7.3 Information or Action Requests

Managers, clients, and coworkers alike send and receive requests for information and action all day. Because these provide the recipient with direction on what to do, the information that comes back or action that results from such requests can only be as good as the instructions given. Such messages must, therefore, be well organized and clear about expectations, opening directly with a clearly stated general request —unless you anticipate resistance to the request —and proceeding with background and more detailed instruction if necessary as we see in Activity 7.2 below.

^{Activity 7.2 | Direct Information or Action Requests}

Note that, because you’re expecting action to come of the request rather than a Yes or No answer, the opening question doesn’t require a question mark. Never forget, however, the importance of saying “please” when asking someone to do something. Notice also that lists in the message body help break up dense detail so that request messages are more reader-friendly. All of the efforts that the writer of the above message made to deliver a reader-friendly message will pay off when the recipient performs the requested procedure exactly according to these clearly worded expectations.