Our lives seem to revolve around technology, or so it seems. With all the technological advances of today’s world, it’s almost overwhelming thinking of all the different forms of communication now available. Smart phones, texting, IM, social media, the never-ending array of apps – these methods of communication are used on a daily basis. However, one form of communication from ‘the old days’ has survived, email! Email may sound a bit old school, but it is still the most commonly used method of communication for businesses and organizations.
Branding
Work email is the epicenter of communication, branding, and production. Most employer-provided emails create specific email addresses that are uniform throughout the organization and allow individuals to know the name of the contact as well as the business the emailer is affiliated with right in the email address itself. For example, [email protected]. These emails are more likely to be taken seriously by recipients knowing that you are with a legitimate company and much less likely to end up in junk or spam mailboxes. What better way to easily and effortlessly portray professionalism than utilizing your work email? It’s a very simple and effective tool that puts you and your company in the spotlight: ‘Look, we are an authentic organization and portray ourselves as such!’
Flexibility
Your work email also gives you the flexibility to respond to inquiries as needed, rather than dropping what you are working on to answer a call. I mean, really, how many calls do we receive that can simply suffice via email? Insert nodding emoji here. Work email can also boast flexibility for those who prefer to have specific emails forwarded to other team members or departments. Say you are out of the office but don’t want to miss any time-sensitive questions or requests, simply update your settings to have your emails from a specific timeframe sent to someone who can address them in real-time.
Organization
Similarly to the organization, one may instill for their hard copy files; many opt to organize their email inbox to obtain a functional workflow to your everyday tasks. Creating and maintaining folders, assigning color-coordinated items, and flagging emails to follow up on are a few elements that make work email so much more user friendly. You may also find it productive to create specific contact groups, such as ‘Accounting Department’
Scheduling
One of the major aspects of using your work email is keeping track of your busy schedule with the embedded calendar. Your work email calendar allows you to schedule meetings, block out time for tasks, note important reminders, and even those much-needed vacation days off.
Access
Another important feature to work email is the ability to access files, conversations, meetings, and calendars on the go. It serves as a one-stop-shop for staying up-to-date on most all your work items. Maybe you find you need to search your inbox for an answer or contact name from some time ago – it is easy to access old files and conversations.
Take Away
Since your work email is what affiliates you with your employer, it is the means where important conversations will take place. Utilizing your work email will allow you to maintain productivity, stay on top of important messages, and give you the boost you may need to illustrate your brand. Spend less time on high-impact work by making the most of your work email. After all, it’s all in one place anyway! Work emails are included on business cards for a reason; it shows others that you are professional and accessible to potential clients. So, while you may initially feel like you would like to stick to your personal email address, consider all the benefits involved in utilizing your employer-provided email instead.