There is no shortage of people willing to share their tips and tricks about how to better manage email:
“Take action immediately, if it’s relevant.”
“Don’t take action immediately unless the message is on fire when it arrives.”
“Wait five minutes to take action, refill your coffee cup, then delete everything.”
And there are hundreds more where these came from.
For small businesses, email management is perhaps the crucial spoke in the work flow wheel. It’s the key to driving sales, serving customers and supporting the communication foundation of the business. Which is to say: Email is important.
Because it’s important, there’s significant value in having legitimate tips pointed out. And there are people willing to share, from Tim Ferriss and the “4-hour Work Week” to an office assistant in Omaha with a blog and an opinion. Well, because we like a good party, we were going to join the fray, too, tossing in our top five most useful suggestions for turning your email experience into Shangri-la. But then I thought that maybe we should be a little more explicit.
So, rather than give you the riveting recommendation to “Stay out of your email until at least Noon”, I thought we’d pull you through a day in the life series (who doesn’t love those?).
Beginning Monday, we’re going to start a series entitled “Email: This is How We Do It” (with a nod to Montell Jordan) in which you’ll be taken through the various aspects of email and communication work flow at Palo Alto Software. Not only will you learn techniques for improving some of the most crucial aspects of your business, but you’ll also see why it’s a good thing there’s an Email Center Pro in the world for minimizing all of these headaches.
See you on Monday.
