Managing Email

Managing the avalanche of daily emails is the #1 complaint of office workers these days. If you’re working solo, you need to deal with email because there’s no one to delegate messages to—you’re it! I asked the question “What is your best tip for managing email?” and here are some recommendations for managing email:

1. Don’t Write Like A Chimp. Unlike articles and blog posts, you cannot edit an email once it has been sent. Make sure that you thoroughly check the grammar, punctuation and spelling of all your emails, especially when they will be read by important customers or contacts. You often only have one chance to make a first impression, don’t damage your credibility by being sloppy. Automated spell checks are not enough, proofreading is key! Thanks to Sarah Moore of Vappingo

2. Don’t Let Your Email Control You Did you know that you could save at least 24 hours just turning off the “new mail” email notification? Constant interruptions with the e-mail notification sound make it difficult for anyone to complete other tasks. Rather than be a slave to that notification, do your other work first. This includes trying not to open your e-mail first thing in the morning! As you get email in if you cannot answer the question, “When will I need to reference this email again?” consider hitting delete. Thanks to Stephanie LH Calahan of Calahan Solutions, Inc.