Summary: Click here to Subscribe to the ‘New Business Podcast’ via iTunes! Happy new year to you! Thank you for kicking off 2015 with me. I'm happy to bring you today's episode, number 77. This is a New Business Podcast solo show, just you and me talking about my 7 steps and hacks for greater email productivity. Over the years I've developed a system. First my VA helps me sort through the 200 or so emails I get daily, leaving me with 35 to 40 messages to follow up on. I set aside time specifically to quickly and efficiently answer these emails using the 7 steps below. 1. Unsubscribe from any lists that aren't providing you with value. Just ask yourself if you're still getting what you had signed up for from that person. If you answer yes then stay on the list. But if you answer no then unsubscribe yourself.Are you on a lot of lists? Use Unroll Me to remove yourself from many lists, quickly. 2. Next, remove yourself from any internal company and business threads. This may not apply to everyone, but if it does take note and take action. 3. Then use the one-click rule. And by one-click I mean you click the email open once, then either reply, forward, delete or archive it. Don't click the email, open it, read it and then read the next message. 4. Applying the 3-sentence rule is our fourth effective email hack. When you reply to an email or forward it only respond with 3 sentences or less. If you need more than 3 sentences than pick up the phone. It'll save you tons of time, I promise! 5. It also helps to use a project management system. I use this type of program when working on a project like a website redesign, or anything where there will be a lot of communication. Doing so will help keep your Inbox uncluttered. 6. Getting your email into the cloud will also save you time and hassle. Gmail, for example, allows you to receive your own domain name email for a small yearly fee. The pay-off is you can access your email anywhere, from any device and you can manage it wherever you are, whenever you want. 7. Finally stop using your Inbox as your to-do list! I know far too many people who do this, don't be one of them. Get an app, or some Post-Its or even a good old-fashioned Text doc and create your to-do list there. Whatever you have to do, get your to-do related emails out of your Inbox and get it down to zero. These are my top seven email hacks to save you time and to become more productive. Email is one of those time-sucking tasks for most of us, and it has been for me in the past. But today I am proud to say I get down to zero emails daily using the tips we've talked about here. To get the full details on each of these seven techniques have listen to today's show. Apply them and find out how fast you can get down to Inbox Zero! Subscribe to the Podcast To subscribe to the New Business Podcast, use the link below: Click here to Review & Rate the podcast in iTunes, too (Thank You!) Items mentioned in this episode: My 2014 Review & Preview of what's coming in 2015 Tropical Think Tank 2015 - Book your slot NOW!!! Unroll Me - For removing yourself from unwanted lists, etc. Virtual Freedom - My bestselling book on the topic of virtual team building. QUESTION: I always say that nobody has a monopoly on good ideas, so what are YOUR favorite email hacks and tips? Share them below with the rest of the community!
