Never start with “Sorry, quick question” if you want to be taken seriously
By Yogesh Pandey · 26 October 2026 · 2 min read
“Sorry, quick question” tells the room you do not think you belong there. Use the Straight Start: cut the sorry and say the thing. “Quick question about the launch date.” Clear is respect. Rude is wasting their time.
Why the sorry backfires
People do not hear your sorry as politeness. They hear that you do not think you belong. And everyone does it, so it makes you sound like everyone else.
The Straight Start
Not “Sorry to bother you, quick question.” Just: “Quick question about the launch date.” Not “Sorry, I know you’re busy…” but “Can we take fifteen minutes this week to talk about my role?”
Three more swaps
A founder emailing an investor: not “Sorry for the long email” but “Three lines. Here’s why this matters to you.” A student writing to a professor: not “Sorry to disturb, sir” but “Sir, one question about the viva.” The polite copy always says sorry first.
- In your next message, delete the sorry.
- Start with the question itself.
- Notice that the answer comes just as fast.
This started as a typography reel. See more at @monarchslife.