Ask any online entrepreneur where they spend the bulk
of their time and they'll tell you they are reading
and responding to e-mail. If you run an online business
you may receive hundreds of messages a day. It comes
with the territory and unfortunately, there's no escaping
it. Keeping up with your e-mail is very important to your
success online and you should make every attempt to answer
any and all messages within 24 to 48 hours.
Here are some tips for streamlining the amount of time
you spend managing your inbox.
1) Folders: Set up folders to better organize your e-mail
and find things more readily when you need them. For
example, you may want to set up folders named after indiv-
uals you get frequent mail from, folders for ezines you
receive, software receipts, and others. When you need
something, you will know exactly where to find it.
2) Blocked Senders List: Face it, we all get Spam
and the more active you are online, the more of it
you'll receive. Take it from me, I know. I get
hundreds daily on everything from growing certain
parts of my anatomy (including ones I don't have),
to how I can become a millionaire overnight. An
easy way to rid yourself of Spam is to highlight
the message and add it to your email client's blocked
sender's list. Most all programs include this feature.
Once you add someone to this list you'll never receive
another e-mail from that address again.
Another option to reduce the amount of Spam you
get is to run a Spam Filtering program
before retrieving your e-mail. SpamKiller.com
or Mailwasher.net both work great. A brand new
free service that just hit the scene and works with
Outlook http://www.cloudmark.com/
3) Message Rules: Make sure you set up message rules
or filters as they can automate some tasks and move
incoming messages to their appropriate folders. For
example, you can set up a message rule that says if
email arrives to a certain email address, reply with
a prefabbed text document you have created in advance.
Also known as autoresponders, message rules make it
easy to automatically reply to messages, send messages
directly to the trash and more. This is a powerful
feature; study it and use it.
4) Empty Deleted/Sent Folders: Make sure you go into
your sent box and deleted message folders on a regular
basis and delete their contents. Messages can pile up
quickly and slow down your e-mail client substantially.
5) Software: Many software manufacturers make add on module
software for many of the popular e-mail clients like
Outlook and Outlook Express. If the program doesn't
have a feature you need, you may find an inexpensive
package that will extend your e-mail client's capabilities.
For an example: check out a list of freeware at..
http://www.webattack.com/freeware/comm/
ExLife Add on for Outlook:
http://www.ornicusa.com/add-ins/exlife.shtml
About Us Has a nice section here:
http://email.about.com/cs/oetipstricks/
Nelson Email Organizer
http://www.emailorganizer.com/
6) Do Something: Don't allow messages to build up in your
inbox or before you know it you'll be buried alive in
messages. As you go through your mail, try to act on
every piece of mail you receive immediately.Reply to
it, delete it, or file it in one of your folders.
Just make sure you do something. If you follow this
advice you'll never end up with 500 sitting in your
inbox demanding your attention.
7) Print It: If you're like me, you subscribe to a lot
of ezines. If you don't have time to read them online
do what I do: print them out and take them on the road
with you. I read them while waiting for appointments or
when I'm on break or lunch at my night job.
8) Customize Layouts: Most e-mail clients allow you
to customize the toolbars and look of your program.
Add the features you use most often to the toolbars
and change the look of the layout to suit your needs.
9) Return Receipts: Have you ever sent a message and
wondered if the recipient ever received it? Send your
e-mail with a "return receipt" request and you'll be
sent a notification by e-mail when they have read it.
The reader can stop this message from going out to you,
but nine out of ten don't mind and allow the reply.
10) Message Priority: When you send an e-mail you
can set the priority of the message to "high," which
puts a red marker or flag next to it when the recipient
receives it. This tells the reader that the message
is very important and may help motivate them to
reply sooner. Just don't get in the habit of sending
every message this way or people will get annoyed.
Only use it for important correspondence.
For a great ezine that will help you be even more
productive with your email go to http://www.email911.com/
If you follow these top 10 tips, you won't find
yourself drowning in e-mails and you'll spend less
time managing it. Remember, you need to control your
e-mail, don't let it control you.
About the Author
Merle http://www.EzineAdAuction.com
"Where some of the BEST Deals in Ezine Advertising are Made"
Buy & Sell Ezine Ads in a live auction setting!
Publishers sell off your excess inventory and Buyers
pick up some Fantastic bargains. Free E-book on how to
write "glowing" ezine ads.....Download Now at
http://www.ezineadauction.com/ebooks/greatezineads.pdf