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“ Email is familiar. It's comfortable. It's easy to use. But it might just be the biggest killer of time and productivity in the office today. “ – Quote by Ryan Holmes.
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42 % of respondents spend 3 plus hours a day reading and responding to email.
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55 % of respondents checked their email hourly or just left it open.
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31 % spend a minimum of 20 minutes daily searching for information to include in the email messages or to attach to an email.
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48 % of the survey’s respondents called email their primary method of communication, above phone calls, texting, and face-to-face conversation.
These are the findings of a survey conducted by Researcher Diana Booher, her team, and the University of Northern Colorado’s Social Research Lab.
The good old email is not going anywhere despite its obituary being written ad nauseum in the past years, thanks to the advent of other tech tools for communication & collaboration. It is an important communication tool for all businesses to connect with clients, leads, vendors, employees, and other stakeholders. Just like any tech tool, it comes with limitations and pitfalls.
Let’s see how you can leverage emails in a better manner and make them work for your small firm:
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Pay attention to the subject line. As we have mentioned here in a few blogs, the subject line of the email needs due diligence. The subject line should be clear, crisp, and have content related to the email content itself. It’s advisable to not exceed 10 words in the subject line. Use the email subject similar to an article headline. The recipient should be able to gauge from the subject line what the email’s main idea is. Don’t waste the time of email recipients. Be more attentive at your end.
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Be efficient. Convert the email into a medium of efficiency. Before sending any email you need to ask yourself two questions: Why are you sending this email? How important is this email? Can I use another tool to convey the message? If your replies throw up as email as the desirable medium then go ahead and use it.
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Encourage a habit of not checking emails incessantly in the office and skipping them all together after work hours. In office, it is imperative to encourage good email-checking habits.
4 times, when emails can be avoided, include:
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Use digital calendar options that can be shared among all. Such software is more appropriate when scheduling meetings, events and so on.
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For urgent work and immediate responses, emails may not be the right forum. In such scenarios, it's best to opt for instant messaging options such as slack, WhatsApp where responses can be elicited faster.
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Project management software such as Codleo’s very own ProjecLeo is ideal for those involved in projects. Emails are not the right medium of communication. Project management tools are made to assist teams set goals and track progress—all vitals in managing a project.
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Communication that requires convincing someone to do something for you is best done on the phone or in–person. Emails don’t deliver the same impact, so avoid using it as far as possible.
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About the Author
Akansha Singh
Akansha is a Digital Consultant having rich experience in Organic as well as Paid Marketing, Marketing Automation, Lead Generation, Email Marketing and also in Social Media Management. Her main forte is to help you grow your business through strategy and planning.
