As a female coach, your inbox is likely overflowing with emails from clients, partnership opportunities and admin notifications. Am I right?
What if I told you that achieving ‘inbox zero’ could revolutionize your productivity, and reduce your stress levels to boot?
Let’s discuss, shall we?
What is Inbox Zero?
Believe me, inbox zero is NOT mission impossible! It’s a tough approach to dealing with emails, with the goal of keeping your inbox empty (or as close to it as possible) at all times. It’s not just about a clean inbox, it’s a methodology that helps you process information and stay on top of everything you’re committing to.
Why does Inbox Zero matter for female coaches?
Improved focus and productivity
When you’re staring at a chaotic inbox, you can FEEL your eyes glaze over and focus disappearing. Each unread email represents a potential task or decision – which can distract you from your core responsibilities. Having a near-empty inbox instills a sense of accomplishment and calm, leaving you to better concentrate on what really matters – serving your clients and growing your business.
Better responsiveness
Clients appreciate quick responses. With an organized inbox, you’re less likely to miss important messages or respond too slowly. Improving your responsiveness can improve client satisfaction and perhaps even more referrals for your coaching practice.
Reduced stress
A cluttered inbox can lead to anxiety and stress because it can make you feel like you’ll never catch up. Achieving inbox zero eliminates this and instead gives you peace of mind and a sense of control over all your digital communications.
Better time management
By learning how to quickly organize your inbox every single day, you’ll spend less time managing your inbox, leaving you with more time on high-value activities, like generating new courses, programs and developing your business overall.
How to Achieve Inbox Zero as a Busy Coach
Set aside time each day to manage your emails.
If you get a LOT of emails, perhaps 30 minutes in the morning, and another 30 minutes in the afternoon would be a good starting point.
Use the 4 Ds Method.
Delete: if it’s not important, get rid of it immediately.
Do: If something takes less than two minutes, get it done now.
Delegate: If someone else can handle it, forward it to them.
Defer: If it requires more time than you presently have, schedule it for later.
Unsubscribe RUTHLESSLY.
Do you really read all the newsletters you’ve subscribed to? If not, click that unsubscribe button and save yourself from having to delete them in the future. Stay on the list if you find specific ones to be helpful for your coaching practice or personal development.
Use folders and labels.
Organizing your inbox can be a personal process, and it doesn’t matter what that process is as long as it makes sense to you and you’ll remember it time and time again.
Harness the power of automation.
Email filters are BOMB. Set up filters so that emails automatically get sent to specific folders – this reduces the manual work involved with sorting them later.
The VA Advantage
While these stellar strategies can help you achieve inbox zero, implementing and maintaining it can be time-consuming. A virtual assistant can be invaluable when it comes to setup and maintanance.
A VA can manage your inbox daily, ensuring it stays as close to empty as possible, saving you the time and stress that you may feel when you think about doing it yourself.
In conclusion, your inbox is a part of your workspace, when you really think about it. It should be as neat and tidy as your desk, or your filing system (both digital and manual). Whether you tackle it yourself or hire some help to get it sorted out, you’ll notice a big difference in your productivity either way, just by getting a grip on inbox zero!
If you’d rather have someone set this up for you, I can help with that! Book a free consultation call.