I have been imagining this blog post for MONTHS, and finally felt that today was the right time to sit down and chat about EMAIL. Communication is important in our business (or any business for that matter), and keeping in touch with your clients in a timely and professional manner are KEYSTONES to successful business practices, and excellent customer service.
[Promise] asks, “Can i ask you what do you do keep track of people…I will take all and any advice you can give me about contracts, emailing, clients, meetings etc. “ This is a REALLY OLD question, so I’m sure Promise is on top of these things now, but it’s an important question, and I’ll be going over the email part! This is the first step to getting yourself organized!
In this post I’m hoping to lay out some ground work to help get you started, as well as tips to keep yourself organized in the future! Plus, I’ll include some friendly tips about good email practices and etiquette. Feel free to drop me a line below if you have any questions, or think that I’m out of line. Everyone is going to organize themselves differently, so this is what I’ve found works for ME, and tips that will help YOU find your own organizational success.
NUMBER ONE, Get yourself a professional email address that is yourname @ yourwebsite .com
NUMBER TWO, Set-up [Mac Mail] with your custom email address. I am a 100% Apple girl, so if you are on PC, I’m sure you can use Outlook, or something similar to do any of the following organizing tips.
Okay, now that you have an email, and are all set to receive stuff in your inbox, you are ready to get organized. You can have many different email accounts all going to the Mail application, so it is a great way to keep everything sorted in ONCE PLACE. Disclaimer I’m NOT claiming to be an email expert, so if anyone wants to jump in with details about how keep your emails archived and safe, please let me know!
*EMAIL TIPS*
This is how I organize my email life, and stay caught up on ALL emails, EVERY day. I totally think you can do this too!
FIRST, I have a schedule and business hours for emails. This is VERY important to keep a schedule, and let your clients know that you will not reply to their last-minute needs at 1am. You run a business like everyone else, and you have business hours. My business hours are listed in the Signature of all my emails, so that everyone is aware of them.
When I wake up each morning I handle all emails. I reply to any new emails that came in, or reply to emails from the day before that I was not able to get to. I try to make sure to reply to all emails within 48 hours (unless it is something I need to research, or have time to think about) – emails from Photographers are completely separate. I focus first on my clients, and the order in which I received them, unless it is a pressing matter, or emergency. Then I’m off to do whatever else I do with my day, and if I’m back in the office before 6pm, I’ll reply to any additional emails, or handle any time-sensitive issues. After 6pm rolls around, I do not reply to any emails until the start of the next day. This is very important to stick to your hours once you have established them! Your clients will learn this, and respect your time.
SECOND, After I reply to an email it gets filed into a folder. You can create a new folder by clicking on the “+” in the bottom left corner, and then saying “New Mailbox”.
You can see that I have a bunch of “Folders” that are located [On My Mac]. I sort each COMPLETED email into their specific category. Those folders drop down into a pile of folders that are organized based on my needs. Everyone is going to have their own folder systems, and sub-folders, but that is for YOU to figure out!
*QUICK & EASY TIPS!*
DRAFTS are your best friend! Write a TON of emails that are the same every day? Create a few of your own “templates” that you can stick into an email, and customize as necessary. Just make sure you don’t sound like a robot! I find this VERY useful when sending out emails with gallery info, or how to get to my house. It’s easy to have in one place, and you don’t have to try and re-write an entire paragraph that sounds simple and professional. This will save you SO MUCH TIME!
USE SEARCH to find facts, details, or text to copy & paste. Sometimes I can’t remember where I left something, and I want to look up that fabulous website “Carl” sent me last year. I can use Search to find all emails from “Carl”, or other details I might remember from the conversation. Trust me, this tool with be your best friend!
UNIQUE EMAIL ACCOUNTS for different purposes. I have two, my main account, and my senior account. Then I have “specialty” accounts that are used for interns, or searching for submissions for hair/makeup artists. I only use the specialized accounts in very specific and targeted situations. Having two main accounts is plenty, and keeps my main business separate from my senior portraits!
IMAP YOURSELF for the advanced user, you can use IMAP to set-up your accounts on multiple computers, iPhones, PDAs, etc. This will make sure that if you reply to an email from your phone, it will also show up on your computer. I use IMAP a little bit, but because I would rather keep track of everything at base camp (my home computer), I usually wait to reply to emails, unless it’s something quick and easy, and I’m not too concerned about archiving the details.
OKAY, so I think you are pretty much ORGANIZED now. Set a schedule for emails, sort the finished ones, delete what you don’t need, and you’ll be on your way. Only leave what you need to take care of or “to do” in the Inbox. BUT, don’t stop here!. Let’s chat real quick about etiquette and professionalism!
*EMAIL ETIQUETTE*
ONE, Try to reply to emails in a timely manner. My biggest pet peeve is sending someone a message that contains IMPORTANT information, and never hearing back.
TWO, Check your SPAM filter EVERY DAY! – And if you don’t know where your spam goes, FIND OUT NOW! I can’t even tell you the first time I checked my spam filter EVER. There were TONS of missed inquiries that I was horrified to discover. I make it my daily duty to check up on spam. Like-wise maybe this is why I never hear back from you, or you think I don’t reply fast enough. Chances are MY emails are in YOUR spam!
THREE, Set boundaries. Have clear business hours in your signature, on your website, wherever. STICK TO THEM. If you are going on Holiday for 3 weeks, set an away message! In addition, if you find your email world to be so devastatingly overwhelming, have an auto-reply that notifies each of your email messages that you got their message and will reply within-xx hours/days, etc.
FOUR, Be professional in your writing, but also be yourself. Make sure you address your email recipient, use proper grammar & spelling, and sign your name.
*PHOTOGRAPHY QUESTIONS*
Due to the large amount of daily client email, I unfortunately cannot reply to many of the emails I receive from Photographers. If I have a minute I will do my best to get back to you, but unfortunately I cannot reply to most. I find much more joy in giving back publicly on my blog, or even on my [Fanpage] so that everyone can benefit. If I receive enough interest, or find the topic especially intriguing, I’ll do a write-up on the blog. Fridays have “un-officially” become our [Photographer Q&A] days. Please know that I am not rude, or ignoring you, I just don’t have that much time! Clients are my number one priority, and they will always come first. Thank you!
Go get organizing! Here are a few links that might give you some additional help & insight into the world of an organized inbox :) Enjoy!
[5 easy steps to email organization]
[Manage your email effectively]
[Email Organization System]
Have a good link or book to share? Let me know and I will add it to this list! Thanks!
by Michelle Moore
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