| 7 Ways to GET a Better Email |
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Wouldn't it be nice to get a better handle on all those incoming emails? There is a way! Samantha Rufo shares some of her methods to managing the over 100 REAL (non-spam) emails she gets a day from co-workers, clients, vendors, media, and a whole lot of others. Click on READ MORE for details.7 Ways to GET a Better EmailTip 1. Check e-mail at defined times each day. Isn’t the email ding the same as the telemarketer? If we don’t tolerate the one, why do we tolerate the other? Turn off your e-mail "autocheck“! Only check e-mail two or three times a day, by hand. Let people know that if they need to reach you instantly, e-mail isn't the way. When its e-mail processing time, shut the office door, turn off the phone, and blast through the messages. Tip 2. Use a paper "response list" before you do any follow-up. The next time you are blasting through your email, with the door closed and the phone turned off, grab a legal pad and label it "Response list." -Run through your incoming e-mails. -For each, note on the paper what you have to do or whom you have to call. -Resist the temptation to respond immediately. -Instead, drag the email to your appropriate Reference folder or delete it. -Zip down your entire list of e-mails to generate your response list. -Then, zip down your response list and actually do the follow-up. Tip 3. Charge people for sending you messages. Yup, you heard me right. I actually set my clients up on communication plans. They get so many phone calls or emails per month. Amazingly, my overload has gone down while the information relevance of e-mails has gone up. While my clients know “emergency” calls or emails are always available they are now much better at solving more minor issues on their own. A huge cost savings for both of us. Tip 4. Train people to be relevant. Here’s a way to train the senders to be more relevant. The next time you get an email that has you shaking your head, reply with the single word: "Relevant?" Of course, you explain that this is a favor to them. Now, they can learn what is and isn't relevant to you. Beforehand, tell them the goal is to calibrate relevance, not to criticize or put them down. Encourage them to send you relevancy challenges as well. Pretty soon, you'll be so well trained you'll be positively productive! Tip 5. Answer briefly. Does it seem like one of your co-workers is in training to write the next War & Peace novel? The next time they send you a ten page message, reply with three words. "Yup, great idea." You'll quickly train these people not to expect huge answers from you by email. After you send back your three words you can then proceed to answer at your leisure in whatever format works best for you. Tip 6. Send out delayed responses. When you use a delayed response, you still type your response directly, but you schedule it to be sent out in a few days rather than right away. This is great for conversations that are nice but not terribly urgent. By inserting a delay in each go-around, you both get to breath easier. (In Outlook, choose Options when composing a message and select Do not deliver before. In Eudora, hold down the Shift key as you click Send.) Tip 7. Ignore it. Yes, ignore e-mail. If its something's important, you'll hear about it again. Trust me. The best part is that people will gradually be trained to pick up the phone or drop by if they have something to say. After all, if it's not important enough for them to tear their gaze away from the hypnotic world of Microsoft Windows, it may not be important enough for you to take the time to read it. This article written by Samantha Rufo, a principal in nxtConcepts. nxtConcepts is a next generation company using innovative ideas, proven marketing programs, and cutting edge technology to help build business. nxtConcepts is also the exclusive distributor of "Wonder", marketing enriched technology that is the equivalent of sliced bread for your business. For more information call 888-215-0820 or 740-815-6925 or email Need help implementing a new sales or marketing program? We've got two suggestions:
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