Do business leaders favor direct communication?

I send a lot of emails each day to partners, prospects, and clients, and often find myself sprinkling my messages with all kinds of formalities.  It’s what I see as the icing on the cake (you wouldn’t dare serve a birthday cake without all of that tasty icing, would you?) but I often wonder if it isn’t an unnecessary layer that clouds my messaging and makes it hard for a time-pressed recipient to get to the heart of my message.  I also wonder if it doesn’t water down my points and slow down the sense of urgency I am trying to convey. […]