Email management or lack thereof is sometimes the bane of the business owner’s existence. Email is an ideal form of communication and in some cases can save a lot of time and back and forth on the telephone. Email is also an ideal way to have a history of project timelines and tasks.
Here are tips for taming your email inbox:
Set aside time a couple of times a day to go through your inbox. Don’t get distracted by incoming messages while you’re working on something else.
Delete emails you’re done with. If there are those that go back and forth, keep only the latest one.
The subject line should match the content of the message.
Only “handle” an email once. If you’re reading it, then respond to it. Don’t file emails until you have responded to them.
Don’t use “reply all” messages unless it truly is necessary for everyone to reply.
If the dream of being your own boss is one that you have had for a while. What’s stopping you? Is it the staggering amount of information that’s out there? Is it because you don’t know exactly what you want to do?
In my coaching practice I work with both long-time and first-time entrepreneurs and here are some factors I’ve found to be true in many cases:
Don’t get sidetracked. It’s easy to do if you don’t have a clear focus and a business plan to keep you on track and focused. Don’t say “yes” to opportunities that simply don’t suit your overall business model.
If you don’t focus on your area of expertise you likely won’t succeed. Spend your time and energy on your area of expertise and outsource those items that you simply aren’t great at or that will cost you more money to complete than if you hired someone.
You’ve probably heard the phrase “fake it until you make it” and that means you can “fake” a large office and “fake” that you’re working with a team. Work on a shoestring and spend only what you need to while you’re in start up mode.
Procrastination is the killer of productivity. That makes sense, right? Did you realize though that over the past 30 years the number of self-proclaimed procrastinators has quadrupled? Procrastination, in so many ways, can drain your energy and can also assist you in sabotaging your entrepreneurial success.
Can you obliterate procrastination from your business and personal life? I believe you can. I also believe it will take effort and it’s not something you can put off any longer! Here are some steps you can take, beginning today, to give procrastination the boot:
Hone your to-do list down to no more than five items a day. If you get through those, fantastic! Add on a few more.
If an item on your to-do list is involved (building a new website, writing a book, etc.) then break that item down into smaller increments. Scale the mountain one step at a time!
Get better at your self knowledge and pay attention to those times and those tasks that put you into procrastination mode. If you can uncover what pushes that button you may be able to find ways to overcome it.
Acknowledge that procrastination is present in your life and then give yourself a pat on the back when you make it through your list
Reward yourself for making it through your list. Reward yourself for a job well done. Don’t beat yourself up when you procrastinate, instead look for the root cause.
If you find yourself being overwhelmed by activities, to-dos and by a general feeling of “I don’t know where to start.” Give us a call or leave a comment because our business coaching service could help you get past that and moving forward on your entrepreneurial path.
Do you ever cringe when you get ready to open your email inbox in the morning? I know sometimes I do. Why? First of all because so many emails came in, second because some of them ramble and third because the subject lines have nothing to do with the content.
Here are my tips for upping the chances that your email messages (whether a standard email or an e-newsletter) get read:
Be clear. Are you asking for help? Do you need a response? Are you simply sharing information? Make that clear in the message so the recipient knows how, or even if they have to, respond.
One issue per message. Don’t have a subject line that mentions, “XYZ Project” but then go into the “ABC” and the “LMNO” projects. One subject per email and the subject needs to relate to your subject line.
Be brief. If you can’t wrap up your email in a hundred words or fewer (unless the recipient was anticipating a wordy response) then you might want to pick up the phone. There are times, though when a detailed email response is a great reference for the future, but you need to know when this is the case.
Make sure your grammar and spelling are impeccable. Grammatical errors will make your reader subconsciously doubt the rest of your words.
Steer clear of industry jargon and acronyms unless you are certain your recipient will immediately understand them.
The written word, in some cases, is being mangled by the average user. Why? In part, I believe because of the proliferation of text messaging. When it comes to text messages, many people use short cuts rather than writing complete sentences or even complete words for that matter.
When you’re corresponding with business colleagues, your business grammar matters. Why? You could be the most well-versed expert in your niche, but when you send an email full of spelling and grammar mistakes, the recipient may subconsciously doubt all of your words and facts.
How can you make certain your email messages and business correspondence are top notch? Here are a few ways:
Be clear and stick to one topic. Veering off topic is disconcerting at best and dilutes the message at worst. If the topic of the email is technical or involved, it’s likely best to pick up the telephone or have a face-to-face.
Be brief but be friendly. Correspondence without body language can “sound” curt and abrupt. While you don’t need flowery prose, you do need to be cognizant of the recipient’s time while still being personable.
Check your spelling and grammar before you hit send. If you’re hesitant on a word or a phrase or the use of particular punctuation, ask someone for advice or Google it.
BONUS tip: Don’t throw around your industry acronyms unless you’re certain the recipient will immediately understand your meaning.
When is the last time you celebrated a small milestone in your business? Many people feel they can only “celebrate” when they close that BIG deal, or when they lose 10 pounds or when they finish writing their book or business plan. Why not celebrate when you close ONE deal or lose two pounds or write a chapter in your book? Marking the progress you make along the way goes a long way in helping you meet those larger goals.
There are coaching clients with whom I work that sometimes suffer analysis paralysis — that need to know each and every single possible outcome of whatever project is on their plate before they can move forward. It is a state that leads to almost nothing getting done and that stymies their overall business growth.
What can you to do celebrate small milestones and why should you? Here are some options:
Not celebrating small projects completed negates their importance. Take a 15 minute trip away from your desk and do something you enjoy as a way to treat yourself for a job well done.
Tell a colleague or share with your coach a milestone. If you work with a coach or an accountability partner and you achieve something he or she had talked with you about, you should pick up the phone an make note of that — after all that is the benefit of having an accountability partner or coach.
Celebrate every new customer! Why? Every customer you bring in is entrusting him- or herself to the services you provide and that means you should celebrate them! How? Note it on your social media pages. Pick up the phone and say a heartfelt “thank you for being part of our client family.
What will you do to celebrate your next milestone?
