4 Tips, Tricks, and Hacks for Email Productivity
Posted: Sun Dec 15, 2024 9:01 am
Obviously, we at Benchmark are big fans of email, but we also understand that it can be a huge time-waster. Who hasn’t started a project only to be distracted again and again by that little bubble of notifications on their phone or PC? And who among us can say that they belong to the exclusive “Clean Inbox” club?
As frustrating as they may be, emails are fundamental to the way we do business today, especially in sales and marketing. So it's a good idea to have a few techniques in your pocket that will allow you to maintain high productivity while still managing the messages you receive throughout the day.
Below are some email tips and tricks that we've found helpful, and we hope you'll find helpful too.
1. Organize your inbox
You wouldn't organize all the files on your computer into one folder, so why do that with your emails?
Not all emails belgium business fax list are of equal importance or need to be dealt with in the same time frame. So use folders to organize your messages and prioritize them, especially when it comes to messages that need immediate action versus emails you just need to be able to check at a later time.
There are a lot of different ways to organize your inbox, which means you’ll have to experiment until you find the system that works best for you. However, a good starting point is to create folders that categorize your inbox by time rather than by message type. Keep messages that need to be dealt with immediately in your inbox and mark them as unread. Then, create a folder for what needs to be dealt with this week, another for what needs to be dealt with this month or quarter, and an “FYI” folder for general messages you might need later.
The secret to keeping your email organized is to use your inbox as a folder in itself, not as a drawer for everything that comes in. If you receive a new message and it doesn't need to be dealt with the same day, organize it into another folder or delete it.
2. Implement a locking system
How often do you receive an email that needs to be addressed immediately? Chances are, top-priority messages aren't the norm, and the person or people sending them to you have other ways of getting in touch with you if they are.
Adopting a blocking system simply means designating time slots when you check your inbox instead of living in it all day. For example, you might choose to check your email once in the morning, once right after lunch, and once before you say goodbye for the day.
This way, you can make sure you're not constantly distracted by what's going on in your inbox and make sure you're on top of everything that comes in. Plus, it's a lot more productive than breaking your focus every time a new message pops up. Just make sure you turn off notifications or remove the mail app from your desktop toolbar so you can better stick to your blocking schedule.
3. Use productivity tools
There are plenty of email productivity tools out there that can help you eliminate spam and send you automatic reply reminders. There are also apps to put your inbox on “do not disturb” mode so you can keep your blocks.
With so many productivity tools to choose from, you'll need to do some research to get the most useful ones for your needs. Some of our favorites are Boomerang , SaneBox , and ActiveInbox , which will help you gain more control over your inbox without a steep learning curve at first.
As frustrating as they may be, emails are fundamental to the way we do business today, especially in sales and marketing. So it's a good idea to have a few techniques in your pocket that will allow you to maintain high productivity while still managing the messages you receive throughout the day.
Below are some email tips and tricks that we've found helpful, and we hope you'll find helpful too.
1. Organize your inbox
You wouldn't organize all the files on your computer into one folder, so why do that with your emails?
Not all emails belgium business fax list are of equal importance or need to be dealt with in the same time frame. So use folders to organize your messages and prioritize them, especially when it comes to messages that need immediate action versus emails you just need to be able to check at a later time.
There are a lot of different ways to organize your inbox, which means you’ll have to experiment until you find the system that works best for you. However, a good starting point is to create folders that categorize your inbox by time rather than by message type. Keep messages that need to be dealt with immediately in your inbox and mark them as unread. Then, create a folder for what needs to be dealt with this week, another for what needs to be dealt with this month or quarter, and an “FYI” folder for general messages you might need later.
The secret to keeping your email organized is to use your inbox as a folder in itself, not as a drawer for everything that comes in. If you receive a new message and it doesn't need to be dealt with the same day, organize it into another folder or delete it.
2. Implement a locking system
How often do you receive an email that needs to be addressed immediately? Chances are, top-priority messages aren't the norm, and the person or people sending them to you have other ways of getting in touch with you if they are.
Adopting a blocking system simply means designating time slots when you check your inbox instead of living in it all day. For example, you might choose to check your email once in the morning, once right after lunch, and once before you say goodbye for the day.
This way, you can make sure you're not constantly distracted by what's going on in your inbox and make sure you're on top of everything that comes in. Plus, it's a lot more productive than breaking your focus every time a new message pops up. Just make sure you turn off notifications or remove the mail app from your desktop toolbar so you can better stick to your blocking schedule.
3. Use productivity tools
There are plenty of email productivity tools out there that can help you eliminate spam and send you automatic reply reminders. There are also apps to put your inbox on “do not disturb” mode so you can keep your blocks.
With so many productivity tools to choose from, you'll need to do some research to get the most useful ones for your needs. Some of our favorites are Boomerang , SaneBox , and ActiveInbox , which will help you gain more control over your inbox without a steep learning curve at first.