I know it seems silly, but one of my New Year’s Resolutions for 2016 was to get better with checking email. Unfortunately, I check email like I read text messages. I read it, respond in my head, and never actually reply. My friends are totally use to this, but potential brand partners? Not so much.
When it comes to blogging or running a business, obviously this isn’t the most professional way to operate.
So, I narrowed it down to two major reasons I suck at email:
- I check email on my phone, but don’t respond with my phone.
- I get nervous with replies and procrastinate.
Issue No. 1:
I’m constantly on my phone for social media and texting, but I REFUSE to send an email using my phone. Maybe I’m self-conscious of typos and autocorrect or I’m just SO used to it on my computer that I don’t like the feel of it on my phone. Sure, I’ll send quick email responses to friends or someone I’m comfortable with who needs a quick response. But formal emails to businesses? Nuhuh- I save that for the computer.
The problem with this is when I read an email on my phone, my message is now marked as “read”. Then, by the time I get to the computer, the already opened email (aka not bolded in my inbox) doesn’t get my attention, so I totally forget about it. And that person probably never hears from me again…
Issue No. 2:
For some reason, I can’t seem to ever just reply to an email that a brand/business sends me. Whether that’s them wanting to collaborate, inviting me to an event, etc., I always have to think on it a while and weigh the pros and cons while I conjure up the perfect response.
And even though I’ve been blogging for 6 years now, I still get nervous when discussing payment and specifics for sponsored posts — which I know is a BIG reason I procrastinate and delay responding to emails.
If a brand pitches me an idea, and I’m unsure about it, I like to sit on it. I’m scared of missing an awesome opportunity, but I’m also scared of agreeing to do something I might regret later. I need to get more into the mindset of if it’s not an “ABSOLUTELY YES” then it’s an “ABSOLUTELY NO” and send them a polite canned response declining their offer.
To fix these bad habits, I’ve come up with Three Steps to More Productive Emailing. I’d love to hear your tips for better email habits as well! Be sure to tell me in the comments if you have any advice!
1. Reserve specific times a day to check email (morning, afternoon, evening)
Whether you feel like you check email too much or you feel like you’re not checking it enough, it’s best to be more consistent with your emailing by setting a schedule.
This will also keep you from sporadically checking email throughout the day on your phone and forgetting to respond to certain messages. I’ve even heard of people taking email off their phone completely — but I don’t know if I’m ready for a step that big!
Checking email in the morning is a great way to know what the day holds. And for me, if I get an email that I need to think about, I can schedule that email response in my afternoon or evening email sessions.
I reserve about 30 minutes for emails in the morning. Then about 10 minutes for afternoon emails. Then another 10-15 minutes in the evening.
If you’re thinking that almost an hour of emailing seems like a lot for one day, let me be clear that not all of these emails necessarily need a reply nor are they all coming from PR reps or businesses (I wish!!).
A lot of my emails are newsletters from other bloggers or emails from my favorite stores with their new arrivals or sales. I like to spend time clicking through these emails and browsing/shopping or clicking through to other bloggers’ sites to see what they’re up to or posting about that day.
2. Respond to an email in under 5 minutes (or save it for later)
If you’ve followed my blog, then you know I’m a crazy person when it comes to scheduling out my day. If I don’t schedule a task, it doesn’t get done. Unfortunately, not all emails can be responded to and constructed in 2-3 minutes.
Sometimes I may be asked questions that need a longer response, or I might need to check out a brand’s website to pick items for an upcoming post, etc.
My advice is if responding to the email takes less than 5 minutes, do it right then and move on with your day.
If it will take longer, write it down on your to-do list and schedule it for later in the day or week.
For example, are you answering questions for an interview? That might take more than 5 minutes. You’ll have to answer questions and/or attach photos, so schedule that for later.
If it’s a simple question like “Are you free for a lunch meeting next Thursday?” then check your calendar and quickly respond in under a minute or two.
3. Have canned responses prepared.
One way to make email checking easier and quicker is to have responses prepared.
If someone pitches you a post idea but you’re not interested, have an email ready. That takes less than 5 minutes. If you want to counter offer, have an email ready. If you want to agree to their offer, then have an email ready. Simply copy and paste these emails in and move on.
Declining someone’s offer could be as simple as “Thanks so much for reaching out. Unfortunately, my editorial calendar is pretty full and I won’t be able to work in a post about your product at this time. Please feel free to reach out about future opportunities.” Short and sweet.
Or if a brand reaches out wanting to send you a product for review, send a response thanking them for reaching out and tell them to take a look at your attached media kit. Having specific information on pricing and how brands can work with you in your media kit will save you a ton of time in the long run.
Obviously you can make canned responses more personal if you want to take the time to add names or say something about the product. Canned responses could also be helpful if you have a virtual assistant who might respond to some emails for you (another big I WISH!).
So what did you think of my emailing tips? Tell me your advice for better email habits in the comments!
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