Dealing With the Email Barrage
Yesterday, I talked about what’s wrong with declaring email bankruptcy. Aside from being a short-term solution, it’s also plain rude. There are better ways to deal with the prospect of thousands of emails sitting in your inbox. Here are some things you can do:
Cut down on email subscriptions. While email subscription services like This is True and The Stella Awards are very entertaining and insightful, they aren’t crucial to your success as a freelancer. Besides, many of them are moving to blogs, meaning you can stay up-to-date through RSS.
Guard your email fiercely. Never ever post your email publicly, even if its myname [at] mymail.com. And maintain a test account for when you first sign up for services. The point is to lessen the possibility of spamming, because the less spam you have to deal with, the easier your email management will be. My personal blog makes use of a contact form, which lets people contact me without learning my email address.
Use email only for business. Unless it’s the only way you can communicate with a friend, relative, or loved one, use email only for business, never for pleasure. If someone sends you a personal message, try to move to a real-time discussion. And if you receive a forwarded email (those with inspiring stories, jokes, urban myths, etc), kindly tell the contact that you’d rather not receive these kind of messages.
How do you deal with the email barrage?
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POSTED IN: Useful Info, Ways to Work Faster
9 opinions for Dealing With the Email Barrage
Why You Shouldn’t Declare Email Bankruptcy
Jun 1, 2007 at 6:46 pm
[…] solutions are needed for lasting change. Tomorrow, I’ll be talking about what you can do to make your email barrage more manageable, without having to give up […]
Vyoma
Jun 3, 2007 at 4:28 pm
May be this is the only one aspect where I am squeaky clean.
I happen to have all mail read and replied or properly dealt with within two or three days. On only few occasions, it may get delayed by more than a week - but that would be when I go for a vacation.
So, I do not see myself declaring email bankruptcy.
Rico
Jun 3, 2007 at 11:34 pm
You’re lucky right now, but as more people become aware of your talents, and as you find yourself dealing with more and more emails, you’ll find yourself tempted to declare email bankruptcy. :lol:
An Easy Way to Find Jobs Without the Onslaught of Email
Aug 23, 2007 at 8:00 am
[…] right: RSS. There’s already enough to handle in your email inbox, so why add more pain with email subscriptions? By using a feedreader, software that lists the RSS […]
Protect Yourself by Protecting Your Email Address
Dec 14, 2007 at 9:55 am
[…] already talked about how a contact form lets you accept inquiries while keeping your email address secret. Another option we should […]
Why My Broken Laptop Led to Improved Productivity
Jan 9, 2008 at 10:30 am
[…] And, a surprising side effect for me was the fact that I found myself more focused than ever. The fact that I wouldn’t be able to work on the computer at my leisure was always stuck in my head, and I adapted by intensifying my concentration, finding ways to work faster than ever, to make full use of my limited time. Articles were written faster (this took me less than five minutes to create), visuals were composed more quickly, and less time was spent on dealing with the email barrage. […]
Why You Shouldn’t Sign Up for Email Group Digests
Feb 11, 2008 at 7:17 am
[…] Email groups are a great way to keep in touch with like-minded people. You get to learn and share information relevant to your fields, interests, or hobbies. However a side effect of email groups is inbox clutter. […]
5 Ways to Improve Productivity at the End of the Day
Apr 15, 2008 at 9:19 am
[…] Up Your Inbox. I’ve already written about dealing with the email barrage, and Darren has gotten some attention for his article as well (which you can probably adapt to do […]
How to Keep Twitter From Killing Your Productivity
May 25, 2008 at 9:14 am
[…] to keep twitter from killing your productivity, apply the same principles you use to cut down on your email barrage: get rid of what’s not absolutely necessary from a “business” point of view. […]
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