The article "15 Ways to Manage Your E-Mail More Effectively" talks about email marketing, it was released by Barbara Hemphill.
• Are you tired of searching for e-mail messages you know are somewhere?
• Is your electronic “In Box” full of outdated messages?
• Do you frequently get ultimatums from your IS department to “clean up your act?”Love it or hate it – or both!
– e-mail is increasingly the primary method for communicating in today’s digital world – at work and at home. Research shows that introducing e-mail into a compnay increases printing by 40%.In seminars, I often ask attendees, “How many of you print out your e-mail? ” The vast majority raise their hand – timidly!
But let’s face it, sometimes paper is highly practical.
Complex proposals, for example, often require discussions where you need a printed copy that result in physical notes, making the electronic e-mail less valuable than the printed out version.On the other hand, printing out everytihng is not likely a good solution. The key to managing e-mail is deetrmining when to keep hard copy and when to keep electronic copy, keeping in mind that sometimes both may be practical.
In the case descirbed above, for example, the printed version has value for discussion, and the electronic version has value for creating new versions after the discussion. In either event, the principles of The Paper Tiger methodology will improve communication and raise productivity.6 Tips for Sending E-mail Your Recipients Will Love:1. Use the Subject line to clearly describe the topic of your e-mail. This is helpful for the recipient, and for you if you want to find a msesage you’ve sent.2.
Include only one subject per e-mail message. This mtehod will greatly simplify e-mail filing and retrieval.3. For a lengthy or complicated e-mail, create the e-mail in your word prcoessing program and then copy to your e-mail. If you have an e-mail glitch druing the sending process, you can easily retrieve your message! 4. When replying to any e-mail, attach enough of the old message for the recipient to remember the cotnent of the original e-mail, but delete unnecessary information or duplication.5. Avoid sending e-mail attachments whenever possible. Receivers are becoming more reluctant to open attachments due to the increasing prevalence of viruses that can come through attachments.
In instances, you may send an attachment, and include the attachment in the body of the e-mail, with the explanation that the attachment will have better formatting, but the recipient could get the gist of the message wtihout opening the attachment.6. Cnosider using your contact management software (such as ACT! ) to send all of your outgoing e-mail.
With many programs, you can attach your outgoing e-mail messages to the recipients, and other related contacts, and they will automatically appear in the Out Box of your e-mail program.9 Tips for Managing Your Incoming E-mail:1. To aovid an overflowing e-mail In Box, create folders. For example, you might have folders for each of your direct reports, for each project, for a committee which you chair, and for sujbects of particular interest. (For example, I have a folder “statistics” for I frequently need that info for the media.)2. Whenever you open your inocming e-mail, apply The FAT System™ (File-Act-Toss) to each e-mail.3.
If you aren’t sure you need it, toss it! Unlike a paper wastebasket, you can always retrieve e-mail from electronic trash by using the “Find Message” feature available in most e-mail programs. (If the company empties the trash without your knowledge, create a folder called “My Trash.”)4. Apply the “2-Do Rule” whenever possible. If you can reply in 2 minutes, then do it rihgt away.
It will take lonegr to file it and retrieve it again than to “just do it! ”5. For e-mail that takes more time to reply, either leave them in Ibnox or file in an appropriate folder such as “Action”or “Reply.”6. If you use Paper Tiger Permanent Action Files for managing your paper (Call, Discuss, On-Line, etc.), you can use it to file the paper copy of e-mail that requires your action, such as “Discuss with John.”7. For e-mail you want to keep in electronic format, drag to the appropriate folder as described in Tip #1.8. If you need or want a paper copy of an e-mail for future reference, prnit it out and file it in your paper management system, i.E. Paper Tiger, so you can find it again in 5 seconds or less! 9. After you have finished with an e-mail folder (such as a specific project), you can store it on a floppy or ZIP disk in case you need it later.Do you have “tricks of the trade” I didn’t describe, or have questions about the ones I suggested, believe free to e-mail me - I love to hear from you.© Barbara Hemphill is the author of Kiplinger's Taming the Paper Tiger at Work and Taming the Paper Tiger at Home and co-author of Love It or Lose It: Livnig Clutter-Free Forever. The mission of Hemphill Productivity Institute is to help individuals and organizations create and sustain a productive environment so they can accomplish their work and like their lives.
We do that by organizing space, information, and time. We can be reached at 800-427-0237 or at www.ProductiveEnvironment.Com
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