How to save hours a month by being ruthless with email

Advicelet benefit: Time savings of hours a month

Microsoft Office Outlook Screenshot

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Email is infectious, dangerous, vital, poorly used and essential to business all at the same time. The other thing it definitely is, is time consuming – and that’s what we’re going to be looking at today – how to save hours a month by being ruthless with the way you manage your email within your business day.

Email is a classic problem in most businesses. People have gone as far as banning it for internal use or on particular days of the week. We argue that it doesn’t have to rule your life and it doesn’t have to control your day.

Through some simple techniques, gathered from industry experts, we explain how to get things under control.

A word of caution though – it takes discipline and practice to get it right … using this system for just a day or a week will not give you the results you are looking for…

This demonstration uses Outlook 2003. The principles apply to all types of email software.

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4 Comments For This Post

  1. Andrewp

    I learnt something and will do those three things!

  2. Lesg

    Very well organised and useeful comments. I think the point you make at the end of the video (having an auto reply message stating how you run your day) is a really strong message and perhaps you could make more of it elsewhere.

  3. georgeb

    Hi Mark – first video and I think I’m hooked.
    I’ll give your ideas a go. It’s a great idea to purge your inbox, it’s very cathartic especially coming up to a new year.

    What are your thoughts on the instant, always-on world of BlackBerry and push email? I love having my diary, contacts and inbox on the go, but I’ve turned off all email notifications on Outlook and my phone too.

    Also – noticed you had Xobni installed – I’ve never tried it, what’s it like?

    George

  4. markcopeman

    Aha – the joys of Blackberry and always being in touch. Personally, I think the same rules should apply. Choose times when you are going to access mail, but follow the same process of quick reply OR follow up folder, archive OR delete.

    Xobni will be the subject of another advicelet – it’s an essential Outlook add-on. Bill Gates actually admitted Microsoft should have thought of it first!

    MC

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