1. “Reply to All” does not apply to all situations. Use this feature sparingly and only when it is required.
2. When you receive an email asking more than one question, be sure to address each question in your reply to prevent further emails asking the same things.
3. Share your calendar and encourage your team members to check your availability; use meeting requests instead of emails to plan meetings or conference calls.
4. At the end of a meeting, assign action items to avoid everyone revisiting the meeting afterward via email.
5. Set parameters with your team so everyone knows whom to “cc” on what.
6. Your email signature should have all of your contact information so no one has to ask for your phone number, website, mailing address, etc.
7. Use subject lines wisely. Make your subject lines specific to obtain the recipient’s attention sooner and your answers faster. This also helps when you are searching through your inbox for that particular email string.
—Steve McClatchy, president of Alleer Training & Consulting
