3 Tips to Deal with Email Overwhelm

I’m writing to you today about how to deal with your email overwhelm because I have no doubt that it’s a problem that may be keeping you up at night (or at least in the office too long).

So, here’s what I recommend:

1. Set up a private gmail account and only give the email address out to your family members and closest friends. Do not sign up for any email newsletters, special offers or anything else with your new private gmail account.

2. Hand your public email account over to an assistant. If you have an assistant in house, give him/her the password
so that s/he can begin managing the account for you. If you don’t, this would be a perfect opportunity for you to start
working with a virtual assistant who can manage your email for you.

3. Give your assistant specific rules about how to handle your email. Here are some ideas that should get you
started:

• filter all newsletters into a special folder that you can review periodically (except of course the Law Business Revolution Weekly Briefing Memo, which you’ll always want to review as soon as it comes out each week )
• filter all listserve/forum emails into separate folders you can also review periodically.
• respond to all client emails the same way that phone calls would be handled – either schedule an appointment, pass the request on to the person who needs to handle it with a tickler to follow up and make sure it’s been handled, or send to your private email inbox to review. If sent to your inbox for review, make sure your email assistant schedules you time to review the item on your calendar.
• respond to all emails from opposing counsel or other colleagues in the same way – indicate message has been received and either schedule appointment for follow up or schedule you time to review and indicate the follow up that is necessary.

This should get you started and get you out of email overwhelm.

I’d love to hear what questions you have about managing your email and your law business. Let me know.

Related posts:

1. How to Let Go of the Biggest Time-Suck of Your Day