Seven Time Saving Email Tips

One of the most common challenges for small business owners is balancing the need to get a lot accomplished in what never seems like enough time. We are a frequently over-scheduled bunch, and most of us could benefit from some extra time, or at least more productive use of the time we have.

Here are my top tips on managing your email. Some of these tips focus on managing your inbox, while others look at better ways to send emails. Hopefully you'll find a tip or two in here that will work for you:

Put email on a schedule

Instead of reading and responding to emails as they arrive, set specific times of day to read them. This can vary from one to three or four times a day, depending on your business. If you're in the habit of monitoring your email continually it may take extra effort to change your behaviour, but once you do you'll soon find yourself getting more accomplished.

Decide how to use your inbox.

There are many different strategies when it comes to managing your email inbox. You can use your inbox as a catchall, limit it to only high-priority messages, or make it a working task list. The key is to pick one purpose for your inbox and stick with it.

Read it and deal with it

Some messages are simply information, but others require action. Make a renewed effort to deal with emails as you read them—reply, file or delete.

I find that if I have a bank up of emails it's usually because I don't have a folder for it. For instance if I find I have a bunch of emails that are just information that I want to read later i.e it's not urgent. Creating a "Read" folder has helped save me time. When I want to catch up with some reading I can head straight to my read folder. My action emails are then left in my inbox to action.

Put the subject line to work

When you write an email, take a moment to ensure the subject line is as clear and complete as possible. For example, "Need feedback on the Sales Presentation (attached) by Friday" is much more productive than simply "Sales Presentation Review."

Keep your message focused

When most people read on-screen they tend to scan. Big blocks of text discourage readers and information is more easily overlooked. Keep your emails short, to-the-point, and clear. Here are some tips to help:

• Add a space between paragraphs

• Use bullet points to improve readability

• List action items (with names)

• Use separate emails for disparate topics

Don't Write Open-Ended Emails

Another way to write better emails is to avoid open-ended questions. The trick is to offer an option when setting up a meeting or a call, rather than leaving it open for suggestions. If you suggest a time and place for your meeting in the first email, your recipient can simply say yes, or suggest an alternative. This speeds up the process and usually requires fewer mails to come to an agreement.

If you don't read it, unsubscribe!

Email newsletters and other email marketing messages can be a great way to stay connected to clients, colleagues, partners and other businesses you are interested in, but these messages can quickly pile up. If you have not read a particular recurring mailing in several issues, stop your subscription. Limiting email newsletters and other automated messages to only those you regularly read can be an easy way to reduce the bulk in your inbox.

Email doesn't seem to be going anywhere. It's part of our lives at work and at home, and many of us are struggling with an ever-increasing inbox count. If that's a problem for you, give some of these strategies a try to keep your inbox under control and if you are still having trouble then contact me to outsource your inbox!

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