The client email and the update to your manager
Point in the subject line, the ask in the first line, and a short update shape for your manager: done, next, stuck, decision needed.
Key takeaways
- Put the point in the subject line and the first line. Say what you need from the reader and by when.
- The strong email gives the result, the number, the recommendation and the ask in four sentences.
- Bad news late: The worst update is the one that hides a problem until it is too late to fix.
Key idea
Put the point in the subject line and the first line. Say what you need from the reader and by when. Most emails are read on a phone, in a few seconds.
A client email in five parts
- Subject line: the point, not the topic.
- First line: the answer, or the decision you need and the date.
- Two or three short reasons, each with its number.
- What happens next and who owns it.
- Attachments for detail, named so the reader knows what each one is.
An email to a logistics client in Saudi Arabia after a routing pilot.
Weaker answer
Subject: Pilot. "Hi, hope you are well. Following our meeting last month, the team has been working on the routing pilot. We collected data from both warehouses and looked at several measures. There were some interesting results, which are attached. Happy to discuss."
Stronger answer
Subject: Routing pilot cut late deliveries from 18 to 11 percent; approve rollout by Thursday? "The new routing cut late deliveries from 18 percent to 11 percent across 2,000 deliveries a week, with no extra trucks. We recommend rolling it out to the Dammam and Jeddah warehouses next. Could you approve by Thursday, so drivers can be trained before the month starts? The weekly figures are attached."
Why the stronger answer wins: The strong email gives the result, the number, the recommendation and the ask in four sentences. The weak one makes the client open an attachment to find out whether anything happened.
The update to your manager
- 1Done: what you finished, with the one number that matters. "Pricing model done: a 3 percent rise wins back the ingredient cost."
- 2Next: what you will do before the next update. "Today: check the price rise against two competitors."
- 3Stuck: anything blocking you, early. "Waiting for shop-level sales from finance since Monday."
- 4Decision needed: what you need from them, if anything. "Can you ask finance to send it by Wednesday?"
"Quick update. Done: the routing pilot numbers, late deliveries down from 18 to 11 percent. Next: the rollout plan for two more warehouses, ready tomorrow. Stuck: nothing. One decision: are you happy for me to send the client the summary tonight?" Under 20 seconds, and your manager knows exactly where things stand.
The worst update is the one that hides a problem until it is too late to fix. Say early that something is stuck, what you have tried and what you need. Managers forgive problems; they do not forgive surprises.
In the email above, the client makes 2,000 deliveries a week, and late deliveries fell from 18 percent to 11 percent. How many fewer late deliveries is that each week?
Which first line is best for an email that needs a decision?
Sources for this lesson (1)
- Recognized public explanations of case-interview concepts and terms
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