Don't Just Say "Hello!"

Haven't you been in a situation like this?

Mark Antony (3 hours ago): Hello!

*goes on lunch break

Julius Caesar (2.5 hours ago): Hey! What's up?

*goes to pick up kids from school

Mark Antony (2 hours ago): I'm good! How about you?

Julius Caesar (30 min ago): Hey! I'm doing great! How can I help?

Julius Caesar (25 min ago): Hey, do you want to tell me what the issue is?

Julius Caesar (20 min ago): Smh nvm, I have a meeting at the senate soon. Will check your messages later.

*mutes phone

Mark Antony (5 min ago): Oh wait! Don't go to the senate please! I was texting you to tell you just that!!! 😭

Mark Antony (now): Uhmmm, you there? 👀

We all know what happened next

Consider the following excellent example of a conversation starter:

What did he do right?

Let's break this down:

✅ Starts with a friendly greeting: "Hello! How are you?"

✅ Immediately follows up with a description of what's blocking him: "I'm under the water..."

✅ Politely asks for help whilst communicating a sense of urgency: "Please help me!"

✅ Provides context for the problem he's facing: "Here too much raining!"

Jokes aside, these pointers are what differentiate effective remote communicators from the rest. When you're reaching out to someone, make sure you're providing enough context for them to understand what you're asking for. This will save you both time and frustration.