Communication is a two-way process. It takes place when the message you send has been received and understood by the person at the other end.

When you’re face-to-face with people, it’s easy to know when they have questions about what you’re telling them. Furrowed eyebrows, a vacant look, restlessness, and questions are all signs that listeners need more information. When you’re writing, though, it’s difficult to know if your reader has questions that need to be answered before they can give you information, approval, or another response you want.

Here’s a common situation. Jillian is working on an important new internal project. She needs Alan, her supervisor, to approve her budget as soon as possible. She sends Alan an e-mail message that outlines her budget and asks for approval right away.

How can Jillian increase her chances that Alan will approve her budget quickly?

One of the most important steps that Jillian can take is to make sure — in advance — that she has answered all of Alan’s questions. By taking the time to brainstorm a list of questions about your readers’s needs and interests, you can usually identify some of their questions before you start writing. Keeping those questions in mind, Jillian can try to overcome potential resistance, answer questions Alan might have, and even increase her credibility.

Example A (BEFORE):

Here’s what the memo might have looked like if Jillian didn’t take the time to think about Alan’s needs and interests.

Alan: We’ll be working for three weeks on the marketing campaign and would like your approval to get started and authorize the budget. The marketing campaign will include writing and a firm has been chosen. 

Example B (AFTER):

In this example, Jillian brainstormed a list of of questions that Alan might have and then answered them in her message.

List of Alan’s needs and interests:

• Wants to know when the project will be completed. Include: A timeline has been assigned to each deliverable.
• Wants to see the deliverables spelled out. Include: Identify deliverables and break them up.
• Wants to know who else is overseeing the project. Include: Rosanna will approve the first e-mail before the others are drafted.
• Wants to know more about the company named in the budget and why they were chosen. Include: More information about Write It Well and their role, prior experience, and our selection process.
• Wants to know that we’ve reduced the budget per Mark’s e-mail from last week. Include: Our budget has been reduced — we’ve reduced it by 30 percent.

Here’s the memo Jillian wrote after brainstorming:

Alan: Please see the following chart (with deliverables and delivery timeline) as well as the budget that follows. I’d like your approval by Friday, please, so that we can get started right away. Here are some key points to consider while reviewing the materials:

To make sure that we’re on the right path, Rosanna will approve the first marketing message before the others are drafted.

More information about the firm we hired, Write It Well, can be found on their site. We conducted a thorough search and chose them because of their wide range of writing and teaching experience, competitive pricing, and stellar references.

We’ve already reduced the budget by 30 percent per Mark’s e-mail of last week.

Which one, Example A or Example B, is more likely to be approved quickly?