And the biggest drain on your workday is...

...email. Who's with me? (everyone screams "we are!")

Between email and text messages, it's amazing we get anything done. Oh yeah, and you can't forget about DM's from Facebook and Twitter, too.

My wife, God Bless her, responds to everything. I don't. I feel there has to be a cutoff at some point. Someone has to, if I may use an old school term," hang up the phone. 

I have a few friends that don't know how to hang up the phone.  If I send "Thank you," they'll send "you're welcome." Totally unnecessary. That's just a small example, too. We've all been on an email chain of 6 people or more where everyone needs to be heard, even if it's just the smiley face :). Totally unnecessary. 

So how do you avoid staying out of email hell while trying to be productive? These tips from John Egan at SpareFoot make sense:

• Communicate Carefully -- Bad news should be delivered in person. Keep personal notes and fantasy football updates away from business email.
  
• Check Your Temperature -- If you're hacked off, walk away from the keyboard. Instead, pick up the phone. Hearing a voice will force you to be calmer. If you can't help but pound out an angry response, don't send it right away. Review it later.
  
• Get to the Point! -- If there are a bunch of items to discuss, send them in separate emails. One topic at a time, please.
  
• Keep it Simple -- Make the note easier to read b y dividing the info in blocks. If it doesn't fit on one screen, turn it into a Word doc and attach it to the email.

There are more tips here 


Trust me, when we work together, the email will be to-the-point. If you need a voice to make your commercial, web presentation, or book shine, give me a call: (919) 757-2592, or head here to submit a sample of your project. 

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