Before You Hit ‘Send’: Five Questions Every Communicator Should Ask
By Anmol Harjani
There comes a moment in every communicator’s day when the cursor hovers over one button.
Send.
It seems simple enough.
An email to employees.
A media release.
A social media post.
A statement during a crisis.
A campaign launch.
A LinkedIn update.
A newsletter.
Thousands of messages are sent every minute, but the communicators who make the greatest impact know that the real work happens before the message is ever shared.
Because communication isn’t measured by what you intended to say.
It’s measured by what people understand.
Whether you’re writing your first social media caption as a student volunteer or reviewing executive messaging for a national campaign, pausing to ask a few thoughtful questions can make all the difference.
Here are five questions worth asking before every message leaves your desk.
1. Who Is This Really For?
It’s surprisingly easy to write from our own perspective.
We focus on what our organization wants to announce, what our client wants to promote or what leadership wants to communicate.
But effective communication begins somewhere else.
With the audience.
Before writing a single sentence, ask yourself:
- What does this audience already know?
- What are they worried about?
- What information are they looking for?
- What action do we want them to take?
The best communicators don’t simply write messages.
They solve problems for their audience.
2. Is My Message Clear—or Just Complete?
Sometimes, in an effort to include every detail, we unintentionally bury the most important message.
Readers shouldn’t have to search for the point.
Whether it’s an email, a speech or a media release, clarity should always come before complexity.
A helpful exercise is to challenge yourself with one simple question:
If someone only remembered one sentence from this message, what would I want it to be?
If you can’t answer that immediately, your audience probably won’t be able to either.
3. Does This Sound Human?
Communicators often work with approvals, policies and corporate language.
Somewhere along the way, messages can begin to sound… robotic.
People don’t naturally say things like:
“Please be advised that the aforementioned initiative will commence effective immediately.”
They say:
“Here’s what’s changing and what it means for you.”
Professional doesn’t have to mean impersonal.
The most effective communication sounds like one person speaking to another.
Simple language isn’t less intelligent.
It’s more accessible.
4. What Could Be Misunderstood?
One of the most valuable habits a communicator can develop is anticipating questions before they’re asked.
Read your message again—this time from someone else’s perspective.
Would a new employee understand it?
Would a community member interpret it differently?
Does any sentence leave room for unnecessary confusion?
Strong communicators don’t just edit for grammar.
They edit for interpretation.
Because once a message is shared, readers bring their own experiences, assumptions and emotions to it.
Thinking ahead helps reduce misunderstandings before they happen.
5. Does This Build Trust?
Every piece of communication either strengthens trust or weakens it.
Sometimes the difference is subtle.
Did we acknowledge uncertainty instead of pretending to have every answer?
Did we communicate transparently?
Did we consider the people most affected by this message?
Did we take responsibility where necessary?
Trust isn’t built through one perfect campaign.
It’s built through hundreds of consistent moments where organizations communicate with honesty, empathy and respect.
Every message is an opportunity to reinforce that trust.
Great Communication Begins Before the First Word Is Written
Communicators are often recognized for what they create.
The campaign.
The strategy.
The speech.
The article.
The social media post.
But behind every successful piece of communication is something far less visible.
A moment of reflection.
A willingness to ask better questions.
An understanding that communication isn’t simply about being heard.
It’s about helping others understand.
So the next time your cursor hovers over the “Send” button, pause for just a few seconds longer.
Ask yourself these five questions.
Because the strongest communicators know that thoughtful communication doesn’t happen by accident.
It’s built through intention, curiosity and care—one message at a time.
Before You Send Your Next Message…
Challenge yourself to stop for sixty seconds.
Read your message one final time—not as the writer, but as the reader.
You may discover that the smallest change becomes the reason your message creates clarity instead of confusion.
And in communications, that’s often where the biggest difference is made.
Anmol Harjani is a Client Servicing Manager working with a remote company and a recent graduate of York University’s Public Relations and Communications program. She is especially interested in strategic communications, social media behaviour, and how PR practitioners adapt within a rapidly evolving digital landscape. She currently serves as the Communications Co-Chair on the CPRS Toronto Board.