When to use it
Use it in any chat message where you need something. Put the greeting and the question in the same message. The other person can answer whenever they see it, instead of replying “Hi?” and waiting for you to come back.
Example
You: “Hey, quick question about the Q3 slides: can I use last year's template?”
Designer: “Yes, the 2025 one in the shared drive.”
In an email or Slack message
The same rule applies to email: put the question in the first two lines. If it needs context, add it below the question, not above it.