One of the most valuable and least heralded skills is email mastery.
The subtle art of email jiu-jitsu has powers hard to exaggerate. Most people suck at email.
There are so many valuable email skills: How to reduce an exchange to the fewest possible back and forths, how to make a single, clear, compelling ask, how to convey proper tone, how to nudge, create urgency, yet not push away. How to email people busier than you and less busy; more connected than you and less; people you want to do a favor for and those you want to do favors for you. How to revive and email thread. How to exit an email thread. How to start a conversation and how to end one. How to make and respond to email intros. Emailing when you hold the cards and when you don’t. Hammering down next steps when multiple parties continue to exchange without getting to an action item. Complaint emails, praise emails, inquiring emails, encouraging emails, fire-under-the-ass emails, etc. etc.
These are some of the most important abilities in any kind of business.
They can’t be taught.
You can practice them, and you can be shown and included in examples from email masters.
But it begins with taking email seriously. Until I see otherwise, email is far and away the most important medium in the professional world. Everything else pales in comparison, and lacks the versatility and power.
Get good at email.