TEN SIMPLE STEPS FOR EFFECTIVE EMAIL MANAGEMENT

It is no shocker to receive up to 100 emails a day for many of us. Email is a handy and less intrusive mode of communication compared to voice calls. By implementing the correct email management strategy, professionals can run their office from just about anywhere. It enables colleagues in the easy distribution of company related documents, provides quick and effective communication and gives room to personal privacy. There are multiple benefits of using emails, but it has its cons too. If not used in an organized fashion it can somewhat hinder overall productivity. These are some tips to manage emails and make the most out of them efficiently.

1. Organize your Inbox

As obvious as it may sound, it is difficult to follow. Searching for an email in a cluttered inbox full of unopened old messages is frustrating and drains a lot of time and energy. Organizing emails will demand an initial time investment but will save you time in the future. Create folders and tags for different categories. Search emails from the past for each group and put them together in a folder. Later make sure to direct your emails to the appropriate folders. This way you can have an organized inbox.

2. Set out time to process your emails.

It is imperative to set aside time to read, organize and answer emails at least once a day. We get emails the whole day, but it is necessary that they do not distract us while we are working. So it is advisable to set aside time in the morning or maybe in the evening for processing your emails.

3. Follow 5 Minute Rule

It is not advisable to be distracted by emails during work but sometimes if you can reply to an email that is important or may help someone within less time do it right away.

4. Don’t respond to every mail.

We receive endless emails in a day that replying each one can drive you crazy. Pick out and prioritize your mains as per their importance and benefit that comes with them.

5. Deactivate desktop alerts

That little balloon that pops whenever you receive a mail is both irritating and distracting. It compels you to check your inbox more often and end up wasting time.

6. Try 80/20 Rule

Not every mail we receive is important, the majority of them remain unopened and form a clutter in our inbox. 80/20 rule follows when 20% of input results in 80% output. We suggest you try it where you prioritize 20% of high-value emails that may yield you 80 % results.

7. Create templates

If you often end up sending similar replies, better create templates according to your trend of response.

You may categorize them like reviews, thank you, inquiry, feedback etc. It saves a lot of time and energy.

8. Apply filters

Filters act as saviors when trying to search any mail. There are two essential things needed to set up a filter.

i. The ‘term’ you are searching

ii. Taking necessary action on finding a match.

9. Set out a time limit.

It is essential to take care that you do not end up spending too much time in your inbox. By setting up a maximum time limit, you will gain efficiency in finishing your daily mail targets.

10. Unsubscribe

The endless newsletters and feeds form the majority of your emails. Unsubscribe from them if you feel you have lost interest.

Shery Williams is an employee at a top email service provider company in the day, and a technical writer at night. She is passionate about writing troubleshooting tips, beginner’s guides, news, and other articles on varied topics. She has written majorly on Verizon email support, Comcast email support and Roadrunner.