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© 2000 Elena Fawkner

Email ... friend or foe?  On balance, I would have to say,
"friend".  But there are times ... like when I download my
mail in the morning ... all 200+ items of it, only to find
a good 40% or so is nothing but junk, that I have to
acknowledge that there is a "dark side", as well.

In this article, I want to give you some tried and true
tips for taming the email tiger from a raging, voracious,
demanding beast ... into a sleek, efficient, purring engine
of productivity.

So, Tiger Taming 101, here we go.

Tip #1 - Familiarize yourself with your email software, in
particular the filter function.  Your email software has
many inbuilt features designed to make your email processing
(both receipt and delivery) more efficient.  Learn what
features come with your email program and USE THEM!

Tip #2 - Use Filters
Full-featured email programs such as Eudora, Pegasus and
others allow you to apply filters to your incoming mail.
These 'autopilots' can move, delete, copy or forward a
message depending on the criteria you set to apply to the
To:, From:, and Subject: fields in the email's header.

If you have set up appropriate folders (see Tip #3), your
filters can be set to automatically forward incoming mail
into the appropriate folder, leaving only messages that
don't fall into a pre-set folder in your inbox.  This makes
it relatively easy to sort through what's left, and get rid
of the junk in a minimum of time and with a minimum of
effort.

Tip #3 - Use folders to organize and prioritize incoming
mail.
You could set up folders for Newsletters, Urgent Items,
Priority Items, To Do This Week (or individual Monday
through Friday folders), Current, Pending, Development etc..
Decide on a time of the day or a day of the week to review
and action the contents of each folder.

Set up your filters to redirect your incoming mail to the
appropriate folder as much as you can.  For example, use
filters to direct mail with the subject: "A Home-Based
Business Online" (and the names of all other newsletters you
subscribe to) to your Newsletters folder.

Tip #4 - Check your email only once or twice a day.
Don't fall into the trap of checking your mail every time
you see that little icon flashing "New Mail".

If possible, disable the icon or the "You've Got Mail" pop-
up message all together.  All it does is break your
concentration and implant the subconscious imperative that
checking your email is a priority.  It is, but only at the
predesignated time of day you have nominated.

Responding to every email as it comes in only fragments your
attention and concentration and undermines your productivity.

Tip #5 - Make a decision about each piece of mail and act on
it AT ONCE.

When reviewing your incoming mail, the first decision you
need to make is whether to open it at all.  Some messages
you can safely delete without bothering to open.  These
typically have subject lines such as "EASY $$$$ FOR YOU",
"How I earn $12,000 a month while I sleep", and "I saw your
add [sic] in the Classifieds".  They are, of course, SPAM
and can safely be deleted without reading them.

The rest you will need to open.  Be very wary of opening
attachments to emails unless you know the person it's come
from -- this is a good way of catching a virus.

Decide NOW what action you need to take in response to the
emails you open.  Some can go straight into the trash bin,
others you can answer immediately if the response will only
require 1-2 minutes.  Others will require more time and
should be filed in the appropriate folder you have created
for this purpose (see Tip #3 above).

Whatever decision you make, make sure you only make it
once.  Don't let a read item continue to sit in your inbox.
Before long you will forget what it is, only having to waste
time reading it again.  Think of your inbox as a waystation
- a place for your email to sit only until your next review
session.

Tip #6 - Use your email program's address book to manage
email addresses.
Most address books that come with email software allow you
to enter the contact's name, real address, email address,
phone numbers and other basic information.  By selecting a
contact from your email address book, the email address
will be automatically inserted into the "To:" field.  This
can also be applied to groups of contacts.

Tip #7 - Reduce email volume by getting your email address
off unwanted lists (where you can) and by choosing the
digest mode for the lists you are subscribed to.

Tip #8 - Reduce unwanted mail by practicing basic anti-spam
tactics such as:

-> using the filters that come with your email program (see
   Tip #2)to automatically delete messages with certain
   addresses or subject line keywords;

-> avoiding entering on-line sweepstakes or ordering online
   from companies that don't have a privacy policy;

-> thinking carefully before submitting your email address
   to classified ad and FFA sites.  You will be bombarded
   with spam; and

-> using an "unlisted" email address to be used only when
   communicating with those you want to be able to access
   you.  You treat this address as you would an unlisted
   telephone number.  In other words, be selective about who
   you give it to!

Email may well be recorded in history as one of the most
significant technological advances of the twentieth century.
There is no doubt that used efficiently, it can make an
immeasurably positive impact on our personal productivity.
Be sure to control this tool though, and not the other way
around.  By implementing the above tips consistently, you
can be sure to catch that tiger by the tail.  Don't let go
though, whatever you do!

_________________________

Elena Fawkner is editor of A Home-Based Business Online ... practical ideas, resources and strategies for your home-based or online business. http://www.ahbbo.com