Client Who Taught Me to Stop Sending Long Emails

A client used to reply to my emails with one line answers. I would send three paragraphs, they would send back "sounds good" or "will check."

For a while I thought they did not care. Then I realized I was writing for myself. Long emails felt thorough. They were really just me thinking out loud and calling it communication.

I started writing shorter. One point per message. Clear ask at the end. The replies got faster and more useful. They had always been willing to engage. I had just made it hard.

Are your emails as short as they could be? And do you write for clarity or for the feeling of being thorough?