How to Earn Respect in Every Email 🫡

A little over fifteen years ago, as I walked into my shiny new Xbox office at Microsoft, I was feeling rather pleased with myself.

Finally, I had arrived. This was a proper job with a proper company.

The kind of job where important people send important emails about important things.

Little did I know that within 24 hours, my digital reputation would be hanging by a thread.

You see, in my eagerness to demonstrate my brilliant product marketing prowess, I sent my very first company-wide email. A rambling, meandering monstrosity of an email that spanned not one, not two, but sixteen paragraphs. No bullets. No formatting. Just a wall of text followed by three unrelated questions and an attachment that nobody could open.

The response? A frosty one-liner from my new boss: "Harvey, can we chat about email etiquette?"

Ouch.

Thankfully, I learned my lesson quickly. And I've been obsessed with email habits ever since. Not just because they matter for impressions, but because poor email habits can quite literally derail your career momentum.

Let's face it, we all swim in the same digital swamp of overflowing inboxes. But some people consistently rise above it, commanding attention and respect with every message they send.

It's not luck. It's not magic. It's simply habit.

So here are 15 two-minute email habits that will earn you the kind of respect that makes people sit up, take notice, and actually do what you ask:

1. Crystal Clear Subject Lines

If your subject line looks like "Thoughts?" or "Update," you're already losing. Make it actionable and add a deadline. "Website copy approval needed by Thursday" gets a response. "Website stuff" gets buried.

2. The 5-Line Rule

Nobody – and I genuinely mean nobody – wants to read your email manifesto. If it exceeds five lines, either summarise ruthlessly or schedule a call. In the time it takes someone to decipher your essay, they could have actioned three shorter emails.

3. Response Time Setting

"Please reply by Wednesday 3pm" might feel bossy, but it actually creates clarity. You get faster replies because the expectation is crystal clear. Without it, your email joins the nebulous cloud of "I'll get to this when I feel like it."

4. Strategic Signatures

Your signature isn't your CV. Pare it down to the essentials that look sharp on any screen. Mine includes name, title, company, mobile number, and LinkedIn. That's it. No inspirational quotes, no company logos that render as mysterious attachments on mobile.

5. Bullet-Point Action Items

One bullet, one action. When you do this, you establish clear ownership and make it impossible for people to "miss" what you're asking for. This isn't micromanagement – it's clarity.

6. The 2-Minute Timer

Draft. Review. Send. The entire email process should take 120 seconds. If it's taking longer, you're either overthinking it or it needs to be a meeting.

7. Polished Professionalism

Mirror their tone. Maintain respect while building rapport. It's the difference between sounding robotic and sounding human without veering into unprofessional territory.

8. The "One Thing" Focus

One ask per email. Add only what supports it. Multiple requests get mentally deprioritised or selectively ignored. I've seen critical product launch dates missed because they were buried in paragraph four of a multi-topic email. Don't be that person.

9. Preview Before Sending

Check who's copied. Check how it sounds. That moment when you realise you've just told the CEO they're "being a bit dramatic" because you forgot to check the CC field is not a moment you want to experience. Trust me on this one.

10. Smart Follow-ups

Wait 48 hours minimum. Remind with reference, not recrimination. "Following up on my email from Tuesday about the Q4 roadmap" works. "Did you even read my email?" does not.

11. Mobile Optimisation

Short paragraphs for quick scanning. White space gives the brain a break. Remember: 60% of emails are now read on mobile. If it looks awful on a phone, it simply won't get read.

12. Attachment Protocol

Mention them clearly in the body. Use filenames that make sense to humans, not "FINAL_FINAL_v3_ACTUALLY_FINAL.pdf." Small touches of consideration like this build your reputation over time.

13. The Power Close

End with next steps. Say thanks. It works because it's both professional and courteous while keeping the action moving forward.

14. Reply-All Discipline

Before hitting reply all, ask yourself: "Does everyone need this?" Respect people's time and your reputation will soar. Nothing builds quiet resentment like unnecessary reply-all threads.

15. The Final Scan

Fix grammar. Check how it feels. Would you be impressed receiving this email? If not, revise before sending.

Tiny tweaks. Total transformation.

Making it stick

The key is to start small. Don't try to implement all 15 habits tomorrow. Pick just one to focus on this week. I'd suggest starting with the 5-Line Rule or the One Thing Focus – these two alone will dramatically change how people respond to you.

Next week, add another.

Within a month, you'll notice people responding faster, with better information, and with more respect. Not because you've suddenly become more important, but because you've become easier to work with.

Email might seem like a small thing in the grand scheme of your career, but these micro-interactions are where reputations are built or broken.

It's the accumulation of these little moments of consideration (or lack thereof) that people remember.

Which habit will you commit to first?

The answer to that question might just transform your workday more than you expect.

Keep on rockin',

Harvey.

☝️ One Last Thing…

I’m not sure if you knew this, but I support CMOs and product marketers behind the scenes - especially when things get hectic and the priorities stack up.

Lately, I’ve had the chance to work with some wonderful folks at Preply, MHR Global, and Basis Technologies.

I’m fully booked until summer, but if there’s ever a project or priority I can support, just hit reply or DM me.