Using Precision Answering in Email

Answering email creates endless opportunities for building skill at Precision Answering. Email is easier to edit than speech, so before you press that “Send” key, pause for a half-second. Re-read the question they asked, re-read the answer you gave, and then ask yourself: Have I been clear? Crisp? Concise?

The Three Rules of Precision Answering

Learning Precision Answering is like learning any complex skill. We need to return to the fundamentals again and again. For Precision Answering, there are three.

Rule 1: Answer the Question

Don’t answer the question you think they should have asked, or wish they had asked, or were certain they meant to ask. You don’t know where the questioner is coming from or where they are going so, for starters, assume they asked exactly the question they wanted to ask. If you don’t understand, clarify.

Rule 2: Start with the Core

In everyday discussion we often try to save our answer for the end of the meal, like dessert. Precision Answering says to serve dessert first. We start with the core (yes, no, number, date, etc.). This makes the logic of our thinking clearer to others.

Rule 3: Keep It Short

We know a great deal about our work, and we’re excited by what we know. So when we’re asked a question we have a natural tendency to want to share our expertise. All of it. All at once. We naively assume that the more we say, the more value we add. The fact of the matter is that the poor questioner doesn t know what to do with our heaping pile of information, jam-packed with answers to questions that haven’t been asked and that would never have been asked. The more we say, the less they hear. As a result, the efficiency of discussion plummets.

The Essence of Precision Answering

“Speak in bullet points.” The three basic rules of Precision Answering can be boiled down into those four simple words. Bullet points help us discover the structure in our thinking, and they help us communicate that structure to others.

Exercise

Martha asked John three questions. As you can see, John’s reply was blurry. Rewrite his email using the Three Basic Rules of Precision Answering. Think in bullet points!