Q. Why did you call it that?

A. Because it's a good name (read on)...

I once sent a woman an e-mail that explained everything she needed to know and do to handle the issue at hand. She called me and yelled at me because she didn't know how to handle it. I told her I sent her an e-mail that explained everything.

She said, "You didn't expect me to read that, did you?"

At the time, I was frustrated and thought her question to be a very selfish one. Since then, however, I've talked to the woman (she's really very nice), and thought about it.

The information I gave her was well-written and comprehensive. It covered everything she needed to know.

And it had too many large paragraphs. It was intimidating to the eye, and as a result, she didn't want to read it.

Since then, I've worked hard at reducing the information I need to convey so it looks quick, easy, and it pays back the reader's time and investment from the time they open the e-mail.

This blog lists the techniques I've found useful.