Is Email Taking Over Your Life?

With literally billions of emails being produced and processed all around the world every single day, it isn't hard to understand why we find it difficult to keep up with all of the incomings and outgoings of our electronic mail box.

This growing problem isn't just related to you but concerns many of us who work or own a business and have email as a ways and means of being accessible.
Email has exceeded the traditional methods of communication and has been found to be an easy, simple and uncomplicated way to get in touch with somebody - especially if they are hard to get a hold of.

So how do you manage your email?

Easy ... you just have to follow the steps below and you will be on your way to having better email communication and a clearer email box.

1. Get a Reliable Service Provider
Before you sign up with a service provider ask around to make sure that their service is reliable, speedy and simple to connect to. It’s a good idea to have a flexible plan that can easily expand as your business and needs grow – don’t get locked in for long periods. You want to be able to download your emails wherever you are, so make sure that you have the correct connection information and you are able to easily connect to your provider – especially if you travel a lot. You don't want to be missing out on important emails.

2. Have One Email Account
If you have more than one email account you are probably going out of your mind. By the time you have answered all the emails in one box you have another twenty or so coming back in and you haven't even reached another box yet. To help, standardise your email to default into one email box. Although you might have people answering to you on a number of email addresses, get them all into one box so you are able to mange your time better and you can see what is going on at all times.

3. Standardise Your Email Program
Have one email program that functions for every account, address book, folder, etc. Most common email programs are ideal for sorting out your email and keeping it in an orderly manner. Learn how to use your program so that you can filter, move and delete emails as needed.

4. Find Your Pattern
You should develop a pattern or rhythm for replying to email. Regular email respondents will know when you are likely to reply to them. For instance if they know that you are a regular traveler you are likely to respond to them within a 24 hour cycle - then this is your pattern. If you are always in the office they know they are likely to get a reasonably quick response - so this will be your pattern. Furthermore, if you check your emails every morning for an hour and then every afternoon for an hour, then this will be your pattern.
Don’t fall into the trap of being on-call to your emails at any time of the day / night. Either schedule your email program to receive emails at one or two set times each day or have it check for new mail every two or three hours. Having your email pop up on your monitor every few minutes is an incredible time waster and disrupts your planned working schedule – you do have one don’t you?

5. Answer Your Emails Immediately
As a rule of thumb consider the method of never touching the same email twice. Once you do go to check your received emails, read them, reply to each one and move on by deleting it or archiving it. Don't leave messages in your inbox because they become stale and will continue to play on your mind. Should time be a factor for you, consider answering your emails by date and time order. This means that you answer the oldest emails first and work your way back. This will eliminate old or stale emails and will allow you to get on with other things.

6. Eliminate Filtering Into Folders
If you have new email sorting into folders by filters, then consider stopping it for the pure reasons that one; your email can get lost, and two; you can forget about an important or unopened message . Allow your emails to go into one folder and then when you are completely finished with them, sort them into their archive folder, only if you wish to keep them. It will save time in sorting through each folder to find the right email and prevent you from forgetting about unfinished business. A good time to use filters and folders is when you subscribe to newsletters or e-mags that aren't on the ‘important’ list.

7. Be Short and Sweet
When you send an email be sure to give complete, straightforward and no more than a page, of information. You want to tell your reader what you want, when you want it and when they should respond to you. You want your information processed quickly and easily. Also request others to do the same, especially if time is a pressing factor and reading a book would be quicker than reading your friends’ or customers’ email.

8. Don't Respond Unless You Have Reason To
If you are 'cc' to an email and there is no reason for you to respond, then don't. Responding to copies of emails will waste your time and your readers, so unless it specifies a specific action or reply request, don't bother.

9. Don’t ‘Reply to All’ Unless You Have Reason To
If you are responding to an email and really only need to let the sender know your response then do not ‘Reply to All’. Again responding to all recipients of the email can waste lots of time if it is not really necessary – especially if all recipients do the same!

10. Don't Rely On Email to Replace Your Communication Channels
Email is a tool and not a communication replacement. If your email gets out of hand consider phoning your respondent and discussing the project, problem or situation directly with the person. Email won't always be effective, so be sure to follow those up who seem to lack an understanding of your instructions and recognise those who are no longer using email successfully.

[Source: article byBruce Guthrie, Icon Business Solutions, http://www.iconbusinesssolutions.com/, systemflow@optusnet.com.au]