Just hit 50 client emails in a single day and it broke my system

I was tracking my outreach for a new project and the number hit 50 before lunch. My old way of handling replies with just a spreadsheet totally fell apart. How do you guys manage your inbox when a project really takes off?

3 comments

3 Comments

davidb4927d ago

I read a blog post last week about setting up a simple Trello board for this exact thing. You make columns for "To Reply", "Waiting for Response", and "Done". Drag each email over as you handle it. It sounds basic, but seeing the visual flow stopped me from losing track of who I'd already answered. I used to just mark emails as unread and it was a total mess.

simong7926d ago

My system is just a sticky note that says "did you reply yet?" with a sad face drawn on it. That Trello board idea sounds way better though, how long did it take you to set it up?

wyattc7627d ago

Yeah, the "visual flow" thing David mentioned is key. I heard someone on a podcast talk about turning your inbox into a to-do list that you clear to zero every day. The idea is you process each email once, either reply right then, schedule a time for a longer reply, or delete it. It forces you to deal with stuff instead of letting it pile up in the unread folder.