an impactful MSL (the “MSL’s MSL” per se) and learn their techniques. Pose the question and listen (WAIT… Why Am I Talking (discussed in previous posts)). You are not alone in this so use the transformational skills you’ve learned and turn “ghosting” into a thing of the past.