Each day, the avalanche of emails keeps coming. It can be overwhelming, but you have to deal with all these important communications. Unfortunately, you can’t just select and delete them all (I have had fantasies about this.)
Since email is essential to any business, you have to develop strategies for handling it in an organized manner while eliminating the feeling of overwhelm.
Schedule Time Blocks
Schedule blocks of time for email just like any other task, and only handle related issues at those times. You might choose to schedule several blocks per day, such as early morning, late morning, after lunch, and end-of-the-day. Decide on those blocks based on your schedule and when you receive important emails.
When you check your emails, don’t go through them chronologically. Since you have limited time, you need to look at the most important ones first.
Set up Filtering
Use the filtering features your email service provides. You can filter out mass emails, organizational messages, sales, and messages where you’re only cc’d. You can then go back and look at your mass email folder when you have time after you’ve gone through important direct messages.
You can also create a separate account for newsletters or organizations and separate them completely.
Don’t Be Afraid to Delete!
Don’t be afraid to delete things that are unimportant, like announcements and newsletters. Ask yourself, “Do I ever need to see this again?” If the answer is no, get rid of it. This will help to declutter and save you storage space.
Prioritize Replies
You have a great deal of replies to make but they’re not all equally important. First, please don’t reply to mass messages where you’re just cc’d. If someone has sent you multiple messages, send one “thank you” reply, not one for each.
One idea is to create a “To Reply” folder and put emails in there to deal with later. That way, you can read everything first and know what’s going on, and then start replying. You can also prioritize or tag within this folder in order of importance.
Use Features for Urgency Level
Create a system of urgency levels in your inbox. You can do this through tagging, folders, or starring. One method is to star anything important and then set aside a time later to go back and deal with the starred items. Another idea is “mark as unread” anything you need to deal with urgently (this one is my favorite!)
Pick up the Phone
There are times when it’s better to call someone than send an email. Some quick issues can be resolved more quickly by having a direct conversation. When there’s too much back-and-forth, pick up the phone and be succinct and to the point.
Email Tools and Features
Use the tools and features your platform provides, but please don’t get overly complicated. Remember that the whole purpose is to make checking and dealing with communications smoother, simpler, and more efficient. Use a few simple tools that help you cut down on time.
If you want to know about more ways to manage your emails as well as your social media accounts, then head over to my free mini-course, Eliminating Business Overwhelm. In this course, you’ll learn how to make the best use of your time, handle your stress and become more productive. Check it out at www.MariCarmenPizarro.com
