Tetris, your inbox and the new rules of email.

February 18 2011, 1:13pm

Ah, yes, mid-February in Austin. The calm before the storm, right before SXSW. Or, what is better known round these parts as “Crunchtime.” When I think about my email these days I envision a giant swell of bits and bytes, attachments and digital signatures (with some spam floating aimlessly) all vying for my attention. This morning, within about 30 seconds, 14 emails quickly multiplied to 30 and, by the time my phone caught up, the icon read 48.This year, the OtherInbox team is involved in some great events at SXSW next month here in Austin. We are opening up our office high above Sixth Street for a great event called Startup Crawl on March 10th and we are a major sponsor of IgniteSXSW the very next evening, on Friday March 11th. The correspondence generated in planning these types of events can be a real server choker!It’s nothing I cannot handle but it does make me think of how our inboxes tend to rule our life at times. Personally, my mobile beckons constantly, crying out like a baby and I can’t help but pick it up every time it rings or vibrates! Oh, there it goes again…So what to do when, as Mitch Joel describes, email becomes a never-ending game of Tetris, faster and faster until there is no way out? In his article, “The New Rules Of Email” Mitch lays out great rules for better dealing with the inbox melee and I thought I should share them. Control- Mitch raises a great point about our mobile phones. We can turn off the notifications! We can check it on our own time allowing us to stay on task and be more productive. Note- I tried turning off my notifications and it is easier said than done. If I have the phone in my pocket, I cannot help but check. It was better (for me anyhow) to just leave the phone behind! Baby steps I suppose…Automate- Yes! I can totally get on board with this. I automate a lot of my work with great tools like Text Expander and even Skitch. Find yourself writing the same thing over and over? Write it out in the best way possible, save and customize it. Seriously, a huge help. Of course, there is a little application called Organizer too, it helps you automatically label and archive your marketing messages that are not from real people…  It’s like an automated, smart filter but I bet you knew I was going to say that! Don’t reply all or BCC- Oscar Meyer Google! If you have not learned to NEVER reply all, you will undoubtedly have to learn the hard way. But it really is more than just avoiding an embarrassing situation, Mitch also points out how it’s also about saving time and bandwidth. Ask yourself, “does everyone have to see this?” Most times they don’t. Email isn’t everything- While a well crafted email can really lay things out for your intended reader, sometimes a phone call is best or just as good. Mitch also mentions one of my faves, Skype. Or maybe it’s time for a walk across the office for a little visit. Some of these are great alternatives to starting another email string, especially if your previous email is not getting any, uh, traction. =)Write and respond- This oft-overlooked tip is very important for us all. Mitch reminds us that people are not mind readers so you need to tell them what you expect from them. Added someone to the email string? Announce it. Took someone off the string, likewise. Not need for a response? Let peeps know! It is called communication after all and most issues can be solved by our doing a better job of it overall. IE- You have no reason to be upset about your expectations not being met if you did not set them up properly in the first place.TIP- Reengaging with your email may require disengaging first…Mitch mentions something called “email bankruptcy” that is apparently the act of deleting all of your email and hoping that the most important things will find their way back to you. Wow! (Just the thought gives me the shivers!) Instead of deleting it all, I recommend simply stepping away and coming back to it on your own terms. Mitch’s rules are all fantastic ways of doing exactly that.Thanks Mitch Joel for such a great piece on the new rules of email and if you are not reading his fantastic blog, “Six Pixels of Separation” then you are def missing out on some amazing insight on digital marketing and branding.How do you handle the email deluge? Have you ever filed for “email bankrupcy?” Share below, check us on Facebook, tweet about it on Twitter, or send us a reasonable length, double spaced, sent-only-to-us-email at help@otherinbox.com. See you in March!