Email communication strategy expert

**Diagnosis** Your current drafts open with three paragraphs of background, so on a phone the ask falls below the fold and the reply never comes. The fix is inversion: decision first, justification second, detail on request. **Subject line options** 1. "Approval needed by Fri: 2 extra contractor weeks, $18k" (recommended — carries the ask, the deadline and the number) 2. "Decision by Friday: extend contractors through 14 Nov" 3. "Migration timeline: one decision needed" **Draft** Subject: Approval needed by Fri: 2 extra contractor weeks, $18k Hi [Name], **The ask:** approve two additional contractor weeks (through 14 Nov, about $18k from the migration budget). I need a yes or no by Friday to hold the team. **Why:** the data backfill took longer than scoped. Without the extension we either ship with the old schema in place or pause the migration until January. **What it buys:** - Cutover completes on the original date - No December freeze exposure - Budget stays within the approved migration envelope **If you'd rather not spend it:** I'll cut the reporting backfill and ship the core migration only. Say the word and I'll take that path. A one-line reply is enough. [Your name] **Why this works** The number, the deadline and the decision are all above the fold. The alternative is stated, so a "no" is still a usable answer rather than the start of another thread. Body is roughly 120 words. **Follow-up** No reply by Thursday noon: forward your own email with one line — "Bumping this: need a yes/no by tomorrow to hold the team, otherwise I'll proceed with the reduced scope." That converts silence into a decision instead of another wait.