| Greetings!
Here comes another Memorial Day holiday, and it promises to be a hot one here in Michigan. Are you already making your plans for burgers, dogs, sunscreen, and friends?
I'm trying to get things wound down a bit too, so I can fully enjoy this holiday -- thus, I wanted to get this Timely Tips out today. This is a great e-mail tip that I was reminded of by one of my recent course attendees, but that I have also used many times before. Let's get to it! |
Timely Tips May 2012 -- Using "Delayed Send" to manage the timing and accuracy of your e-mails
| This is ALWAYS the place to look for your Timely Tip!
One of the best e-mail strategies/tools that is out there is the ability to create an e-mail now, but set it to be sent at a later date/time. I use this feature of my Outlook software at least once or twice a week, to help manage the flow of my e-mails going out, and also give me time to finish an incomplete message. Let's discuss how this works in Outlook, and then how you can use this even if you aren't using an e-mail software tool like Outlook.
In Outlook, using "Delayed Send" is easy. Simply type your reply, forward, or new e-mail message as you would any other message, but instead of hitting the "Send" button, in Outlook 2007 or 2010, go to the "Options" tab of your open e-mail, and toggle over to "Delay Delivery". Click this button, and it will allow you to set the parameters of when that e-mail will be sent. Set those parameters (time or date in the future), and then hit "Close". Then, you can hit the "Send" button as you normally would, but instead of the e-mail going out automatically and immediately, it will stay in your Outbox until the stated time passes. Very cool!
(A little disclaimer about this tool -- it will only work when you have your computer on and your Outlook running. Thus, if you set the delayed send settings on an e-mail to a time when the computer is off, it won't send until the next time you turn on the computer and open up your Outlook. Keep that in mind!)
How do I use this? In a couple different ways: I sometimes like to make an immediate response to an e-mail, but at the same time, would like my client/customer/co-worker to think I spent more time thinking about the message. I will set the "Delay Delivery" settings so it goes out an hour or two later (and, if you think about it, if I want to make any edits before the e-mail actually goes out, I still can -- it is in my Outbox waiting to be sent.)
It is also helpful when traveling. I can respond to e-mails "offline" while on an airplane, set the "Delay Delivery" settings for the following day when I know I'll have the computer on and Outlook open, and then I don't have to think about sending the message -- it does it automatically for me.
I'm also quite a bit of a "night owl". I've been known to work on my e-mail at 11:00 p.m., Midnight, even 1:00 a.m. in the morning! (Ah, the life of the "solopreneur".) But I may want my clients or customers to think I'm living on real business time. So instead of hitting send and time-stamping my e-mail at 1:13 a.m., I instead hit "Delay Delivery" to 9:13 a.m. later that same morning. My client doesn't need to know that I took the kids to school and went back to bed! They think I'm up and working at my computer like a good, studious business person would! ;-)
I often delay delivery of these Timely Tips using Constant Contact. I'll often put these together on a Saturday or Sunday evening, but then delay the send out for Tuesday or Wednesday afternoon, when there is a greater chance the e-mail will be opened (yes, Tuesday - Thursday early-mid afternoon is the best time to send an e-mail and actually get it opened and read. Avoid Monday mornings, Friday afternoons, and the two business days before a holiday if you want people to open non-critical messages!)
Now, what if you are using something other than Outlook and you want to use this nifty feature? First, check to see if your e-mail software has a "Delayed Delivery" option -- it just might! (I did check Gmail -- no such luck at least in my version!) If it doesn't, simply save the e-mail instead of sending the e-mail. That will hold the e-mail in your "Drafts" folder. Then, make a task on your task list or set a reminder in your calendar to send that message at the designated date/time. Yes, you can manually delay sending a message simply by saving the message to "Drafts" and then sending at the later date or time using your own reminder system.
Delayed Delivery -- a handy advanced strategy for e-mail connoisseurs -- enjoy!!
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| Reminder: 90-Minute Taming E-mail Webinar Replay Now ALWAYS Available! |
This is a full 90-minute webinar version of my popular Taming the E-mail Beast program, very similar to the live programs I lead at companies and conferences, with live demos using the Microsoft Outlook 2007 software (I will likely offer similar programs using Outlook 2010 later this year).
You can purchase a single-person license for only $149 for unlimited viewing, thus meaning you can watch, pause, rewind, and replay the session to get even better e-mail tips and master these critical e-mail productivity techniques. (And if you use the "Timelyman" code at purchase, you can get an extra 10% off!!!)
Here is the purchase information page on ConveyContent.com.
You may have to register for a free ConveyContent account to log in before making the purchase, but I recommend you do as there is actually quite a bit of really interesting content (much of it free) on the site by other experts, authors, and other notable "gurus".
Now you can have my advanced e-mail training ANYTIME and pretty much ANYWHERE, and you can watch it at your speed -- you can master this!
And remember, with your purchase, you can get a number of other valuable bonuses, including a free e-book copy of Taming the E-mail Beast.
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*******
I mentioned at the end of last month's e-news that I danced with my daughters at their big recital -- I'm proud to say I didn't trip once or highly embarrass either of them. I still won't be on Dancing with the Stars anytime soon, but what fun it is getting to light up the stage with your little ones!
Look for me next week at the HSMAI MEET WEST event in Anaheim, CA, and in June at the MSHO Conference here in Michigan and the GMAC Conference in Chicago. I'll also be doing some big conference events in July and August, and will share more about those in next month's Timely Tips.
Hope you have a wonderful Memorial Day holiday (remember the sunscreen!), and hopefully we'll see many of you on the Optimizing Your Outlook webinar on June 5. Until next month, Stay Timely!
Sincerely,
Randy Dean
Randall Dean Consulting & Training, LLC
or http://www.emailsanityexpert.com
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REMINDER
Tuesday,
June 5, 2012
Full 90-minute Version of "Optimizing Your Outlook" Webinar | Tuesday, June 5 at 11:30 a.m. Eastern/8:30 a.m. Pacific. At this time, I will be hosting my second 90-minute webinar in my ongoing professional development series on "Optimizing Your Outlook"
This program will build on my last webinar program, Taming the E-mail Beast, that you can now purchase in streaming replay form (information to the left.)
I will be covering 2-3 of my best e-mail tips as a refresher, but then will go into greater detail in the "other four functions" of Microsoft Outlook: Calendar, Contacts, Tasks, & Notes.
You can learn more or register now by clicking here.
Through May 31, you will receive an "early bird" discount of 10% off the already affordable program rate, and if you include my "Timelyman" code when prompted, you can save an extra 10% on top of that!
This will be a great way for an individual to get this training at a VERY affordable rate, and/or refresh and enhance your skills if you have already taken this program in the past. This will be the second of a series of paid webinars I'll be hosting on Copper Conferencing throughout 2012 and into 2013 on ALL of my major topics (including SmartPhone Success, Using Google for Time Management, Ending the Office Clutter, and more!)
We will also be recording these programs for post-program sale and download, thus allowing for a full catalog of my most popular programs in coming months.
Once again, here is the program information/registration link. | Interested in sharing this program with your list members? Send me an
e-mail at randy@randalldean.com and I'll give you info on how your group or organization can actually raise money promoting this program, simply by sending out a message to your members.
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App of the Month
An oldie but a goodie: Skype!
| Skype -- available on Google Play and ITunes App Store.
Many smart phone and tablet devices already have this gem of an app already built in (as well as many laptops too!) Skype was one of the first VOIP phone tools many years ago, and they didn't miss a beat when the opportunity came up to add to Smart Phone and Tablet platforms.
I like Skype better than Google Talk or Apple Face Time for one simple reason -- Skype doesn't care what platform you are on. My wife is an IPhone/IPad fan. I like Android. We talk by Skype frequently when I travel.
Now, why aren't we just talking by normal voice service? Because when I travel, we can do FREE VIDEO CALLS!! I love this, because my wife can hand her IPhone or IPad over to the kids, and I can video chat with them FOR FREE wherever my travels take me. I LOVE IT!
I literally have taken my kids on live virtual tours of both Times Square and the Golden Gate Bridge in recent months, all through the power of my Android-powered 4G phone and video Skype (seriously, how cool is that!?!) It is an app that certainly makes the world much smaller.
And the first question most of my business partners in Europe ask: "Are you on Skype?" It is the best and cheapest way to do international calls -- simply get both ends of the call on Skype and chat away, in voice or video! |
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