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Email Profit Wasters
Using your resources productively
The estimated cost due to email mistakes was calculated at $420,000 annually for companies with 100 employees, according to Debra Hamilton in her report, “Top Ten Email Blunders That Cost Companies Money.” If we all followed a common sense approach to email usage, productivity would jump and consequently so would profits.
As simple as email is, we often rush through and forget the basics. There are two elements that go into using email productively:A. Composition B. Processing
A. COMPOSITION
Assess your email composition skills in these three areas:
- Subject
- Message
- Tone
- Subject. Think of this line as a telegram. How much information can you impart in six to eight words. If there is an action required, note that in this space. (”I need figures from you by 3 p.m.”) If you are replying and switching topics, change the subject line.
- Message.
- Keep it short and state what you need. Is there an action associated with this? If yes, place that at the top of the message.
- If there is no response expected, say something like “Thanks in advance” or “No reply needed.” That will cut down on those return messages like “Okay” or “Thanks” that can fill your inbox.
- Are the spelling and grammar a good representation of you and your company?
- Tone. Reread your message before hitting the Send button. Then you can add the small niceties like “Please” and “I appreciate….” Otherwise the actual wording may appear brusque since there are no external visual or auditory clues to convey your meaning.
B. PROCESSING
Email often becomes one of our multitasking activities. It is tempting to scroll through your mail while on the phone or at a meeting. You may think you are accomplishing more this way, but reality is that it is impossible to multitask productively. When your brain has to switch back and forth between types of activities, there is always a time lag. It also places more stress on you, leading to physically damaging brain cells. On top of that, it takes longer to complete dual actions and neither is done at one hundred percent.
To prevent email from interrupting you throughout the day, set up time blocks for processing. The ideal would be twice a day, once later in the morning and again in the afternoon. If you feel you need to check your inbox when you first come in to be sure there are no emergencies, take a look. You can monitor the messages for urgent issues but save the regular processing for your scheduled time block.
If dealing with email two or three times a day is not realistic for your business, you might monitor it once every hour to be sure you are not missing any urgent request. When there is no emergency, wait till your time block to continue working with the mail.
Working in scheduled blocks means you are grouping your activities instead of bouncing back and forth throughout the day, and you will be operating in a proactive rather than reactive manner. You can be up to four times more productive because you are not asking your brain to keep switching gears. What other things can you group together in a day or a week?
Keep in mind that the more email you send, the more you receive. Before firing off the next message, ask yourself why you are sending that. Email is a great tool when used properly. Do not let it become a profit drain.
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