Don’t be rude, don’t say Hello!
In written exchanges, many people begin with a very short opening message — “Hi”, “Are you there?”, “Quick question”, etc. — before stating their actual request. This habit often stems from a polite reflex inspired by face-to-face or phone conversations. Yet in a chat, this approach creates several issues.
🧠 1. Why this type of message causes problems
- Chat isn’t a spoken conversation. Typing takes longer than talking.
- A message with no content provides no information. The recipient can’t anticipate or begin thinking about a response.
- It creates unnecessary waiting. The person sees your message but can’t act until the question is formulated.
- It slows down communication. The time between “Hi” and the actual question is wasted for everyone.
- It can lead to frustration. The other person is left hanging, unsure of what you’re expecting.
🕒 2. The impact on asynchronous communication
In a conversation where each person replies when available, asking your question directly is essential.
If you only send “Hello” and the other person is away, they won’t be able to help when they return.
But if your question is already there, they can respond even if you’re no longer online.
🌱 3. What to do instead
The solution is simple: ask your question in the very first message, even if you want to remain warm or polite.
You can absolutely combine courtesy and efficiency in a single sentence.
This allows for:
- faster responses,
- better understanding,
- less unnecessary waiting,
- smoother communication.
🎉 4. The benefit for everyone
By asking your question directly, you respect your recipient’s time, make the exchange easier, and create a more pleasant conversation.
It’s a small change, but it significantly improves the quality of interactions.
This text is a reformulation of the content published on nohello.net.
