Last week we started to chat about email. The week before we talked about managing your notifications. This week, let’s give some tips to organize your email. 

Last week we talked about the difference between text messages and email. I believe the reason many people use text as a go to messaging app is that they don’t get much (or any) junk there. This (junk email), along with disorganization and lack of segmentation (different accounts for different things) makes the email inbox a nightmare for many people. You can start to transform your Inbox to a very dedicated message center that shows only what you want – one that automatically files everything in an appropriate place that you specify. This is not something you can do in a text messaging app, and will be a start to making email your preferred method of communication – at least for business.

Here’s the premise. You use folders to store your documents in a “digital filing cabinet” on your computer, right? They are all organized and you know where everything is, right? What if… you could do the same thing with your emails? I know you can drag them into folders, but that’s so… 90’s. What if they just appeared in the right folders and you didn’t have to do anything (once you set it up)? Pssst… they can!! Read on.

First, I mentioned this last week. If you don’t separate out your personal emails from your work/ business emails, you are off the mark. Step one is to set up separate accounts for each. Once this is done, you can do several things. You can use separate apps to isolate each type of email, which you can further separate out with Focus settings on your phone. You can change sync settings for each account so you get mail from each account when you want it. I even know some people who use an “unmonitored” email account for things where they have to sign up for things, which equals a boatload of spam and junk email. Smart…

Second, let’s assume you are now using separate email accounts. I’m going to chat about one email account (we’ll use your work email since this is about being a business pro). Today we are going to chat about folders and rules in your email. A RULE does something to a message upon its arrival to your email account. This happens before the message is delivered from your email account to your email program or app. A rule is done at the account level PRIOR to delivery to you to view. For example, during fitting event season, I fit about 1,000 players. When I send you a link to a scheduler, which you email to your members, and they click the link and sign up for an appointment – the fitter (me), the pro (you), and the player all get a confirmation email. I don’t want to see those throughout the day. So, I created a rule where ALL emails coming from email address xyz@callawaygolf.com automatically go to a folder that I created called Fitting Event Appointments. A rule will redirect messages BEFORE they get to your inboxes (on all devices). These messages do NOT go to the Inbox. They go directly to the new folder I created because of this RULE. That’s 1,000 emails per year that I can disregard until I’m ready to look at them. Pretty cool, eh??

I use Outlook on my desktop, and the native email app on my iPhone. You can do this with almost any app or email client. Rules can only be set up in Outlook (or your desktop email client), not your phone. Once it is, though, it will trickle down to all your other devices where you get email from that account (phone, iPad, etc…). Personally, I have 8 rules set up for my work account. All of them are like the example above (Callaway Retail emails, Invoices, etc.) – All things that are not time sensitive. I do not have a rule set up for emails from my boss, or customer service rep, credit reps, or inside sales rep. Why not, you may ask. If you set up a rule, you will not get a notification for the messages that the rule moves. Your devices send notifications on new messages in your inbox only. Since I don’t get notifications on these, I need to go in and look at them, but I can do so at a time that is convenient for me.

You may get an email when a guest tee time is made, an invoice from a vendor, a statement from Callaway, a Monday email from your friendly Callaway Rep, or something else that you want to view at a time when it’s convenient for YOU. Setting up rules for each thing like this will reduce inbox clutter.

How to set this up… Depending on the version you have, the steps may be slightly different. If you use Gmail or something else, you can still do it. Use Google and search for “setting up email rules in xxx”. In Outlook 2016, single click on an email from the sender you want to move. Go to the “HOME” menu. There is a section called MOVE. In there is an icon with a mail message over a folder that says RULES. Clicking that will give you the option to “CREATE A RULE”. The pop up box that follows will give you a 2 stage process. Select what you want to move (by sender, by subject, or by sent to (me only or a distribution list)), and WHAT you want to do with it (Display a different alert window, play a different sound, or move it to a folder). By checking “MOVE TO FOLDER”, you need to “Select Folder” to tell it where to go. One option is to create a New Folder. If you do both of these, create your new folder, all emails from this email address will only go to that folder and you will not get a notification. You will get unread message numbers so you know something unread is in there, but you can open and read at a time that is best for you.

There are advanced options as well. You can select other options there. Play with these if you feel adventurous. I set up a rule this morning. It took 30 seconds. It took me 15 seconds to open the same email and decide to delete it. Spend 20 minutes and set up your inbox to a way that works for YOU. You’ll thank yourself.

This is pretty powerful. Imagine that you get 50 emails per day. Imagine that 20 of these emails are things that you can either disregard, or things that you can look at at a later time. You can have those 20 emails automatically filed before they even get to you by setting up rules. This allows you to be able to focus on the important messages as they come through. You don’t have to view your less important messages until you’re ready. Your work, your way.

Happy Professionalism. Enjoy your work/ life balance.