| My main blog is here and here's my Second Life blog Search (both links open in a new window) About me |
Current
Adelaide time:
|
| Contact me: +61 410 642 052 |  |
Better Business Communication Results
4 time-saving email tips!
Email is the 'killer app' of the internet, the most widely used tool available today.
I've already written about how to structure a great email, but here's 4 great tips for making sure that you take advantage of this fabulous tool.
The result? A powerful marketing system that will save you lots of time and enable you to spend more time promoting and advertising your business.
1. Know thy email program!
Whilst all email programs exist for the same reason - to send and receive email - and whilst most of them work in roughly similar ways, it still pays you to spend 30-45 minutes with your email program to get to the nitty-gritty parts. The sort of parts that mastering will enable you to cut valuable minutes off your day dealing with your inbox.
Like how to set up an auto-reply, or a signature, or automatically save incoming and outgoing emails into different folders, like a well-organised filing cabinet.
Most email programs have very good 'Help' files - make use of them in your quest for more knowledge and more time.
Once you've got a good grip on your email program, move on to tip 2...
2. Automation is vital!
You should aim to spend about 85-90% of your time promoting your business, NOT answering emails! If, like me, you get over a 100 emails a day, not automating your emails can be a real killer as far as your personal productivity goes.
Remember how in stage 1 I suggested that you get to grips with your email program and learn how to automatically save emails into folders? Well, this is a key strategy I use to save myself time.
Why should I waste precious time moving from subject to subject, looking at each incoming email in turn, when I can have my email program file my incoming emails automatically into subjects of my choosing. Subjects like each different project I'm working on, different clients, different business areas (marketing, sales, research, and so on).
With all of my incoming emails automatically placed into relevant folders, I can move from folder to folder, keeping my working memory focused on one area, with the result that I become more productive than if my attention was having to be spread across multiple areas.
With many email programs you can even set up automatic replies (known as autoresponders) for each folder - so that when a new email gets 'dropped' into that folder a reply is automatically generated to the sender, allowing you to acknowledge their email and promise them a response shortly. Without YOU having to lift a finger!
How efficient and marketing-smart is that?!
3. Set up your signature. NOW!
Oh, I know I bang on about this at every opportunity. But it really is a fundamental online marketing principle and if you don't have a signature you are missing out on the chance to advertise your product or service to literally thousands of people.
Thousands? Yes, because everyday emails get forwarded on to friends and business colleagues. Jokes, sad stories, news items, useful tips... all these types of emails and more get forwarded on to people you probably don't know.
If you don't have a signature set up, here's some examples. Note that they are a maximum of 8 lines long and each contain a compelling reason to DO something, like visit their website to grab a free report...
Example 1:
.blah blah blah
.text text text.
Regards,
John==================================================
John Smith - Marketing Director - Your Company
Tel: +61 8 8388 5171 Mob: +61 410 642 052
www.yourcompany.com.au john@yourcompany.com.au
Visit our site and sign up for powerful FREE
ideas and tips on marketing your business
==================================================
Example 2:
.blah blah blah
.text text text.
Regards,
John=================================================
John Smith Marketing Director
www.yourdomain.com john@yourdomain.com
Tel: +61 8 8388 5171 Mob: +61 410 642 052Visit our site for a FREE copy of our 20 page
report, 'Your Financial Freedom: what the
insurance industry doesn't want you to know"
=================================================
Example 3:
.blah blah blah
.text text text.
Regards,
Jeremy=================================================
Jeremy Lee Marketing Executive
www.yourwealthinc.com/lee Tel: (08) 8388 5171
ATTENTION: if you are sick of your job and want
to earn more money visit my site for information
on how you can build financial freedom one brick
at a time WITHOUT having to give up your day job.
Within a few years you could be firing your boss!
=================================================
Example 4:
.blah blah blah
.text text text.
Regards,
Michael=================================================
Michael Bloggs www.bloggsareus.com
Tel: (08) 8388 5171 Mobile: 0410 642 052
Bloggs are the latest, coolest toys around. Kids
just LOVE THEM! Visit our site to grab the latest
designs, colour schemes and accessories. There's
FREE screensavers and sound files too! Go there!!
=================================================
As I mentioned above, I get around 100 emails a day. If I attach my signature to every reply, that's 100 prospects a day who get my sales message!
Every email program worth its weight allows you to attach a signature. You don't have any excuse. Start writing some email signatures today and test them out on your replies. Some will be better than others at getting a response - you'll soon know.
4. Create templates to save even more time!
I get over 100 emails a day and some of them are from different people asking the same question. How time wasting to re-type exactly the same reply to each different email!
That's why I have created template responses - I can call up a pre-written response and just cut and paste it into a reply, adding any personalising features like the person's name. Easy-peezy!
I have dozens of templates, each answering a specific frequent request or question. These save me heaps of time!
Each email program works slightly differently with template files, so I suggest you check out your email program's 'Help' files for more information.
A useful product I've found for Outlook is ReplyMate - check it out at www.replymate.com
So, there we are.
If you follow these four tips, you'll find that you're able to spend less time as a slave to your inbox and more time promoting your business.
Other pages in this section:
How to write emails that get results! | 4 time-saving email tips
Site Directory:
For Your Consideration:
Have you subscribed to my blog yet? As a subscriber you get kept up-to-date on when new articles are added. Subscribe now!
If you would like to use any of the articles on this site that I have personally written (they will either have 'By Lee Hopkins' on them, or nothing at all) please feel free to do so as long as you include the following 'resource box' text and a link back to www.LeeHopkins.com:
|
Finally, if this site or any of the articles have been of any help to you, perhaps you'd like to say 'thank you' by throwing a few pennies my way. If so, please click on the button below and donate whatever you feel is appropriate. The payment is handled by PayPal and is extremely secure. Thanks.
Related material :
Better Business Writing
You’ve probably always wanted to improve your writing skills in your workplace, but perhaps there wasn't a training course around to help you.
Well, now there is.
Social Media White Paper
(3rd Edition)
Trevor Cook and I wrote a booklet to help our clients and friends come to grips with this new online phenomenon called 'Social Media' or 'Web2.0'. Now in its third edition, it is still being widely cited and is receiving lots of favourable comments.
Download your free copy now (pdf)
Find out more about it (opens new window)
What you say about Lee Hopkins:
"One of the best days I've spent with a man! "
"Wow - what a presentation, it went so well, thank you very much! Fantastic job! "
"Lindy and Lee, you were both brilliant and I'm very thankful and pleased for your efforts, it was excellent. Thank you. "
"One of Australia's leading public relations practitioners in the so-called new media"
"While I only had the pleasure of actually meeting Lee face-to-face several months ago, I have been aware of him in conference programs and through feedback from one of my team members for a while. Lee has an amazing and unique skill for managing the new media to support business outcomes"
"Oz's best social network strategist"
"As for Local Royalty, you really are a Superstar among the bloggers and blogosphere!"
"Lee Hopkins, one of Australia's most respected social media experts"
"Lee was very entertaining and knowledgeable. He demystified social media for me and he made me feel it IS possible."
"His enthusiasm is infectious - exciting stuff!"
"Excellent. A really fascinating insight from an engaging speaker."
"A very difficult topic but it was explained in a fantastically simple way."
"The Walkleys relies on the good will of Australia’s talented communicators to make events like these happen and I can’t thank you enough for taking time out from your heavy schedule to make the convention such a memorable event."
"The workshop was very useful in that it enabled us to directly relate what we learnt in the seminar to our business. Lee was very easy to relate to and he presented all the information in a way that was simple to understand."
"Informative and engaging - gave good overview of new on-line technologies and how they can be applied to businesses. Particularly valued the opportunity to have a separate session to look at the specific needs and potential uses for my own business."
"Great to talk to someone who is expert in their field and passionate."
"The ability to interact one on one with Lee, as well as seeing new technologies and how they can be easily implemented into current business processes [was great]"
"Great. Lee was very engaging and presented info in easy to understand language and examples. Use of music, video, PowerPoint etc keep contents fun and educational. Great stuff!"
“Great! Even I could understand and appreciate the content. Excellent examples, wonderful presentation. I’m going back to share with my team. Thank you. "
“Lee was a great facilitator and his energy and passion for social media was evident."
“Excellent, enthusiastic presenter who is right into what he is talking about. Walking the talk. Just the right amount of info about the different topics. Not too geeky. Strong emphasis on how the tools can assist effective business communication. Relaxed friendly atmosphere. The workshop opened lots of doors, stimulating. I’m strongly encouraged to try things out. Many thanks.”
“Lee was great – knowledgeable, enthusiastic, generous in sharing his expertise. I liked the demonstrations."
"Great Workshop... helped me crystalise my thoughts on social media and now I feel ready to develop the strategy and make use of this great new medium"
Would you like me to run a workshop in-house for YOUR company?
Contact me to discuss how we can bring your company into this new and exciting communication universe.
Download a recent presentation I gave to the 8th National PR Convention in Sydney. Office2007 version (zip) Office2003 version (zip)
Why does employee communication matter?
Download a recent presentation I gave to a group of PR students (pdf)
For your consideration:
|
"I communicate therefore I am"
Available in medium and large mug sizes.
You KNOW you want one!
Available in men's and women's fittings. You KNOW you want one!
Writing for a web audience
Want to write more powerfully for a web audience?...
Right-click on this image and download the pdf file to your computer's hard drive.
"The definitive guide to writing for the web" says Lee
