Big idea first.

Three words to give the main idea of this article: big idea first. I am talking about the field of writing emails but it is also applicable with a different angle when explaining something to someone.

Three facts about the average professional in the 21st century. If you are one of them you probably:

• You either receive and or read an average of 150 professional emails per day
• At least half of them are written or checked on your mobile.
• You check your inbox at least 15 times a day.

Add one thing to all this: in a reality full of distractions, our attention span has decreased. Some studies say that we can last a maximum of 10 minutes straight listening to someone.

The “problem” is already illustrated.

Now, the solution: express the most important thing you want to convey very concisely at the beginning in the form of a “big bang”, that is, all the molecules of the final production at the beginning of your speeches and emails.

Here is a concrete example of an email send by Head of Studies from a school (I have removed names)

...

Dear families:,

The Department of Education today informed us of an error in the form that it was sent to schools for families to sign and return before the start of the school year.

The error was in Point 3: "That my son will go to the center with a mask." In the new form, this expression no longer appears.

We are sorry to send you the form again due to an event which was not our responsibility.

Best regards,

...

80 words. Some reflections:

The main idea is not explicitly stated: “I need you to re-sign a document that I sent you last week” while it is the most important thing he wants to convey.

The data on the typo is not of interest to 75% of readers; if you still want to include it you can place it as an annex.

The emotion should refer to the effort on the reader's side (“sign it again”) not your personal effort (“we're sorry to send them again; it's not my fault”).

The new version would look like this:

...

Dear families:,

I kinldy ask you to sign the form again, as the Department of Education has recently modified the latest version (more details below).

We are sorry for the inconvenience.

Best regards,

PS - The error was in Point 3: "That my son will go to the center with a mask." In the new declaration, this point no longer appears.

...

33 words in the body of the email.

Your readers are full of distractions and have few minutes for you: waiting for the bus, at the doctor's office, in a webinar, in a car at a red light. Adopting the “big idea first” principle is not just a strategy for improving email writing, but a crucial skill in all forms of professional communication. This approach not only respects our readers' time but also increases the likelihood that our message will be received and acted upon. Adopting this practice can transform the way we communicate, ensuring that our main ideas are not only heard, but also understood and remembered. In other articles I will tell you about how to apply this concept to the spoken part.