Few things are as frustrating as sending out an email and waiting… and waiting… to get a response – especially if the other person is still sending you emails even as yours goes unanswered.

It turns out that the tardy replier may have a valid reason. A study at the University of Waterloo, Canada, found that sometimes, people put off answering emails due to the time and effort involved in handling them. This includes replying, reading carefully, clicking on links and opening attachments.

In behavioural science, such actions are obstacles that deter someone from completing a task. So to get a person to take action, such as replying to your email, the task has to be as easy as possible.

Here’s how to make your emails easier to respond to.

Be Clear and Simple

To avoid being misunderstood or being unclear, we may sometimes over-explain ourselves in lengthy emails. But this can make the email confusing and difficult to read. Remove words that do not add clarity, such as unnecessary adjectives and adverbs.

In a long email already full of information, a complex request will only overwhelm your recipient even more. At the end of your email, put your instructions without any embellishment – an actionable task is best. Try to ease the decision-making process for them by providing options.

Sometimes, people do not write back because there are multiple recipients and it is unclear who should reply. To prevent this, send emails only to relevant people and use the tagging function to mention the person you want a response from.

Be Strategic and Timely

The average office worker receives 121 emails each day. If time is tight and you need a quick reply, it is crucial to ensure that your recipient sees your email.

A handy tip is to schedule your email so that it will be at the top of your recipient’s inbox. Finding out when your recipient is most likely to check emails can go a long way. Most people tend to check their emails at specific points in the day, such as when they first arrive at work, after lunch or just before they go home.

Chase Them (Politely)

Like you, your email recipients might be busy with other work or forget to reply. Other times, they may be delayed by something they cannot control, such as waiting to get more information from colleagues or clearance from their bosses.

In these situations, the only thing to do is gently chase them for an update. Follow-up emails keep to the same rules as regular emails – be sure to keep them short, simple and clear. You can also nudge a reply by keeping your tone positive and encouraging.

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