I’m about to save you from your inbox.
I don’t care how many FAQs you include on your website, you’re still going to get the same questions over and over again. And if you don’t have a website, your inbox is going to be FULL of more questions, all requiring your timely response.
At some point you’re going to want to blow them all off and delete that inbox, sight unseen. Before you dump all of your potential customers and connections off the proverbial bridge, implement the following tips to save your inbox – and your sanity:
1. If you’ve written the same response more than two times, it’s time to set up some autoresponders. Autoresponders can be set up based on your FAQs to generate automatic responses to specific questions commonly asked. It’s cool. Check it out.
2. For those Toilet Paper Entrepreneurs who haven’t gotten around to building a website and setting up an autoresponder system, just create your own forms and send them yourself. You may prefer this method even if you have autoresponder capabilities because it will allow you to modify the form as needed.
3. Base your autoresponders and forms on an actual email you have written in response to a common question. This will ensure that your response is less generic. If you’re using a form rather than an autoresponder, generalize the form only as much as necessary. Everyone likes a very personal touch.
4. If you have one stand out question that takes up the most of your time, consider adding it to your email signature along with the answer. Then, every time you send an email the most-asked question is posted at the bottom. If you have more than one, switch it up and include a new FAQ and answer every couple of weeks.
5. Remember that every email is a sales tool, whether written from scratch or automatically generated. I’m not suggesting you hard sell your responses, just be aware that how you answer the question will affect how the recipients view your company.
6. This system can apply to all sorts of responses, not just those that are customer related. For example, you could create a form for responding to your colleagues about reviewing written materials, notifying them that you have received the materials and will get back to them in X amount of days.
And of course, you could set up forms for your buddies, your main squeeze, or your family. What a relief! Saved from your inbox! But don’t get too crazy with it, or you may end up in deep doo doo with Mom…
BONUS VIDEO - Check out this funny video about email. I love it!
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