Communication has come a long way, especially in business, so no matter whether you’re a small thriving company or a large enterprise, email is likely to play an integral role in how things are run. But, if you and your employees do not use your email in the most effective way, things can get stressful.
Forbes recently shared that survey results, as conducted by Wakefield Research, stated that email fatigue has become an increasingly problematic issue for employees with 38% of people saying it’s likely to push them to quit their jobs!
So, how do you avoid email fatigue to keep your employees productive and happy? Luckily, there are several ways to improve your business email communication – read on for all you need to know.
What are the top signs of poor email management?
When you’re used to a particular way of working it can be difficult to see where the problem lies, however, if your employees are reporting additional stress or ongoing problems are affecting your email management it’s time to change.
Here are some top signs of poor email management:
- Managing your emails is taking much longer than necessary and causing you to get behind on other tasks. You must strike the right balance between replying to emails and staying on top of your other work responsibilities.
- You’ve missed important emails or have been late replying due to problems sorting through your inbox. In the long run this is not ideal for your business and could result in unhappy clients.
- You have experienced a virus or data breach due to spam emails. If your cluttered inbox or lack of security has resulted in a fake email slipping through the net, then you need to find a solution.
- Finding old emails and keeping track of them is difficult. As a result you find it hard to maintain good communication with your colleagues and clients via email.
5 email management tips
Coming back to work on Monday and being faced with hundreds of emails is a mammoth task in itself alongside your other daily tasks. However, when used correctly, email is an incredibly effective form of communication with your colleagues, other departments and clients. Nevertheless, many of us feel overwhelmed with emails and what should just a few minutes to look through your inbox could end up taking much longer than anticipated.
Here are 5 top tips for managing your emails:
Organise your emails into folders
Having everything in one place will quickly get hard to manage. While your emails land in your main inbox you don’t need to keep them in there and separating them out is a more effective way of managing your email flow. Folders and labels are a great way of creating a good system where you know exactly where important emails are and you don’t become overwhelmed with messages.
As a business, you might want to think about creating email categories for finances, customer services and sales or other relevant areas that work for you. Your inbox will be less cluttered and you’ll know exactly where to look when you need to reply or refer back to a particular email.
Create templates replies for common emails
In business, your company email account is one of the first ports of call between you and your clients – this means that you’ll probably receive a few common messages. So, while it’s important to reply promptly, writing out the same emails time and time again is not the most effective way of communicating.
Instead, why not create template emails for your commonly asked questions or enquiries? Keeping pre-written emails in your drafts means you can speed up the process and make small tweaks where necessary without having to write a lot of emails from scratch. This will prevent you from getting overwhelmed with large volumes of external emails.
Invest in anti-spam software to filter your inbox
Spam can fill up your inbox quickly and take up space where legit emails should be, not to mention how it can make your business if you click on the wrong link. Every email system will have a built-in spam filter, however, emails will still slip through the net and as spammers become more sophisticated it will become harder to detect.
A great solution to this is to invest in professional anti-spam software. Working in the background, anti-spam software will block spam before it lands in your inbox so you don’t have to sort through your emails even before you can get started on replying. Something as simple as this can make a big difference to your employees.
If you’re looking for reliable anti-spam software, MailCleaner is the system you need. Our product is the perfect option for enterprises and within just a few minutes of installation, your email network will be fully protected. Our sophisticated technology could save your business time, money and improve the overall efficiency of the team. Get in touch with us today for more information.
Set aside time for checking your emails
If email stress is causing your employees to struggle to manage their time, it’s a good idea to encourage them to block out time slots where they concentrate on their emails. When you see an email pop up it’s tempting to quickly reply but this can easily turn into a back to back conversation that spills into your work time.
Of course, sometimes you will receive emails that need to be replied to ASAP, however, for everything else, setting aside one hour a day or time in the morning and time in the afternoon is a good way of keeping on top of inbox maintenance. Managing your inbox little and often will reduce stress and keep your to-do list on track.
Unlink your email account from your personal devices
If you find yourself scrolling through work emails while you’re at home, stop. Email fatigue is bad enough at work but experiencing it at home too will only cause additional stress. You should unlink your email accounts from your personal devices such as your phone, so you set clear boundaries between work and home.
With a good management plan in place including the tips mentioned above, you and your staff shouldn’t need to spend time replying to emails out of work hours. With a few simple changes, these practices can prevent stress in the long run.
MailCleaner: Reliable Anti-Spam Software for business, education and governments
At MailCleaner, we offer an effective solution to your email spam. Once installed on your server, MailCleaner blocks up to 99% of spam so your email inbox remains safe and easier to manage. If a harmful file is detected, MailCleaner will automatically send it to a quarantined zone where it cannot cause any more damage in the future.
With a number of packages available, we aim to protect small and large businesses and reduce email stress for long-term results. Compatible with Microsoft Office 365 and other email networks, investing in anti-spam software is always a sensible choice for your business.
For more information about our anti-spam gateway or to start your 30 day free trial, contact us today.