How the heck do you get someone to answer more than one question in an email? I have read lots of email ettiquite articles, and I pride myself on concise emails that tell you something simple, ask a question or two or delegate some sort of action. But very often I send an email with 2 or 3 questions, because I need to know something like:
- Have you handled xyz?
- If yes, something specific about the handling?
And the response I will get is. “Yep I handled it.” or “Yes” or in a very special instance I have gotten my own emails forwarded to me with the simple line “FYI” :-/
Of course while the last example above is true, it is not central to my question here. How do you get someone to not just selectively answer one of your questions, in my experience it is either the first question or the last question. Or they respond to your initial setup of the context of the email.
I have not verified that this works, but I suggest that you clearly, visibly separate the items like so:
Did you get the memo about the TPS report cover sheet?
The printer is showing the error “PC Load Letter”. What does this mean?
Can you fix #2?
Can I have a raise?
This separates the items visually, and leaves space for the reader/respondant to answer each question individually.
Don’t deal with morons seems to be the best way for me!!! I understand sometimes it’s inevitable but limiting that can limit your issues in this area and others. It works for me!!!