Most of us use email all the time, but while it allows us to communicate with our colleagues, clients and customers, it can also tie us to our desk, drowning in unanswered messages and half-finished replies.
There are a few simple tips and tricks that you can take advantage off to ward off those email woes however so let’s get stuck in and have a look.
Sort Out Important and Low-priority Emails
To achieve a systematised inbox—particularly in Outlook 365—users can create a structure of folders. Folks who have done this before typically use it as a way to declutter and file incoming emails. However, it’s also ideal for sorting out necessary, medium-priority, and low-priority emails.
To do it, you have to identify the type of emails you are receiving first. It will be your guide in categorising your folders. For instance, you can use labels like ‘To Do,’ ‘Follow-up,’ and ‘Someday’ for your folders. You can also use ‘Important,’ ‘Medium-Priority,’ and ‘Low-priority.’ This part is mostly up to you. As long as the tags are comprehensible, it will work.
After that, start creating different folders for each. Here’s how:
- In Outlook, right-click the ‘Inbox’ folder and select the option ‘New Folder.’ Once done, title the new folder, which will serve as the central hub for the sub-folders you will create later, with your chosen label.
- Next, click the Inbox again to view the main hub you created. After that, right-click the main hub to make a sub-folder. Don’t forget to name it.
- Lastly, repeat step two to create another sub-folder. You may create as many as you need to declutter your inbox. Don’t get carried away though, as too many can have the converse effect and actually create more work with a folder structure so complex you have trouble finding emails in the first place.
Email Signature
Adding an electronic signature to your email is vital for many reasons. It is especially true to those who own a business such as a public or private limited company or a Limited Liability Partnership. According to the Companies (Trading Disclosures) Regulations 2008, professionals in the UK are obliged to include details such as the company’s registration number, place of registration, and office address. Apart from that, electronic signatures add texture to the email, making it more professional.
Furthermore, there are instances when email signatures do not sync properly across different devices. This inconsistency is natural since not all devices have the same screen width. This can be fixed though.
It is possible to make your email signature look exactly the same all the devices you use to send emails. There are services and software solutions to help maintain the consistency of all the information included in the email disclaimer, making it look as neat as it should be. You only need to integrate and set it up in the domain level. It works both in G-suite and Microsoft Outlook 365 as well and it costs per email account only.
Set up Gmail’s Undo Send Feature
Gmail introduced this feature way back year 2015, allowing users to withdraw or stop the email from being sent to its recipient. If you often send an email accidentally that should be a draft, this one is for you.
It is straightforward to set up. Just go to ‘setting’ which is located in the upper-right corner of your account, click through the link, and check the box beside the ‘Enable Undo Send.’ An option box will then appear, asking for the cancellation’s time period.
Create Default Responses
Outlook 365 has a feature wherein, instead of typing the same old responses, you can create ‘quick parts’ and insert it with one click in the body of the email. It is ideal for employees who usually send the same answers over and over again.
Here’s how to create Quick Parts in Outlook 365:
- First, highlight and copy the email you repeatedly send. Then, in the upper part of the app, click the ‘Insert’ tab.
- Once done, click the ‘Quick Parts’ tab within the ‘Insert’ menu. After that, click the option ‘Save Selection to Quick Part Gallery.’
- Finally, a pop-up box will then appear. Paste the email you copied and do not forget to add a description for the quick part.
- That’s it. Click the Quick Parts menu and select which default response you want to insert on your email.
Activate Outlook’s Task List
There are instances when you forget to email your colleague a response simply because you forget to. It is natural and everyone experiences it. Fortunately, Outlook 365 has created a way to prevent such incidents. Using the app’s ‘Task List’ users can set a reminder on each message that needs a response in the future.
To do it, just drag the email and placed it on the Task List icon. After that, add a date and time you wish Outlook to remind you and then save it. That’s it. A pop-up box will then appear to tell you of it.
Email accounts such as Google’s Gmail and Microsoft Outlook 365 have provided a lot of useful features to help users like you and me achieve better email management. From separating important, medium, and low-priority emails to set up a reminder, all of these were created solely to enhance the application’s user experience. All you have to do is study and master it.
If you need help and advice regarding business email issues give our IT support team a call on 0117 369 4335 and we’ll discuss your needs and what we can do to help.
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