February 14, 2022

 

Email is a well-worn tool of the digital age. It isn’t flashy. It isn’t new. It’s easy to navigate. It’s simple to adapt to. Yet, it is still a prime communication tool, especially in an office setting.

If you’ve been in business long enough, you might remember when it was the latest trend, and whether or not you’ve adapted to other forms of media, you’re probably still getting the benefits of an email account and a fast internet connection.

Even though the tool itself is as old-school as digital media gets, the outlook for users is still growing. Email providers are constantly improving the user experience and adding new features to stay relevant and keep YOU working efficiently and effectively. 

So, what are the email hacks you might be missing? Check out these tips and tricks to keep your inbox a well-polished tool to communicate and get work done. 

 

1) Schedule Emails to Send

You don’t have to remember to follow up on that email you just sent in two days. You don’t even have to worry about bothering your coworker with the infamous *ding* alert when you send a catch-up email late at night. Most email services have a feature to schedule your written emails for any time in the future. So, write your messages as you think of them and let the memory-burden fall off your shoulders, knowing it’ll send right on time. 

 

2) Set reminders

When you get an email with non-urgent information, do you think you’ll remember to deal with it, or do you actually remember to communicate with the sender in time? With most email services you are able to set reminders, which will pop up at your designated time. This is especially helpful if you work to deadlines, or like to limit your inbox to the most time-sensitive. 

 

3) Use labels/folders

This might be one of the oldest tricks, but we still find it to be under-utilized. When you are done with an email thread, do you move it? Or does it sit in your inbox stripping your focus? Don’t let irrelevant emails distract you with visual clutter. Create folders and categorize emails that are no longer relevant to your daily workload. You don’t have to delete them, but you don’t have to see them countless times throughout the day, either.

 

4) Rules and Filters

We find this tool to be especially helpful for subscribed emails. If you have frequent messages coming in that you’d like to check later, but know you don’t need to read and reply, you can filter them through directly to their own folder, or to archive. They won’t be clogging up your to-do list, and they’ll be neatly waiting for you when you have the designated time to catch up on correspondence. 

 

5) Set default messgaess

Find yourself needing to send the same response over and over again? You can save that response easily in your account. Look for Quick Parts in Outlook or Canned Responses in Gmail. You’ll save time, and you can still customize it for the person you are sending it to. 

 

Email is generally user-friendly, but knowing the value of a few extra skills could really help you to get the most out of it as a professional communication tool. 

So, how do you use your email? Do you get the most out of your email account, or do you avoid it? We’d love to hear from you on facebook or linkedin.