no hello / async etiquette
Why this helps

A tiny request for chat

Please don't just say hello.

Hello is welcome. Waiting isn't. Say hi and include your question in the same message.

01 / Compare

One message saves a whole round trip.

Please avoid

You

Hey!

48 minutes later

Them

Hey! What's up?

2 minutes later

You

Could you review the API proposal?

The useful part arrived 50 minutes late. Until then, neither person could move the conversation forward.

Send this instead

You

Hey! Could you review the API proposal before Thursday? I'm unsure about the retry strategy. The draft is linked here.

when they are free

Them

Yep. I'll leave comments this afternoon.

The first reply can be an answer. The greeting stays; only the unnecessary wait disappears.

02 / Why

Chat works best when it can be asynchronous.

A message should give its recipient enough information to help whenever they next have a moment. A lone greeting turns chat into a doorbell: both people have to be present before anything begins.

This is not a request to be abrupt. Be warm, add context, and ask the question. Put all three in one message.

01
ContextWhat are we talking about?
02
The askWhat do you need from me?
03
TimingWhen does it matter?

Say hello.
Then keep typing.

A little warmth and the whole question, in one message.