Learn how to master your inbox while discovering new productivity tools and ways to collaborate. Get rid of distractions and get more done NOW.
4 Golden Rules:
1) Forget the saying “check my email”. PROCESS it.
2) Easier to process 75 emails than 150
3) Why email should often be lower on your “to-do” list
4) Avoid email internally
10 Quick inbox tips:
1) Use templates for emails you send often / gmail / outlook
2) Shortcuts are your friend (as mentioned here on the blog)
3) Undo Send / gmail / did you just forget to attach that proposal to your email again? forgot to get clarification again? UNDO IT!
4) Rapportive (social profiles for everyone you're emailing)
5) Follow-up reminders as not everyone will reply to your email (Sanebox Reminder and Boomerang are pure genius for this and I’ve mentioned both here on the blog for follow-ups and general productivity: 7 simple ways to get to inbox zero post)
6) Contact Monkey Get insight on your SENT Mail --- following email exchanges, following up with contacts, sync your email automatically with your crm like salesforce.com, use and track templates with salesforce.com.
7) Improve your email signature and automate your address book with WriteThat.name.
8) The art of brevity. Write shorter emails so you get shorter responses. Try to limit most emails to 5 sentences... Fred Wilson keeps it to less than 10 words for more than 50% of his emails! http://blog.shuttlecloud.com/gmail-meter-power-user-fred-wilson/
9) Write a Specific and Strong Subject
Nearly 40% of email is opened on mobile devices today and this means that your subjects should fit on one line of a mobile screen and MUST motivate your recipient to open you email. Getting your email opened is half the battle. 3-5 words max and use this chart from marketing profs to use great keywords.
10) Have only one, compelling Call-to-Action or next step in an email (Alex)
Your recipient’s time is precious like yours. This is especially true when prospecting. You must present a concise and compelling case that motivates be taking the time to write you back. And make sure to only have one so your recipients next steps are clear.
3. What’s Bothering You?
Too many emails 27%
Can’t find what’s important among the noise 21%
Doesn’t integrate well with tasks, to-do lists, projects, CRM 33%
People use email poorly and I have to pay for it! 14%
4. YOUR TAKEAWAY
Discover new tools / Ways to collaborate
Master your inbox – less time, more effective
Get rid of distractions and get more done
5.
6. Check my Email PROCESS it
Email distraction / Multi vs mono-tasking
2 main processing guidelines: 2 mins / 4 Ds
4Ds Do it, Delegate it, Defer it, Delete it
Avoid anything not 4D in inbox
Why? Inbox Zero. Get in, get out, get other
important things done
#1
11. How many times a day do you
process/check your email?
Not Daily
2-5 times/day
5-10 times/day
10-20 times/day
More than 20 times/day
12. Email isn’t Priority #1
Checking email is a HUGE distraction
Avoid spending your freak AM energy on email
Challenge – Process your email 3-5 times/day
#3
14. Avoid emailing Internally
Great tool for simple communication, especially
outbound, BUT, not for more dynamic, complex,
detailed, time/progress-oriented collaborations
http://venturehacks.com/articles/no-email-at-
angellist
33% "Doesn't integrate well with my other tasks,
to-do list, projects, CRM"
#4
24. How do you keep track of your
conversations?
Excel
Heavy CRM
Lightweight CRM
Boomerang
Other
25. Insight into
Sent Email
Track when, where & how
often your emails are opened
Know who’s clicking on your
links
Get notifications to identify
who to call now
Outlook, Gmail, Salesforce
Tip #6
26. What’s in the bottom of your email?
Nothing
Plain text signature
Copied image
HTML linked image
Promotional Offer
31. YOUR CHALLENGE
Schedule 5 slots to PROCESS every day
Try out 2 or 3 of the tools we mentioned
Be in touch (patterson@kwaga.com /
alex@contactmonkey.com )