Electronic mail is likely the most important business communication tool as it accounts for majority of interaction between business owners and customers, therefore, knowledge of email management best practices is important. While it's easy to get overwhelmed, there are strategies to keep email under control and to reduce stress related to mismanaging it.
Email Management Program and Secure Email Services
Small and home-based owners or any organizations with a good email management program, mastery of email etiquette and secure email services inculcate awareness to their employees on the importance of managing incoming email message in order to keep control email overflow. Aside from email management programs that may already be in place, here are basic tips for employees worth considering:
- Incoming emails should be organized with appropriate folders for filing. There is no set category how to do this. However, filing email helps control what needs immediate action, those that can be filed for future decision, and others, to delete. Some email systems use ‘filter’ that can sort email according to priority or need. For example, an email filter can be set up to automatically move emails to three folders - regular customer, occasional ones, and others, for those unclassified.
- Time should be set aside for emails. Checking, reading and responding to email at work is not an all day long activity. Some people do it first thing in the morning, others, late in the afternoon, while more, an hour first thing in the morning and another hour at the end of the day. There are no set rules. What is important is for employees to not do email activity during their most or best productive time.
- Contact email should be set up for clients and customers. This facilitates communication in order for them to be notified when there are new incoming messages in their inbox.
- Business address should not be used to purchase products online. This is inappropriate and unprofessional.
- Employees should never enter their work email address into online guest books. This is inappropriate, certainly unprofessional.
- Family and friends should be discouraged from emailing information unrelated to work. This is a distraction. Out of carelessness, it may be a cause of inappropriate emails proliferated along the communication line.
- When applying for a job while still employed, staff should never use the company’s email systems for sending resume. This is not only inappropriate, but some companies use tracking equipments to monitor flow of email.
- Email folders should be maintained regularly depending on the email volume. Some people do it once a fortnight, while others, once a month. What matters is to find out which email needs further action, and which others can already be deleted.
Interested readers may also check the articles History of Communication from Telegram to Email and Tips for Sending Messages Using Email.
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