💡Why Short Emails suck.

Hey—It’s Mohammad.

It’s a chilly 1:05 am…... morning? A dusting of snow covers the grass as my car ices over.

Hope it works in a few hours.

Read Time: 3.5 minutes

"Keep it short."

It’s the golden rule for writing anything, right? But here’s the thing: short doesn’t mean effective. Instead, what works is writing that’s clear, engaging, and guided your reader to action.

You can do this with one simple tool: Headings.

Headings are signposts for readers.

Most people overlook headings and use boring ones like “introduction” or “conclusion”. If you’re writing context forces you to use it those words, that’s fine, if not, let’s change that by targeting the biggest mistake: Using the main idea as the heading.

Instead use the conclusion as the heading.

Here’s why:

Conclusion-focused headings Make Your Letter Skimmable:
Assume your reader is busy. Putting your conclusion in your heading allows the reader to find the information they care about.

Here’s a quick test showing the difference between a main idea-focused heading vs a conclusion-focused heading using Microsoft’s Digital Storytelling Handbook as an example:

Main Idea heading: The Enduring power of Storytelling

Conclusion heading: Stories connect us through shared experiences.

Conclusion headings keep you Focused:

For the reader, it’s easy to find your conclusions. But it’s also useful for you, the writer.

During editing, the conclusion-focused headings help you organize the flow of your work.

But conclusion headings aren’t a cure-all:

If you're writing in academic contexts or proposal writing and the rules want specific heading names like “introduction” or “conclusion”, then this won’t work.

These won’t work on social media posts like LinkedIn or X (Twitter). Social media is perfect for surface-level content.

But if you want to dive deeper, writing long-form is the way.

3 Steps to using Conclusion-focused Headings:

1. Start with the Main Point

   Write your section as normal. Open with a heading that summarizes your letter’s purpose, e.g., "Here’s How We Can Solve [Problem]."

2. Break Down Key Details
   Use subheadings for each major point. For example:

   • The problem we’re addressing

   • How our solution works

   • What’s next

3. End with a Clear Call-to-Action
   Invite people to take action whether it’s booking a call or subscribing. Using titles like “If you need help, reach out” or “Book a call for more info” can work here. Make sure to experiment with the CTAs.

Here’s a Strategy for Improving your Writing:

Strategy Sections are arranged in 3 steps:

The Diagnosis: What’s the root problem?

• Your writing isn’t getting the engagement you want.

The Compass: What’s the true north to follow?

• Focus on Clarity in your writing. Making sure your reader can follow your train of thought.

The Action Plan: What are the tactics to solve the problem?

• Next time you have a longer piece of writing break it up using headings.

See you next Saturday— Mohammad

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