We Care Computers Newsletter, May, 2008, Inbox Slave or Email Master?

We Care Computers, Tech Tips and News, May, 2008

May, 2008 Get Control of Email, Save Time, Be More Productive
Inbox Slave or Email Master?
Dear Avi,
WCC just went to a West Hartford Chamber of Commerce seminar.

The program said "Managing Email". Yawn.
But, email is a critical part of our business, and we deal with a lot of it. A ton of it. So we said, "let's go".
The speaker, Abby Marks Beale, and the seminar, "Slaying the Email Dragon", were both simply awesome. Dynamic tips on email!
So this month our WCC "Tech Tips" features:

A WCC Interview with Abby
Two different opportunities for you to "Slay the Email Dragon"
Plus, you get another chance at a FREE WCC T-Shirt

Before we met Abby, we were both "slaves" to our email. Our Inboxes were jammed like the one on the right, and we were spending WAY too much time writing emails.
Thanks to Abby's tips, we are literally saving hours of time each week. We're not "masters" of email yet, but we're on the way. Please join us on the journey.
Avi & Tahl

Avi Smith-Rapaport, Tahl Smith-Rapaport, and the entire team at:
We Care Computers, LLC
860-836-4191 or info@wecarecomputers.com

Email Coach and Author Abby Marks Beale INBOX SLAVE OR EMAIL MASTER?
WCC Interviews Abby Marks Beale
WCC: Abby, thanks for joining us for an interview. In general, are most people you run into very productive in handling email?
ABBY: "I always begin my seminars with a simple question, 'Are You an Inbox Slave, or Are You an Email Master?' Most of the people I meet are simply overwhelmed by the amount of email they have to deal with. So their Inboxes are piled up with emails, sometimes literally a thousand or more."

WCC: Well, we've all tried to answer all of our email as quickly as we receive it. That works OK for a short time, but the Inbox just gets filled up when we have other stuff to do and we're back to email gridlock...

ABBY: "Exactly! Compulsively checking your emails (and writing long replies) is probably the biggest obstacle to using email properly, and only makes the problem worse. You have to learn to manage your email. What's important? What do you do with the unimportant stuff? How do you make email work for you!"

WCC: Abby, you list 10 wonderful tips on how to make "email work for you" in your eBook, Slaying The Email Dragon . What are the top two tips you could share with our readers?
ABBY: "Learn Your Email Software. Every email program has the ability to create and store additional folders (usually in the area where you put Deleted Messages, Sent Messages, etc). But by creating custom folders for clients, for projects, or for personal contacts, you can move your email into these folders and organize it. With just a few clicks of your mouse, you can quickly set it up, and suddenly you've got great new tools to use to prevent the Email Dragon from getting you!"
WCC: Excellent Point. While all of the ten points are great, what would be # 2?

ABBY: "Well, if we can only talk about two points, the most important is realizing you don't have to be a slave to your Inbox. And learning how to use Email Software is absolutely the first step in getting control. So these two are the most important in getting started.

Then, I recommend practical tips that show you just how to handle email. For example, people often use email as a "To Do List", but it was never supposed to be a time management tool. If you let it, the dragon will take control. Instead, you want to slay that dragon and use email for its intended purpose; short, quick, communication."
WCC: Abby, thank you for the bonus tips, and for your time. Both your seminar and ebook have helped us, and we appreciate you sharing it with out readers!

"SLAYING THE EMAIL DRAGON" West Hartford Offers Free Electronics Recycling Collection
If you're interested in getting control of your email and being more productive, Abby's got two different ways for you to follow up:
1. To get Abby's eBook, Slaying The Email Dragon ($ 9.95, instant download) please follow the link below. The book is short, 14 pages, and easy to read and understand. It will also change how you handle email and you'll never be an "Inbox Slave" again.
http://www.thecorporateeducator.com/buy.asp?PageID=3566

2. Businesses and Organizations who'd like Abby to conduct an Email Seminar should contact her directly. Her company offers a range of workshops and seminars ranging from 90 minutes to a full day. Watch your employee (and your) productivity soar when you start slaying the email dragon:
http://www.thecorporateeducator.com/email_management.asp

IF YOU DIDN'T GET YOUR FREE T-SHIRT LAST MONTH...
Enjoy the outside this summer with a "way cool" WCC T-Shirt. Your friends will envy you. As an ongoing thank you to our readers, we will again give away 20 T-Shirts this month to the first 20 people who email us the following information:
1. Name
2. Mailing Address
3. T-Shirt Size

email address is: info@wecarecomputers.com

OOPS, make that 19! We just sent one to Abby as a thank you.
First come, first served. Wear it proudly!
WCC REFERRAL PROGRAM
Any time one of our customers refers us to a new customer (and a warm thank you to all of you who have done so), please remind them to mention it to us when we make the call.

WHY? We have a long standing policy of sending people who refer business to us a small token of appreciation along with our grateful thanks.
For first time referrers, we send a special WCC Gift Pack.

If you are kind enough to do it again, you get a $ 5 Starbucks Gift Certificate AND a Custom WCC TRAVEL MUG.

Parting Shot: Meet Johnny Valdes, WCC's Professional RIder

We Care Computers would like you to meet Newington resident Johnny Valdes (aka "JV"). JV's been racing for the last 8 years (road and mountain bikes) and will be wearing his WCC Bike Jersey in many professional and charity rides this summer. We're delighted to sponsor Johnny, and hope you'll be able to join us at some of the races. When JV isn't climbing up or racing down the side of some mountain, you can also find him teaching Fitness and Spinning at the JCC.
JV will ride for We Care Computers this summer.
WCC Bike Racer Johny Valdes checking his gear before a race.
JV, GOOD LUCK THIS SEASON

QUOTE OF THE MONTH
Mark Twain was one of the first Hartford residents to have a telephone installed in his home, and he never even dreamed of email. Yet, the timeless quote below is as appropriate for writing emails as it is for general writing.
"I apologize for writing you a long letter; I did not have time to write you a short one."
Mark Twain