How to Use Templates to Keep Your Email Under Control
Posted October 10, 2011 in How-To, Productivity
My email inbox can get a little hairy. I’ve got messages coming in from clients that I can’t afford to miss. I’ve got emails coming in from other freelancers who I need to coordinate with on projects which, if I don’t get to, I might mess up an entire project. And I’ve got hundreds of other emails that, while they don’t immediately impact my work, do need to be dealt with in some way or another. But if I spent all the time I needed to on responding to the emails I receive, I wouldn’t have any time left for client work in the first place!
I’ve taken some pretty extreme measures to help me manage my email better. I use Gmail, so I have filters set up that organize my emails before I ever see them. I’ve written out my priorities so that I don’t get sucked into handling email for hours on end. And I have templates for my out-going emails.
How Templates Can Help Freelancers with Clients
As a freelancer, I tend to take on the same types of projects fairly regularly. That means that quite a few of the emails that I exchange with my clients are very similar. Rather than re-writing them every time I start working with a new client, I’ve created templates of what I need to send out. In Gmail, it’s particularly simple to use the ‘canned response’ feature to create a whole list of templates, but cutting and pasting from a document you keep up to date is still significantly faster than writing out new emails all the time.
I have a standard template I use for just about every aspect of a new project, from when a prospective client asks for an estimate to a follow up email after the project is done. These aren’t form emails: I customize every single one before I send it out. But having a basic structure that I can follow when I’m sending something out makes my life easier. Even if I have to rewrite an email completely from what the template says, I’m still ahead of the game. The templates that I use the most often include:
- An introductory email that breaks down the process of how I work
- An estimate email that includes explanations of how I set my estimate
- A check up email for those clients who don’t respond to an estimate within a few weeks
- An email requesting the specific materials I need to do a project
- An invoice email that explains the standard invoice that I use
- An email requesting feedback or testimonials about completed projects
Because I’ve polished these templates, they also help me look more professional for my clients.
How Templates Can Clear Out Your Inbox
One of the reasons my inbox can get so swamped is that I’ve been associated with a lot of different projects over the years and my name still appears on most of the sites I’ve worked for. I get pitches for sites I haven’t written for in four years. I get requests to add advertising. I get all sorts of things that I have no business at all ever seeing. So, for each of these types of emails, I have a template that refers the sender to the correct person. I open an email, see that it’s not really for me, paste in the template and get it out of my inbox in a matter of seconds.
I have other templates for my email, of course–specific to the types of work I do and the other projects I have going at any other time. If you’re going to use templates to manage your email, they have to be specific to what you need. It can be a matter of just keeping an eye on what you’re seeing in your inbox and keeping a few notes. If you find yourself sending similar emails over and over again, that’s the sign that you need to create a template.
One approach that makes the templating process a bit easier is to start with a backlog of emails you’ve already sent. When you’ve got an afternoon, go through and look for some of the more common emails you send. Start with already sent emails for your templates–you can tweak them as you use them more and see what does (and doesn’t) work.
You do have to build the habit of actually using your templates. Sometimes it can seem easier to just start typing up a new email, rather than trying to go find a template. But if you just keep going with that approach, your templates will never even have a chance to help you clean out your email.
What About You?
How do you keep your email inbox organized?
Image by psd
Related posts:
- Web Design Resource – 25 Sites to download Free Web Templates
- 40 Amazing Blogger Templates For Personal Blogs
- Blank Themes, Frameworks and Templates: Resources to Speed Up Your Development Time
- Using Templates And Drafts To Boost Your Productivity
- How to Keep from Being Overwhelmed by Your Email Inbox
About the author: Thursday Bram has been freelancing for more than eight years — the last four full-time. She’s the co-founder of EnhancedFreelance.com, a membership site for freelancers ready to up their game.
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15 Comments
Maddy
October 10th, 2011 at 9:39 amThis is a very useful post, Thursday. Email templates save me a lot of time. I usually use Evernote to store them, since the software has a good search function.
Another suggestion is to have a bunch of PDFs that contain information about your services, processes, and rates. Ideally, each PDF should be targeted to a particular client or project type. I find that clients like the convenience of having all the information they need at once.
Two important points about email templates:
1) Customize, customize, customize. The client should never actually feel like you’re using a template.
2) Try something new once in a while. You never know when a small change in wording can make your communications more effective.
Brett
October 10th, 2011 at 10:43 amI typically use TextExpander for this; you can type in a code word like “,estimateEmail” and it will replace that with your estimate email template.
Maria
October 10th, 2011 at 12:07 pmThis article not only a post as well as it can be a great resource for a website holder or owner. Very important including exciting information must helps guys boost up their websites!
Thursday Bram
October 10th, 2011 at 5:43 pmI actually use TextExpander for some of my templating purposes, Brett. It’s a fantastic tool. The only problem I have is that I routinely work on multiple computers, making it easier to keep at least my email templates in Gmail. (I have plenty of other templates as well.)
And, Maddy, you’re spot on about the importance of customization of these templates. You want to sound professional, but not like you’re clearly just cutting and pasting.
Adeniyi-myfreelancehaven.com
October 10th, 2011 at 6:41 pmGreat tips, Thursday! Your tips will make me better organized.
Kenn
October 10th, 2011 at 8:50 pmHey Thursday, I think I’m going to change my name to Saturday. ;)
I’ve got a template for a website package I offer to clients as well as a template for qualifying potential clients – ensuring they can afford me and they see the value.
This saves me a tremendous amount of time in explaining what I do and time wasted on tire-kickers. YUCK!
(tho I still fall prey – blech!)
I tend to find my template start out as overkill, TMI (too much info) then
eventually hone it to a solid well-written email.
And yes, time, it does take some time to smooth it into your processes.
Good topic – interesting.
Kenn Schroder
GetWebDesignClients.com
—
Web Designers: 8 Mistakes that Stop You from Getting Clients
Michael Raffaele
October 11th, 2011 at 1:02 amGreat post, I have been meaning to set up a few email templates for a while now but always forget – and then remember the next time I wish I had them. :(
dpi
October 11th, 2011 at 2:38 amThis is very useful post and worth to try the methods.
Hi Thursday, are you using gmail in Google Apps. Im thinking to convert my official email ids(3 nos) to Google Apps. Your inputs please.
Thursday Bram
October 11th, 2011 at 11:43 amI am using Google Apps, rather than just the regular Gmail. In general, it works the same way, but if you’re planning to manage separate accounts, you can’t switch between profiles as easily as you can with Gmail.
Swamykant
October 12th, 2011 at 2:46 amCool tips. Need to try it soon.
dpi
October 14th, 2011 at 3:58 amThanks Thursday. I will look into the Google Apps for the actual options.
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