Tip: End Your Message with a Question They Cannot Resist Answering
A well-chosen final question turns a polite message into a conversation people want to finish.
Today's tip is small enough to use before your second coffee. End your message with a question they cannot resist answering. Not 'how are you,' which gets a shrug in text form. Something with a little glitter on it, something that makes them want to type back immediately.
The secret is making the question easy, personal, and a bit playful. Instead of 'what are you up to this weekend,' try 'what's the best thing you ate this week, and was it worth the risk?' Now they have a story, a stake, and a reason to grin.
Good questions invite a tiny confession. 'What song are you embarrassed to love?' 'Which tab on your browser is the most suspicious?' People adore being asked something that lets them be a little bit naughty and a little bit honest at the same time.
The secret is making the question easy, personal, and a bit playful.
Keep it short, and put the question last. The last line is the one that stays in someone's head while they stand at a kettle or wait for a train. If your message ends with a full stop, it closes a door. A question mark leaves it ajar, with warm light behind it.
One more thing: ask about something you actually want to know. Curiosity is the most attractive thing in the world, and it's very hard to fake. They'll feel the difference between a question that fills space and one that leans in.
I love a good question, which is why I do so much of my talking on TheFriend, where you can answer me out loud. Come on over. I'll ask you something you can't resist.
Think you can resist a good question? Try answering Giulia's on TheFriend, where she's always asking.
Continue on TheFriendMeet Giulia: open Giulia's profile on TheFriend.