“EG Tips” – Overwhelmed by Email? Top 18 Tips to Claim Back Your Inbox

“EG Tips” – Overwhelmed by Email? Top 18 Tips to Claim Back Your Inbox

by | January 25, 2019 | EG Tips

Ever feel like email is taking over your life or dictating your working day? Here is how to get your inbox back under control!

Email is the probably the most important business communication tool, and unavoidable in working life today. In the fast-paced world of events, there seems to be a never ending stream of urgent emails demanding your immediate attention, especially nearing the time of the event. Before you chuck your computer out of the window, here are some easy tricks you can learn to master your inbox, and modern tools to help you do it faster.

  1. Differentiate Professional and Personal
    If you’re working freelance, you may be using your personal email address to deal with work. That might have been fine when you started out, but it doesn’t help if your inbox is a big mess of personal, professional, newsletters and spam emails. Keeping your personal life and your professional affairs separate will give you a clearer view of your work.
    Even if you work solo, consider investing in a professional website and email address to match the domain. Many perceive this as more professional than working through a personal email account and it helps to develop your personal brand more strongly.
  2. Filter your Newsletters

    It is handy to hit subscribe to a new newsletter as soon as you discover a blog or website that looks interesting, but you don’t always have time to browse through the content when life gets busy. This can result in dozens of random newsletters landing in your inbox daily, the majority of which you will immediately trash, thinking you will read the next one when you have more time.
    Gaining new knowledge and staying informed is essential in our fast-changing industry, but to be productive this should be dedicated to a specific time that suits you. Depending on your email provider, you can set rules to automatically divert specific emails to a designated folder, which you can then check when your agenda allows.

    An event planner’s time is short, too short to waste time on spam so hit unsubscribe if you receive anything you didn’t opt in to or if your preferences have changed. Unroll.Me is a wonderful tool that will list all the subscriptions linked to your email address so you identify and unsubscribe from all unnecessary communications in a flash or choose to have them delivered within one single email per day.

  3. Don’t Use Your Emails as Storage

    Emails are only a tool and should not be used to store your important files. Get into the habit of saving important documents as they are received to your computer or the cloud. You can create folders within your inbox to organise your emails more effectively, but attachments such as contracts, floorplans, quotes and project planning information, should be saved and filed appropriately.

  4. Aim for your Inbox to be Always Empty

    Finishing your day with “inbox zero” is psychologically positive and can help to clear your mind. Even if you have not replied to all emails, if you are on top of what has been going on and have neatly classified them in the right folders to be addressed later it can help you switch off at the end of the day. It is essential in the days leading up to an event, and especially during an event, to be aware of every communication and last minute change and to react as quickly as possible. Sorting your new emails by order of priority will give you a clear view of your next steps.

  5. Template Emails Should Be Your Friend

    Often there are a number of emails you send on a regular basis. This could be requesting quotes from suppliers, sending an enquiry to a venue, chasing information, issuing invoices, etc. If you repeat the same or similar emails every day prepare some template emails and keep them to hand. It will be quicker to adapt this canned text for sending rather than writing a new email each time.

  6. Keep it Formal

    Now that most people work from their smartphones, emails are becoming more informal and sometimes more closely resemble text messaging than formal business communication. Even if you want to keep it brief try to keep business emails professional. Text speak and abbreviations are never acceptable and countless short and meaningless exchanges are disruptive and ineffective.

  7. Pick Up the Phone

    If you notice that a conversation is endless and not productive, or that there seem to be misunderstandings, it is sometimes easier just to pick up the phone and deal with it with a quick conversation. Time is a precious and mistakes are costly. It can be easy to misconstrue the meaning of an email and some things are better communicated with the spoken word. Most importantly this email philosophy encourages your clients, suppliers and colleagues to be smarter about email communications as well. Perhaps you have a weekly phone call or meeting already scheduled with the client? If so try to gather all questions, ideas and things to check into one list to discuss at this specific time and minimize the need for emails outside of the scheduled conversation time.

  8. Recognize Emails for What They Are

    Emails should not be confused with work or over-relied on to define the outcomes of your day. Recognize that although emails are generally an essential part of your working life, generally time spent emailing is not earning you any money or getting through your growing workload. Don’t use emails to speak to or allocate tasks to your team or for checklists, there are countless apps and other tools better dedicated to that. Emails should be a communication means to an end. You can still send or forward emails to your task app, providing it supports emails, and you can then organize your tasks there. Evernote and Todoist are some of the apps that support emailed tasks.

  1. Sort your Emails

    If you’re organizing several events and/or work with many different providers and clients, it might be easier to keep emails relating to the same theme together, so you can focus on one topic at a time. If you reply to your emails in chronological order, you will jump from one topic to another and lose time refocusing each time you move to a new topic. Use your email provider’s settings to label your emails automatically or send them to designated folders. You can then easily organize your day by working topic by topic, checking the relevant emails at the right time, when you are already focused on that topic.

  2. Make your Search Easier

    If it is inevitable that you continue using your inbox as a search tool, at least try maximizing your chances of tracking down the specific email you need. Include relevant keywords within the subject line and body of your email and flag important messages for future reference.

  3. Limit Email Time
    Countless successful people limit the amount of time they spend on emails to set times per day and shut down their inbox at all other times. Try checking your email at the start of the day, at lunch time and at the end of the day to avoid getting distracted from your priorities. If that level ofself discipline sends shivers down your spine try checking for emails just once per hour. For some the ultimate sin is to ensure that they don’t check emails first thing in the morning, or at least not before they have planned out their to do list and goals for the day ahead.
    At the very least remove the ping or notifications when an email arrives so it doesn’t distract you from whatever you are working on. Of course it is good to respond to emails promptly but replying the minute an email lands with you can look a bit needy!
  4. Keyboard Shortcuts

    Whatever email provider you use learning some keyboard shortcuts can shave minutes off the time you spend on emails each day. Look up and learn by heart the most useful ones and it will become second nature in no time at all.

  5. Respond Promptly

    It is easy for email messages to quickly slip down your inbox with the amount of emails most people deal with in a single day. Make sure you respond promptly or at least acknowledge an email and give a timescale for when you can deal with it as a matter of courtesy. Some email tools enable you to set a reminder to follow up on an email at a particular time or date.

  6. Don’t Copy People in Unnecessarily

    Be respectful of your colleagues and think carefully before you copy someone into an email. You may think you are “keeping them in the loop” but if they have to dig through oodles of information to find something relevant to them it isn’t the best use of anyone’s time. Keep them off the email circulation and feed back directly what is important for them to know.

  7. On the Go

    There are several inbox apps on the market, so don’t think you are stuck with the default app. An alternative app might suit you much better. It is worth experimenting until you find the app that suits your email style.

  8. Out of Office

    If you are out of the office for more than a day or two it is generally good protocol to switch on your out of office. Not only does this work to notify others of a delay in your response but it can often stop people from chasing you up by phone or social media at those times where you are not available.

  9. Don’t Email Out of Hours

    In this super connected world it can feel like you need to be available 24/7 and it is easy to fall into the habit of checking your phone after hours. Even if you are happy or feel the need to do this try to resist sending emails at ridiculous times of the night. Regularly sending emails at midnight to a client could be seen as desperate, disorganized or give the impression that it is fine to contact you at any hour! Hold off pressing send until the morning or even schedule it to send automatically at a more acceptable time so you can forget about it.

  10. Email Footers

    Email footers are often underutilized but can be a really useful marketing opportunity. You should always include your key contact information in your footer (phone number/Skype ID and ideally a mobile number) and including social media contacts are also a great way to connect. Promote your forthcoming events, link to your blog, share your latest company news or whitepaper too.

In Conclusion

Email is an indisputable tool for event planners but it can sometimes be a real source of stress and panic if not managed in an efficient way. By taking some time to declutter your inbox on the one hand, and learning how to prioritize and operate your communications more efficiently on the other, you can really capitalize on this wonderful (ancient!) technology.
What are your tricks to stay on top of your emails and not get overwhelmed? We would love to hear in the comments below.

(Social Coup LLC)

“EG Tips” – 10 Things Event Planners Should Do Before 9am

“EG Tips” – 10 Things Event Planners Should Do Before 9am

by | January 22, 2019 | EG Tips

Rising early can start your day the right way, make you more productive and boost your career above the rest and here’s how you get there.

We’ve all heard of the early bird getting the worm. While night owls can have increased creativity, studies also show that they procrastinate more, making them less productive. Additionally, studies show that getting up early makes you more proactive with your day and can help you to mentally focus and stay motivated by achieving things early on. With this in mind, here are the top tasks to promote event planner productivity that you should do before 9am.

  1. Wake Up Early 
    Many entrepreneurs and successful people are getting up several HOURS earlier in order to have a productive morning so unfortunately for you does not mean setting your alarm for 7:55am but instead, more like 4am-5am. This can be tricky, particularly if you are not used to getting up early so some of the ways to deal with this are; Get a decent alarm clock – Don’t use your phone or tablet to wake you up because they can easily be snoozed and also force you to come face to face with your emails and social media notifications and encourage you to look at them. Set it in stages – Don’t just decide to get up from 5am from now on and attempt to cut out several hours of sleep as you will rebound and end up feeling like you need to nap in the afternoon, which could lead to a later bedtime and an unhealthy sleep pattern. Instead, set your alarm back in 15 minute increments each day until you reach your desired time and also ensure you are going to bed 15 minutes earlier each day as well.
  2. Catch Up On Trends 
    The event industry is ever changing and in some cases the latest craze or trend can hit overnight so catching up first thing in the morning not only helps keep your work day current but also puts you ahead of everyone else in terms of knowledge. You can opt to check your social media channels or even event specific news outlets that are current and reliable, also make sure you are following top event planning accounts on Instagram and other social media and you will find your own patterns and trends emerging, keeping you ahead of the game. It is important to be careful here because there is a fine line between using the internet to research trends and stay current and browsing aimlessly through your social media is a bad habit that kills productivity.
  3. Get A Decent Breakfast 
    Yes it is the most important meal of the day and eating a decent breakfast can also help to wake up your metabolism and immune system to keep you healthier as well. Food is directly related to our cogitative function on a systematic level, meals that are high in fat provide a lot of energy but can also require the body to focus on the digestive process rather than prioritizing oxygen to the brain which can leave you feeling tired, have you ever wanted to nap after a big dinner? That’s why. The type of breakfast you consume is constantly under debate from nutritionists and the health world alike but make it something you enjoy that is balanced and you can’t go wrong. You may think that skipping breakfast will help you save time and therefore make you more productive but incorrectly fueling your body will lead to a dip in blood sugar levels and excess snacking later on and stops you from being able to focus, which means you will ultimately be losing out and less productive.
  4. Exercise 
    You may snort at the idea of getting up early and exercising but it can help you fit it into your day before it gets pushed aside for other more “important” work and can keep you motivated. Exercising in the morning also helps to give you focus and feel good about yourself making you productive for longer.
    Tim Cook – Apple CEO and industrial engineer, Cook gets up at a cringing 3:45am in order to hit the gym, get ahead on his emails and start work in whichever time zone is still awake to deal with business.
  5. Shower 
    A shower is a good idea, especially after the exercise, but also to start your day “fresh” and clean off any of yesterday’s problems to make you a more positive eventprof. Showers can also be an excellent quiet space to problem solve and think about your upcoming day to get into the right headspace to deal with it. Does a clean body equal a clean mind?!
  1. Have A Power Habit
    A power habit is something that takes a minute or less that you use as a milestone during your day to help train your mind and body to prepare for different things. A common morning power habit is to make your bed which signals to your brain that it can no longer go back to it until tonight and that, that portion of your day is over, which is particularly beneficial in reducing mental fatigue when getting up early.
    Creating quick habits like this can help you to spark a routine which makes you more likely to succeed and stay on track throughout the day.
  2. Do Something You Enjoy
    Whether it is a passion project or simply sitting with a coffee and reading a book, spend a little time each morning doing something entirely for you that you enjoy. This can help you to reduce event planning stress and mentally prepare for the day ahead.
    You could use this time to start a new hobby or learn something new as well as ensuring you fit in some “me time” in your day which can stop resentment of your work and make you enjoy your career more!
  3. Hit Your Top Priority
    Look at what your most important thing to achieve for the day is, and do something towards achieving it. Don’t try to tackle it all first thing in the morning because it will consume all of your extra time and you’ll end up just starting work at 5am which defeats the purpose of getting up early. Instead try to think about the best way to approach it or just mentally preparing yourself for the task ahead.
    You could opt to combine this activity with another such as exercise or power habits or even think about it in the shower if you would prefer to multitask but the point is to think and visualize your top priority task to give yourself some thinking time.
  4. Avoid Social Media
    The death of productivity is in social media and you should avoid getting embroiled in your friends social media updates, it will still be there later. Unless you’re using social media to surf event accounts for inspiration and trends, network or benefit you in some way (as discussed in #2), avoid it at all costs before 9am as it is more likely to make you fall into the abyss.
  5. Prep For The Day
    What do you want to achieve today? Ask yourself what your goals are, write a to-do list and think about today’s priorities to help give yourself meaning and focus as well as provide clear guidance on what you need to get done and how you will achieve this. It’s a great way to boost motivation but also helps to avoid procrastination during the day that stems from not having clear guidelines. It is also important to take a minute for yourself to just breathe and mentally prepare yourself for the day ahead and what you need to achieve for your own sanity more than anything else.

In Conclusion

Whether you are a growing event planner or a seasoned veteran, using your mornings to your advantage can only lead to success. Regardless of whether you like mornings or not by incorporating these tasks and steps first thing in the morning it will help keep you on track throughout the day and boost your eventprof career.

(Social Coup LLC)

“EG Tips” – 6 Tips to Become A Successful Meeting Planner

“EG Tips” – 6 Tips to Become A Successful Meeting Planner

by | January 17, 2019 | EG Tips

A successful meeting planner figures out ways to meet more of their attendees’ needs to increase retention and interest in the meeting. Here are 6 tips and examples on how other organizations have become more aligned with what their attendees need in order to create more successful meetings.

On this blog I’ve talked about how customization is an important trend and factor in engagement. Most meeting planners would agree customizing your offerings to what attendees want is a great way to make an impression and ensure they find it enjoyable, which leads to increased return rates. However, implementing customization can feel daunting to many planners. Where do you begin? How do you give attendees what they want without burning your budget or alienating others? Here are examples of how several organizations met the challenge to see results.

Meeting Industry and Member Needs

Many organizations host their meetings or conferences at approximately the same time each year, but industry and personal needs change over time. You may find your locked in date no longer suits your attendees or the industry. For instance, a state Parent Teachers Association may have hosted its first meeting the week before the children went back to school. Traditionally that was August, now it is mandated children will start in September, this will alter the conference schedule.

It’s necessary to keep an eye out on industry events that could impact your meeting calendar. Changes could come from a new law, a change in your industry’s busy time, or drastic government budget changes that would mean attendees have to choose between your event or another one. Listen to your attendees for scheduling adjustments that may be necessary.

Don’t Spread Yourself Too Thin

Some groups host multiple meetings across the country or world to make attending more convenient, but if numbers drop, it could become cost prohibitive to do so. You don’t want to spread yourself too thin from a resources perspective, nor do you want your events cannibalizing one another. You don’t want attendees to choose to go to the nearby meeting and forgo your annual one.

If you see numbers drop, it may be time to consolidate meetings. Some companies decide to eliminate its two meetings a year and combine them into one. This places a larger importance on your annual meeting and allows you to dedicate more resources to it. For attendees who used to have to budget for two meetings or decide which one they’d like to attend, this simplifies their finances.

Junkets Are So 1990

From government to corporate, organizations everywhere are slashing travel and professional development budgets. Nowhere is this more obvious than in the conference industry. Ultra-luxurious destinations are out for most organizations and many are cutting down on the length of their conferences. The International Association of Convention Centers asked its members their preference and found out, bigger (as in longer) is not always better. Their 2017 meeting was shortened to two-days and incorporated a one-day option for those looking for something more economical with less time away from the job.

Give Attendees a Jaw-Dropping Moment

Personalization of your meeting to your attendees’ interests and needs is a great way to engage conference goers, but personalization doesn’t mean you have to give them exactly what they want and expect. A savvy meeting professional will know to create what called a “jaw-dropping moment.”
Not only do attendees enjoy these magnificent surprises, they are also well-remembered. In a study, researchers found that emotional events are remembered much better than daily occurrences. They also found emotional events trigger the birth of new neurons inside our brains. These new cells are created and activated by the experience. That’s why those jaw-dropping moments have such a lasting effect on our attendees. Staying top-of-mind is essential to retention.

Virtual Options Keep People Connected When They Can’t Attend

Meeting planners know it’s easier to attract return attendees than it is to convince someone new to attend. Returning attendees are key to any conference planner’s success. But budgets and work sometimes preclude people from going. When this happens, there’s a good chance they won’t be back.
Attendance is a pattern, and sadly, skipping can become one too. That’s why it’s important to stay connected with attendees who aren’t able to come. The Higher Education Users Group heard their members’ desire to stay involved, even when they weren’t able to attend, and so they created a virtual option and made videos available (after conference) for free for their members. They want all their members to be able to be a part of the action and education.

Vendors Want to Be Heard Too

Vendors provide the basis for a lot of what you are able to offer at annual meetings and conferences. When exhibitor numbers decrease you have to secure a lot more sponsorships or increase attendee numbers by a large percentage to make up the difference. That’s why you shouldn’t think of customization as something

just for attendees.

Many vendors attend multiple conferences and trade shows on an annual basis. Requesting their opinions on what you’re offering, and then responding to it, is essential to ensuring they feel valued and feel they are receiving a return on their investment.

In Conclusion

The art of listening to your attendees is not about reacting and changing your offerings every time someone has a complaint. It’s about understanding their needs and realizing they are your greatest source of information on engagement. Together, you and your attendees (and exhibitors) can shape the future of your meetings and conferences. And this is truly proof of a great meeting planner.

(Social Coup LLC)