Show #70: Taming the email beast

Can you remember when you first started using email?  You were probably delighted to receive a message. Buts soon enough, you felt overwhelmed by the sheer volume of mail. Short of clearing out your inbox and starting from scratch (which is admittedly a very tempting but short-term fix), is there a solution to this dilemma?

In this 11-minute podcast, I describe a few tactics for taking back control of your email. I hope you’ll share your own best practices too.

Please listen and let me know what you think! You can download the show right here or subscribe  for free through iTunes.  You can also listen on the Trafcom News Podcast  blog by clicking on the player on the upper right part of the screen.

Here are the show notes:
Comment line: 212-624-0209

00:01 Intro and welcome
00:55 The business person’s lament: “Too much email too often!”
02:18 Tip #1: Turn off the notification
03:00 Tip #2: Use filters
04:20 Tip #3: Don’t create unrealistic expectations
05:00 Tip #4: Pick up the phone
05:28 In The Four-Hour Workweek, Tim Ferriss explains his extreme productivity tips, including not answering email, using autoresponders and relying on virtual assistants. Let me know if you’ve tried this.
06:29 Tip #5: Discourage CCs
07:25 Recap
07:55 Many of these tips apply equally to our use of the phone; you don’t have to answer it!
08:45 Big Ideas, Small Budget conference call February 15, 12 noon Eastern. Dial 1-605-772-3285, then key in the access code 877696#. Remember the pound key (number sign) at the end.
09:40 Podcamp Toronto February 23-24 at Ryerson University
10:00 My next free Webinar: Podcasting 101 for Communicators and Marketers, February 21, 2 p.m. Eastern. It’s free but you need to register. Send an email to Donna AT Trafcom DOT Com
10:36 Where to send comments: email to Donna AT Trafcom DOT com, call the comment line at 212-624-0209 or post a message to the Trafcom News Podcast blog

Look for the Trafcom News Podcast on Blubrry.com. Main theme music is "Beneath Your Surface" by the Elisabeth Lohninger Quartet from the Podsafe Music Network.