As a business owner, emails will take up a lot of your time. The in and out of electronic mails can seem endless day to day as you attempt to deal with the constant stream of communication. Despite it being quite the time consumer, emails are very valuable and certainly convenient at times where in the past, the only option would have been to pick up the phone. Some emails only require slight thought – a quick response, a meeting confirmation, a courteous decline to an event – however some do warrant more attention and time spent in their construction. Take a look at 5 emails that are always worth the time and work.
The Thank You Email
An email to express gratitude is always worth the time. Whether something small or sizeable, if it justifies a thanks, a heartfelt email will be appreciated on every level. Perhaps someone on your team went above and beyond their responsibilities, or someone went out of their way to talk to you at a networking event. Maybe your team has had an outstanding year and you want to congratulate their hard work. These emails will be hugely valued.
The Issue Email
These emails aren’t always easy, but when you run a business and someone hasn’t met your expectations, your thoughts on the issue need to be expressed. Discussions like this are often best verbally, but an initial email is useful so that the person or company in question is aware of your feelings. Perhaps someone you buy from isn’t delivering on time, or an employee is not pulling their weight. It pays to outline why you’re not pleased and discuss what you are expecting and what resolution you are anticipating to the issue. At the other end of the spectrum, an email is often necessary to repair any issues such as a fall out or a business disagreement. If you can’t say it face to face, apologize over email and follow up with a call later.
The Idea Email
Got an idea in your head? Don’t keep it to yourself; share it with your co-workers over email. It could be a suggestion that could propel sales in the next quarter, or really advance you ahead of your competitors. The entire idea might not be suitable for a whole email, but a draft of your thoughts can really get your business partners excited and enable them to draft up their own ideas in line with yours. This is particularly useful when you’re travelling; a meeting down the hall isn’t always an option, so email is the next best thing until you can all get together. Follow an email up with a meeting request and give everybody time to gather their thoughts.
The Delegation Email
An email to delegate and free up some of your time is always worth its weight in gold. A Virtual Assistant can make a huge difference to your day to day working life; they work on tasks like admin and online marketing to name but a few, as you manage the other side of the business. An email to your trustworthy VA immediately frees up your time. Think about the sort of tasks you could delegate and how one email to take tasks off your to-do list can change your day. If this is something you’ve considered, read more about how it works here.
The Connection Email
Networking is a crucial aspect of your business. If you’ve recently attended a networking event or have been introduced over email to a prospective person of interest, an email to them is definitely worth your time. New contacts always open new doors and a ten minute email could make a huge difference to your working landscape if the contact is worthwhile. Equally, introducing and suggesting connections between two people you know is always advantageous.
