Phone calls, walk-ins, meetings and more- every day seems like a non-stop Lazy Susan of distractions and missed opportunities for productivity. But one thing that stands in the way almost more than any other is the never ending emails.

Since the creation of electronic mail- or email- in the 70’s, there has been a continuous build towards the necessity- and almost obsession- of being constantly available for communication 24/7.  

What started out as only being accessible through our desktops- therefore limiting our use to times at home or in the office- quickly became available via laptop and finally on our every day, every minute devices, such as our tablets and smartphones.  Simply put: it’s everywhere, all the time, without fail.  

But with the endless lights blinking, alarms sounding and emails that range from cuddly cat videos to spam to actual business related communications, we have to admit that it is soaking up our rare moments of tranquility… and the opportunities for business growing productivity.

So, what do you do?  Follow these 4 solutions to unplugged and break free from the email stronghold.

START WITH THE JUNK

So you signed up one time for a 20% discount to your local print shop and all of a sudden you are being inundated with junk emails and spam of the, er, wild variety.  While a simple click of the button can delete these annoying messages, it still sucks time from your workday and power from your brain cells.  Setting up a simple spam filter or signing up for an application that automatically deletes known spam from your inbox will save you time, headaches and quite possibly an awkward moment from a nosey observer.

MOVE ON FROM EMAILS

We understand that where there is business, there is an essential need to be available for communication, especially amongst a team.  When tasks are handed out, deadlines are set and an array of people are responsible for getting things done, the lack of contact between one another can be the difference between hitting your goals… or losing a client.

Thankfully, more than ever, there are multitudes of ways to communicate and stay on task with your employees or team members.  Even better, systems like Asana or Trello, are specifically project management oriented meaning that if you must be in constant communication, at least it is for the purpose of business. And with the addition of endless tools and gadgets- like a deadline reminder- your productivity is actually INCREASED instead of being sucked away by tunnel vision emailing.

BUT IF YOU MUST EMAIL…

Of course we realize that at the end of the day everyone- especially those running a business in 2017- must have access to their email.  There are certainly times when your email is the first step to your next big account or an over-the-moon customer thanking you for your service.  These times make sense to have email- and trust us, we’re not trying to take that away from you.

But since email is a vital tool, make sure to use it wisely.  Know when… and for how long… you should be in your email on a daily basis.  Keep it closed down and out of reach when working on a big project.  Set firm times when to check in so that you can respond, react or relax within that time frame.   

But maybe most importantly, know when enough is enough.  Unless it is an extremely pressing matter- one where you would probably be contacted by phone anyway- then it can wait until the morning.  Power down your email to enjoy quality time with those you love, tend to tasks outside of work and ultimately, refresh for the day to come.

TRASH IT, NOT STASH IT

Finally, since we already acknowledged, that YES, you do need email to an extent; learn exactly how to better manage it.  We talked about filters to get rid of unnecessary junk, but what about the stuff we think we need?  We set up folders and email by email, organize it into folders that probably only eat up our storage.
Unless those emails you’re saving are detail sensitive, MUST HAVE pieces of information- or maybe future blackmail (just kidding)- toss it in the trash instead of organizing it away, never to be seen again.  Work on whittling down that inbox until the only emails you have sit comfortably on the first page and you are able to check in- and check back- out in a flash!

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There's no wrong or right way to manage your email. The ultimate goal is to make sure you're not missing anything special. And along with that goes all those deals that you don't wanna miss or those newsletters that are important to you because you're a consistent and active customer of that particular business. Here at 2ten Marketing we specialize in email marketing campaigns. We don't make fluffy emails that customers open and automatically delete, we're straight forward & give your customers what they want based on actual data - we just don't send out emails in hopes someone will open them. We're here to analyze & deliver you desirable results.