This tweet made me laugh this week.

[edited to remove ‘spicy’ language]

Because phrases like…

‘I hope you’re well.’

‘Let me know if you have any questions’

‘Please don’t hesitate to contact me…’

‘Let me know your thoughts’

…rarely illicit a response.

And yes, as in this case, sometimes we use them intentionally.

Why?  Because they’re so generic they become white noise.   The kind new parents play to lull their babies to sleep. 

They’re so familiar they get tuned out.

But what (whisper it) if we actually want a response? 

What if we are genuinely interested in our reader’s welfare? 

What if we really do want a colleague to feel comfortable asking a question?

Or if we’d love a client to get in touch so we can get to know them better?

Well, then the white noise phrases gotta go.

We need to use fresher, more conversational language. 

We need to ask questions instead of choosing statements.  

And we need to personalise and customise more of our emails.

Would you agree?

Or should I say, let me know your thoughts…