How Can a Virtual Assistant Manage My Email?
IN A HURRY? HERE’S THE BOTTOM LINE
Did you know that we spend nearly three hours per day inside our work email inboxes, plus 2.5 hours every day in our personal email inboxes? (source: Statistica)
That’s a LOT of time that could be spend more productively, elsewhere in our business!
Now that it’s summer, it’s time for you to re-evaluate the day-to-day tasks in your business and determine what can be covered by others. Virtual Assistants can help keep your inbox under control in a variety of time-saving ways, such as organizing your inbox, responding with common replies, and alerting you when you need to pay attention to something.
GOT A MINUTE? HERE ARE THE DETAILS TO CONSIDER
Think about the above-quoted statistic. Do you think you really spend three hours every day reading and responding to work emails? Your inbox time could be shorter - or longer - depending on your organizational skills and the type of business you have, but the reality is that in a digital working world, we all get sucked into email inbox overwhelm sometimes!
Email is necessary. But it can easily become an issue for two reasons:
Reason #1: You can’t focus on other work
Your email inbox should NOT be your to-do list. Seriously!
I achieve “inbox zero” every single day (here’s exactly how I do it) but the basic principle is that you need to set boundaries around your email inbox time. You can cut down on the number of emails you receive by using other communication methods, such as Voxer, and by unsubscribing from (or auto-filing) unimportant newsletters and notifications.
But even though customer service inquiries, team member questions, and other emails are still important, answering those emails the minute you receive them is going to take away time from more critical responsibilities in your business. Even worse, constantly being “on call” within your inbox will distract you from deeply focusing on your work.
Reason #2: You can’t unplug for a vacation
Have you ever found yourself checking emails after work hours or while you’re on vacation? Wouldn’t you like to take a nice, relaxing vacation this summer, without being stuck on your phone or laptop? Being available 24/7 is not good for your mental health or for your family relationships.
How to outsource your email inbox responsibilities
A Virtual Assistant can implement a system to organize - and yes, even manage - your email inbox. Whether you need help with setting up a system to keep your inbox organized, managing email messages on a regular basis, or both, a Virtual Assistant is a great resource! While every client’s inbox is different, here are some common ways that a Virtual Assistant can help you manage your email:
Developing an Organization System: A Virtual Assistant can help you create an effective system to organize your inbox, enabling you to quickly locate important emails once they've been handled. This may include setting up folders, labels, or categories for different types of emails and organizing them accordingly.
Establishing Workflows for Handling Emails: A Virtual Assistant can create workflows and processes for addressing various types of email messages. They can filter, sort, and categorize emails based on factors such as priority, sender, or content. This ensures that you stay focused on other responsibilities, and only step into your email inbox to quickly handle each category of email.
Creating Templates for Common Responses: To save you time, a Virtual Assistant can develop templates for frequently used responses. This allows them to quickly and accurately address common questions and inquiries on your behalf, streamlining communication with customers, clients, and vendors.
Identifying Emails That Require Personalized Responses: Sometimes, emails need a more hands-on approach. A Virtual Assistant can notify you when your attention is required for a specific email. They can do this by moving such emails to a designated folder, creating a task in your project management system, or working with you to draft an appropriate response.
A competent Virtual Assistant will quickly adapt to your email management style and maintain the level of control and professionalism that you desire. It really is that simple!
Learn how to “let go”
Listen, I get it. As a small business owner, the prospect of entrusting someone else with your email inbox might feel intimidating and even scary. Losing control and sharing access to sensitive information can be a substantial roadblock to outsourcing this task. But with careful planning, clear communication, and a trustworthy Virtual Assistant, you can successfully navigate these challenges and regain control of your time and business.
Remember, your Virtual Assistant's primary goal is to make your life easier and support the growth of your business – not to take control away from you!
By leveraging the skills and expertise of a Virtual Assistant, you can maintain an organized and efficient inbox, allowing you to focus on growing and scaling your business. The benefits of outsourcing your email management are not just limited to saving time – this collaboration can also help improve your overall productivity, reduce stress, and create a more well-rounded work-life balance.
How my team can help
My team of specialized Virtual Assistants includes several hard-working individuals who are absolutely amazing at organizing and managing email for our clients! They’re trustworthy and efficient, buying you back countless hours in your business.
Are you ready to explore your options? I invite you to schedule a complimentary, no-obligation consultation! If you’re a current client of Melissa Swink & Co., please feel free to reach out to me via email if you’d like to discuss email inbox management as an additional task for our team to handle on your behalf.