Category Archives: Email

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Microsoft Outlook Utilities

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TechHitA while back a reader asked me if I knew of a solution that allowed him to file his emails from Outlook to a folder on his hard drive. I use Speedfiler and like it quite a lot. However, it files messages only in Outlook. That did not solve the reader’s problem. I was unable to help him. However, he found a solution on his own.

He is using MessageSave by TechHit.com. According to the website, MessageSave allows you to:

Backup, archive, process, share and save Outlook email messages as individual files with MessageSave for Outlook. MessageSave is a great solution for email data retention, backup, archiving, sharing and a lot more.

In checking out MessageSave, I saw that TechHit has several utilities that integrate with Outlook to make the program work better. For example, SimplyFile works like SpeedFiler to help you file your messages within Outlook; EZDetach helps you manage your attachments; and OutTwit allows you to integrate Twitter with Outlook.

If you have ever thought, “I wish Outlook let me . . .,” you should check out TechHit and see if they have solved your problem for you.

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SpeedFiler Update

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I posted about SpeedFiler the other day. In my post, I estimated that SpeedFiler correctly guesses the proper folder about 90% of the time. I was playing with the program today and discovered that it actually keeps track of such stats. It turns out that SpeedFiler guess the correct folder 85% of the time. That 85% is through 750 messages that it has filed.

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Favorites: SpeedFiler

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I have found a new software program that I absolutely love. It is SpeedFiler from Claritude Software. SpeedFiler is an add-in for Microsoft Outlook. According to the website, it is compatible with both Outlook 2003 and 2007. SpeedFiler allows you to completely and easily organize your inbox and folders in Microsoft Outlook.

I have always been pretty good about keeping my emails organized in folders. However, the bane of my existence has always been my sent folder. It always took too much time and effort to try to organize my sent messages and put them in folders. SpeedFiler has solved this problem for me.

When you send an email in Outlook, SpeedFiler pops up a window and asks you where you want the sent message filed. When it does this, it suggests a folder that it thinks might be appropriate. Based upon my use for almost a month, this “guess” appears to be accurate about 90% of the time. If the suggestion is wrong, you simply select the correct folder. However, rather than wading through your folder tree, you simply start typing the name of the folder. SpeedFiler then suggests the folder to you. Thus, in usually just a couple of keystrokes you can file the sent message in the proper folder.

Speedfiler also has a selection that will send the message and then delete it from the sent folder. Finally, another great feature about the sending and filing aspect is that, if you are replying to an email, you have the option of filing the original email at the same time you file your response.

In terms of managing your inbox, the filing system works just as well. SpeedFiler adds a toolbar to Outlook that allows you to file emails with just one click. As described above, the suggested folder is right the vast majority of the time. If that is not the correct folder, however, a few key strokes or mouse clicks will quickly get the email filed.

I love products that aim to do only one thing and then do it well. SpeedFiler does its one thing (organizing my emails) exceptionally well. I have rarely used a program that works so well, so easily, and so intuitively. If you use Outlook as your email program, I encourage you to download a trial version today. Try it for 30 days and you will be amazed at how much easier it is to handle and file your email. I wished that I had found this program years ago.

The professional version of the program (which includes the one-click filing and the intelligent folder suggestions) is $39.95. Further, the license reasonably allows you to use the program on multiple computers as long as you are the only user.

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Inbox Zero

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If you are not yet familiar with the concept of Inbox Zero, you need to check out this video presentation by Merlin Mann.

The idea behind Inbox Zero is that you should not be using your email inbox as a storage or filing location for your email. The concept ties very closely with David Allen’s Getting Things Done concept.

Basically, Mann advocates a ruthless processing of your email on a schedule that you control. Process each email and then get it out of your inbox. I know this concept is an anathema to many people. However, I have found getting rid of emails from my inbox to be very liberating. I encourage you to watch this video and try to follow Mann’s suggestions.

Don’t just take my word for it either. Michael Hyatt has written before about how much imposing email controls has improved his productivity.

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=973149761529535925[/googlevideo]

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Email Confidentiality Notices

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I saw an interesting discussion about confidentiality notices in email messages. The opinion of both authors seemed to be that the notices, attached to all email communications are “dumb.”

As an attorney I see these appended to email messages all of the time and I have often questioned their efficacy. I understand the concept that such a disclaimer may place a recipient on notice that he should not distribute the email.

Nevertheless, are you reducing the effect of the notice when you attach it to ever email that you send? When the same disclaimer is included in a email to (1) a colleague about setting up a court time, and (2) the same colleague discussing confidential settlement discussions, has the effect of that notice been reduced?

In effect, by placing this notice on all emails, do we render the notice worthless?

In my practice, I do not routinely include such a notice in emails. Instead, if I am sending an email containing sensitive, confidential, or privileged information, I will manually append such a notice–usually at the top rather than the bottom of the email.

Doing so also gives me the chance to think about whether I should be sending the information via email in the first place. Perhaps a telephone call or a personal meeting it the best way to discuss the information.

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Email Etiquette

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Michael Hyatt, whose blog I enjoy immensely, has posted what he calls “18 suggestions for better e-mail communication and etiquette.” I encourage you to pop over to his blog and check out his full list.

In the meantime, here are my favorite of his tips:

Don’t overuse the “high priority” flag. Most e-mail programs allow you to set the priority of the message. “High priority” should be reserved for messages that are truly urgent. If you use it for every message (as one person I know does), you will simply be ignored. It’s like the boy who cried “wolf” one too many times.

This drives me nuts. There are some people who assign a high priority to every email that they send. If you need an immediate response, you should be able to convey that in some manner other than applying a special colored flag to the message. Also, high priority often just means, “I forgot to do this on time. Therefore, I need an answer from you now.” That’s not a high priority. That’s bad planning.

Don’t discuss multiple subjects in a single message. If you need to discuss more than one subject, send multiple e-mails. This makes it easy to scan subject lines later to find the message you need. It also contributes to briefer e-mail messages and a greater likelihood of a response. Also, the more specific you can be about your subject heading, the better.

Great advice. I keep all of my emails. Doing this makes it easier to file and sort emails.

Use a signature with your contact information. This is a courtesy for those receiving your messages. It also cuts down on e-mail messages, since people don’t have to send a second or third e-mail asking for your phone number or mailing address.

If you send me an email, make sure that I know how to contact you back by email, telephone, regular mail, fax machine, etc.

Check out the post, and follow up on the other great tips that Michael offers.

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Email as a Communication Tool

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I recently read an interesting post from Michael Hyatt, the CEO of Thomas Nelson Publishers. In his post he made two points that I thought were very important.

First, he talked about the fact that almost all of his communications are now via email. Hyatt explained:

I probably don’t send more than half a dozen letters a year. Even then, it’s usually because it’s a legal matter that requires this kind of documentation. It’s hard to believe that in 2007, anyone is still sending letters. Snail-mail—at least for most business correspondence—is dead.

People just don’t have the time for an “inquiry-response cycle” that takes weeks. Even faxes are dead. In the 1990s, fax machines were cutting edge technology. Today, they are about as useless as an electric typewriter. I can’t even remember the last time I sent or received a fax. I still subscribe to eFax.com, which allows you to send and receive faxes on your computer, but even that sits idle. In today’s world, even a fax is too much hassle.

As attorneys we often fail to recognize how other industries work. It is important to keep in mind that our clients, especially our business clients work differently than how we work as attorneys. If your business client is used to communicating with others via email, that means that he likely wants to communicate with you in that same manner.

Hyatt also points out the necessity of handling your email in a timely and organized manner. He explains:

If you have more than 100 e-mails in your inbox at any one-time, something is wrong with your personal management system. I get more e-mails than that every day. My goal is to empty my e-mail inbox daily. The key is to read the e-mail once, then make a decision and act. If you can’t act on it immediately, put the item on your task list and file the e-mail in another folder. Only unprocessed messages should be in your inbox.

I can think of few pieces of advice that are better than reading an email only once. If we would all do this, our inboxes would be empty and our tasks would be on our to-do lists, where they belong.

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Get Your Own Domain

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There is a funny email exchange that has been linked to fairly often in the last week in which a law firm sends a job offer for a law clerk position to someone via email. Because the sender typed the address incorrectly, the email ended up in the inbox of a second grader.

Futurelawyer draws some great advice from this story. He says:

“However, the most important part of the exchange for me was the advice to avoid Yahoo, Gmail, AOL, and other common domains. It would be impossible to mis-type the Futurelawyer’s email address, because, since it is my own domain, any email addressed to it comes to me or a member of my immediate family.”

His parting advice is simple but good: “So, if you aren’t in control of your own domain, get one.”

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You Send It: Sending Large Files By Email

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Most email systems limit the attachment to your emails to 2MB. Even if your email provider does not have such a limitation, you really should not be emailing such large files. What are you to do, however, if you need to send a large file to someone else and you want the convenience of email?You Send It

A popular solution is You Send It.  You Send it has a variety of plans available from Free (always a favorite) to $29.99 a month. The various plans offer differing amounts of time that the files are available for download, password protections, and limits on file size.

If this is an occasional need for you, the free plan will likely meet your needs. The utility of this service has previously been noted by David Swanner, Futurelawyer, and Jim Calloway.