Saturday, November 23, 2013

Email maintenance




 
 
 
 
 

Posted by Paul Babicki 
The following is from an article in "the VAR Guy"
 
Your Time is Money: Don’t Waste it in E-Mail Hell

Nov. 19, 2013 Elliot Markowitz | Business Acceleration Infocenter
Most solution providers are also small-business owners. They have to make sure their current customers are served, continuously prospect for new business to keep that pipeline full and run their own organization.

There is never enough time in the day, days in week or weeks in the month to get it all done correctly. It’s a never-ending struggle to strike the right balance.

It’s a labor of love, to say the least, and while most solution providers get the servicing piece down, they do not spend enough time prospecting or marketing themselves, and they either are too hands-on, micromanaging the daily running of their business, or are too hands-off, ignoring problems until it is too late. As business proprietors, solution providers must evaluate the best use of their time and then focus on those areas.

One of the biggest time-sucks for many executives is poor e-mail management. I once worked in an organization that disabled the “reply all” button in Microsoft Outlook because it was being abused so badly. E-mail has become a safe way to include too many people in business activities to make sure nobody is ever left out of the loop. It is the primary venue for communicating in business today, and with the permeation of smartphones, 24/7 access is commonplace.

Managing e-mail is an essential skill. I make it a point to keep my inbox in the 25 e-mail range and use it more as a “to do” list. If it’s still in my inbox, then the issue is not resolved. Not cleaning out your inbox, setting up filters or establishing a filing system will create confusion and inefficiency and waste your valuable time.

I recently came across an article on Inc.com that outlined seven tips to help people get their email under control. Here is the gist of the advice, with a few more insights:

1.    Clear out the junk e-mail:Junk e-mails get through even the best spam filters, while legitimate e-mails can get caught. Go through your spam filter and your junk folder daily to make sure nothing is in there that shouldn't be. Also, unsubscribe to services and other newsletters that you don’t remember ever signing up for or you really don’t read anymore.

2.    Create a smart folder system:Set up a comprehensive folder system that is easy for you to recognize. Also, set up smart folders where some emails from pre-determined sources can get filed automatically, thus uncluttering your inbox. A cluttered inbox is a non-functional one.
 You sell cloud services, use it yourself: The easiest point of entry into the cloud is e-mail storage and backup. Use it. It’s secure and efficient and you can search easier.

4.    Enforce a 24-hour response time: Answer every e-mail within 24 hours. That’s right. That is the professional thing to do. This doesn’t mean you must find a comprehensive solution to every problem, but a simple “got it” will stave off future e-mails reminding you about the same subject. The object is to reduce volume and clutter, so be responsive.
Don’t abuse “reply all”: Many e-mails start with a laundry list of interested parties but then wind up being only relevant to two or three individuals down the road. Take people that are no longer stakeholders in the project off the e-mail chain. Be respectful to other people’s time and request to be taken off chains immediately when you no longer need be involved.

6.    Use template signatures: You probably find yourself typing out the same responses to the same questions. Well, take a handful of the top five requests you get, create a template response and use it. These signatures will save you a lot of time and clear email out of your inbox quicker.

7.    Keep it professional and know when to take it offline: Eighty percent of communication is not verbal. That flies in the face of e-mail being an effective communications tool. Know that. People will read into an e-mail and perceive tone and criticism that, quite frankly, wasn’t meant. Keep your e-mails professional and not critical. Also, my rule is after three e-mails have been sent regarding a topic, it’s time to pick up the phone. Arguments over e-mail are never interpreted correctly and a simple phone call can clear up confusion before it starts.
Keep the “Subject” line relevant: Many e-mail communications twist and turn and start addressing information far removed from the original communications. Take the time and change the subject line so the e-mail is more easily recognized and searched. Also, be specific in your e-mail subject lines so the recipient can prioritize accordingly. The subject lines, “For you,” or “question” or anything else vague wastes time.

Regardless of the widespread use of texting, snap-chatting and backroom communications on social networking sites, e-mail is not going away anytime soon .Take the time to set up your e-mail parameters and etiquette and it will save you time, money and headaches in the future.

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About Netiquette IQ

My book, "Netiquette IQ - A Comprehensive Guide to Improve, Enhance and Add Power to Your Email" has gone on sale at the CreateSpace estore:http://createspace.com/4083121

 As a Netiquette IQ blog reader, you can use the discount code KBQALZA7. This discount is only through the estore. Thank you for your support on the blog and with the book. The book and Kindle version are now available on Amazon. Please visit my author profile at


http://www.amazon.com/Paul-Babicki/e/B00FY3GW7S

Also here:

amazon.com/author/paulbabicki

More good news!

The Kindle version of my book is now available! Go to the following site to purchase it:


http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00FFAMN0U

#PaulBabicki
#netiquette  

#email


Friday, November 22, 2013

A review of my book " Netiquette IQ - A Comprehensive Guide to Improve, Enhance and Add Power to Your Email"

posted by
#paulbabicki
#netiquette iq

This review just came out today for my new book.


 
I

TITLE INFORMATION


NETIQUETTE IQ
A Comprehensive Guide to Improve, Enhance and Add Power to Your Email
Babicki, Paul
CreateSpace (264 pp.)
$18.95 paperback
SBN: 978-1481849524; September 14, 2013

BOOK REVIEW

A revealing primer on the art of effective emails and other communications. Babicki, in his debut self-help guide, covers the many peculiarities of computerized messaging: How to shape an eye-catching subject line; how to troubleshoot error messages from a returned email; what the file-extension suffixes on attachments mean; what the email time stamp tells others about your personality (night owl vs. early riser); and how to craft a corporate email security policy. His advice on these sometimes-arcane topics is precise—“RTF format should only be used when it is certain that the recipient uses Outlook”—while also remaining intelligible to laypeople. The author also instructs readers on time-honored principles of proper English and clear expression. He delves with detailed lucidity into rules of grammar, punctuation and usage; prescribes the proper formatting of numbers and dates; and inveighs against the dangling participle. He also explores the tonal shadings of different kinds of salutations, crusades for concise and gracious style, warns against the gassy redundancy of such wordings as “final outcome” and “at an early time,” and appends a blacklist of “the most irritating phrases,” from “out of the box” to “team player.” Good writing grows from good thinking, so he instructs readers on the pitfalls of logical fallacies, from the ad hominem attack to the begged question, and on the distinctions between assumption, presumption and inference. Furthermore, since communication is the cornerstone of civilized life, he limns its legal and moral underpinnings in copyright and plagiarism strictures, codes of courteous Internet deportment and techniques for pacifying flame wars. (He recommends a “Zen” approach, for example, in replying to angry missives.) The result is a mashup of Strunk and White, Miss Manners, Aristotle and Microsoft Help, all laid out in a well-organized, very readable text sprinkled with amusing examples and phrased in the tart, aphoristic style of an exacting schoolmaster (“The better it sounds, the more it is trusted”). Overall, Babicki’s technical expertise and literary aplomb make this a fine manual for the everyday scribe.

 A comprehensive, stimulating guide to getting the word out.

About Netiquette IQ

My book, "Netiquette IQ - A Comprehensive Guide to Improve, Enhance and Add Power to Your Email" has gone on sale at the CreateSpace estore:http://createspace.com/4083121

 As a Netiquette IQ blog reader, you can use the discount code KBQALZA7. This discount is only through the estore. Thank you for your support on the blog and with the book. The book and Kindle version are now available on Amazon. Please visit my author profile at


amazon.com/author/paulbabicki

More good news!

The Kindle version of my book is now available! Go to the following site to purchase it:


http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00FFAMN0U

#PaulBabicki
#netiquette  

#email
 

Wednesday, November 20, 2013

ACA (ObamaCare) email requirements for employers and employees

















Posted by Paul Babicki
Netiquette IQ

The following are basic rules for using email regarding ACA (ObamaCare). If employees see any violation of these rules they should notify ACA right away.

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Employee Notification of Coverage Options

by AHAP on September 10, 2013

The FLSA governs email requirements for Affordable Care Act notification of coverageoptions. Most employers producing more than $500,000 in revenue must meet the provision of the health care law which will be enforced by the DOL. These employers may email the employee notification of coverage if they follow safe harbor rules for disclosure of benefit information communications via electronic media.  
A common sense approach should be used if employers choose to email ACA employee notices. The email requirements have been in place for years to create some guidance for benefit plan administrators. The employee notification of coverage options fall under the same umbrella. Employers should follow these guidelines to ensure their employees access the information.

  1.  Email addresses – Employees must provide employers email addresses voluntarily to receive benefit information.

2.   Verification of Receipt – Employers should use email features to verify the information has been received. Common email features include read receipts, and undeliverable notifications.

3.   Language – Email language must be written so the average employee will be able to understand the information provided.

4.   Email Format – Information disclosed should be in a format that the average employee can open to access the information. An example would be if the notification was sent in a PDF file, then all employees should have a PDF reader so they can access the document.

5.   Verification – Employers should periodically survey their employees to ensure electronic communications are received by employees.

Emailing Affordable Care Act notification of coverage options simply need to get to the employee. Current employees must receive it by October 1st, 2013. All new employees hired after October 1st, 2013 must receive the notice. The Department of labor will just want to see the employer has done the due diligence to ensure receipt of coverage notices.

Emailing ACA notifications are one of many things employers will have to navigate in 2014 as the health care law is implemented. The employer notification is informing employee of access to the health insurance exchanges. Employees will be able to enroll in state health insurance exchanges October 1st 2013. Individuals will be able to purchase required health insurance to avoid individual mandate penalties in 2014.  Qualifying large employers will begin to decide if they will offer health insurance in 2015 to avoid Affordable Care Act employer mandate penalties.

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About Netiquette IQ

My book, "Netiquette IQ - A Comprehensive Guide to Improve, Enhance and Add Power to Your Email" has gone on sale at the CreateSpace estore:http://createspace.com/4083121

 As a Netiquette IQ blog reader, you can use the discount code KBQALZA7. This discount is only through the estore. Thank you for your support on the blog and with the book. The book and Kindle version are now available on Amazon. Please visit my author profile at


amazon.com/author/paulbabicki

More good news!

The Kindle version of my book is now available! Go to the following site to purchase it:


http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00FFAMN0U

#PaulBabicki
#netiquette  

#email
 

 

Tuesday, November 19, 2013

150 years later. The Gettysburg Address then and now!






Posted by Paul Babicki and Netiquette IQ

Today is the 150th anniversary of the Gettysburg Address. In my book, "Netiquette IQ - A comprehensive Guide to Improve, Enhance and Add Power to your mail", I have the except shown below. It is meant to convey how today's technology has in so many ways diluted from the power of tradition communications. It is worth thinking about! Here is a link to listen to it:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BvA0J_2ZpIQ
 


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The art of letters will come to an end before AD 2000. I shall survive as a curiosity.
—Ezra Pound




 

 


























How would famous letters of the past look today? Here is one scenario:

Original text:
The Gettysburg Address
 
        Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.
 
            Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battlefield of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field, as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this.
 
            But, in a larger sense, we cannot dedicate—we cannot consecrate—we cannot hallow—this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us—that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion—that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain—that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom—and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.
—Abraham Lincoln
 
2013 version:
The Gettysburg Address
 
TO:                   The US Congress
 
FROM:              POTUS
CC:                   US Army
RE:                   The battle of G’burg
 
 
                        87 years ago the USA was born, so we all would B free. Now we’re @ war. We just had a big battle & I wanted 2 pay tribute 2 the dead and wounded, of course.
 
                        The sacrifices speak 4 themselves and will B remembered. We need 2 make sure we finish the job ASAP. In this we’ll B free.
 
                        God bless the US.
A.    L.
 
 
        Although the rewritten Gettysburg Address may seem overly simplified and a bit comical, emails of today produce results similar or even worse. This book is committed to assist all of its readers to take advantage of today’s technologies by combining them with the positive attributes of traditional communication. By achieving this end, the reader will contribute to his or her own and others’ successes.

===========================

About Netiquette IQ

My book, "NetiquetteIQ - A Comprehensive Guide to Improve, Enhance and Add Power to Your Email" has gone on sale at the CreateSpace estore:http://createspace.com/4083121

 As a NetiquetteIQ blog reader, you can use the discount code KBQALZA7. This discount is only through the estore. Thank you for your support on the blog and with the book. The book and Kindle version are now available on Amazon. Please visit my author profile at


amazon.com/author/paulbabicki

More good news!

The Kindle version of my book is now available! Go to the following site to purchase it:


http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00FFAMN0U

#PaulBabicki
#netiquette  

#email

Monday, November 18, 2013

How an email reaches you - the definitive diagram!

This blog is posted by Paul Babicki from Netiquette IQ

#paulbabicki
#Netiquette IQ

Many people have little awareness of how email generally functions. The vague messages one receives when errors or reports are printed offer little insight into how a typical mail is routed. Thanks to return path.

The following is a great illustration on how this operates



































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About Netiquette IQ

My book, "NetiquetteIQ - A Comprehensive Guide to Improve, Enhance and Add Power to Your Email" has gone on sale at the CreateSpace estore:http://createspace.com/4083121

 As a NetiquetteIQ blog reader, you can use the discount code KBQALZA7. This discount is only through the estore. Thank you for your support on the blog and with the book. The book and Kindle version are now available on Amazon. Please visit my author profile at


amazon.com/author/paulbabicki

More good news!

The Kindle version of my book is now available! Go to the following site to purchase it:


http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00FFAMN0U

#PaulBabicki
#netiquette  

#email

















Sunday, November 17, 2013

How to know if you are overdoing your email activity?




When I saw this, I knew I had been in this situation more times than I care to know (or count). Good Netiquette also extends to oneself!

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About Netiquette IQ

My book, "NetiquetteIQ - A Comprehensive Guide to Improve, Enhance and Add Power to Your Email" has gone on sale at the CreateSpace estore:http://createspace.com/4083121

 As a NetiquetteIQ blog reader, you can use the discount code KBQALZA7. This discount is only through the estore. Thank you for your support on the blog and with the book. The book and Kindle version are now available on Amazon. Please visit my author profile at


amazon.com/author/paulbabicki

More good news!

The Kindle version of my book is now available! Go to the following site to purchase it:


http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00FFAMN0U

#PaulBabicki
#netiquette  

#email