10 Efficiency Hacks for MSPs and Their Customers
Steve Meek of The Fulcrum Group offers a few hacks designed to improve and simplify life.
May 21, 2019
![Number Ten, 10 Number Ten, 10](https://eu-images.contentstack.com/v3/assets/blt10e444bce2d36aa8/blt1e8d8f396c69bf2e/65245b58b76035257a0ef1a6/Number-Ten-10.jpg?width=700&auto=webp&quality=80&disable=upscale)
Shutterstock
Have a strategy for sending emails. If your name is on the “to” line, I assume you are in charge of the email or have the ball. If I CC you, we might all be in control and working together (usually when I want to keep you in the loop along the way). If I BCC you, I usually am letting you know I have the ball with someone else, but don’t want you to get every future email. I will let you know when it is done.
In short, don’t waste precious minutes CC’ing everyone all the time.
When I forward or reply to a message, it isn’t always clear what to do based on the original subject line. I often change the subject to summarize my text and make it easier for the reader to know what this version of the message is about. It helps the reader figure out why they are even receiving the message.
I often borrow from the book of marketing and bullet out multiple action items, or even color code them in red within the email body so that the receiver knows the important parts straight away.
If the ask requires a quick turnaround, I will update the subject of the email to be hyperspecific with clear action items and timing. In all caps, I’ll spell out the topic and due date – something like “ACTION ITEMS – Due by 5/3 at 5 p.m.” You can even have Outlook flag a reminder and follow-up.
Outlook has a new feature in its 2016/Office 365 version, located under your “View” menu. The feature distinguishes between important email, “middle of the road” email and junk mail, and sorts them into folders. Essentially, it automatically ferrets out the most important emails more quickly without you having to discern or create rules of your own to accomplish this.
If you don’t see the feature under your “View” menu, you may need to enable it by modifying your menus to show the option.
Rules are the obvious way to automatically sort out your default folders.
First, consider unsubscribing from less important messages, but also consider automatically routing certain types of emails into named folders. I have one for certain event logs (ruled in by email address), one for reports (ruled in by email subject name) and one from the website (based on subject). You can use one type or a combination to filter properly. There are wizards that help but it takes an investment of time.
I use “Conditional Formatting” under “View Settings” to see messages from my four key managers. It helps me respond to my team quickly and support them like they deserve.
I scan messages to ascertain the important stuff first. Sometimes there are important things that I’ll need to come to, so I flag them. This allows you to easily come back to those important items.
Our days are driven by, and depend on, efficient scheduling. When you have a meeting or engagement that takes you to a different location, having the address in calendar appointments makes it easy to click and use Google or Apple Maps to route you to your desired destination.
Some phones estimate the drive time using GPS and will send you notifications ahead of time to keep you on schedule.
When you have a large number of items in your main folders, like your Inbox or Sent folders, Outlook can slow to a crawl. If you are an executive or top producer and receive tons of emails, you can organize them into folders to make things faster.
For example, I have subfolders under my “Inbox” folder where I keep older messages. So I aggregated all 2018 and past emails that did not fit in other folders or rules, and I keep them in subfolders entitled “INBOX2018,” “INBOX2017,” and so on, to keep Outlook snappy.
Most smartphones have native apps, but the Outlook app can potentially add some ease of use to your experience.
I like the calendar slider and access to Focused Inbox in the app. It’s just handy to have your world at your fingertips, ready to access with the flick of a finger.
Most smartphones have native apps, but the Outlook app can potentially add some ease of use to your experience.
I like the calendar slider and access to Focused Inbox in the app. It’s just handy to have your world at your fingertips, ready to access with the flick of a finger.
As an MSP, your days are driven by – and depend on – efficiency. It’s the name of the game. It makes your clients happy, everyone across your business happy, and most of all, it makes your profit margins happy.
The Fulcrum Group’s Steve Meek
In dealing with the complicated, almost dizzying load of people, email, phone calls and issues that come at you every day, it’s a wonder we make it through the fog, much less feel accomplished and on top of things.
For MSPs to have any hope of success, there is a great need to implement structures, tools and processes to help create a smooth, frictionless journey — for you and your customers. Such an efficient approach often comes down to the tiny details, such as getting the most out of your email platform.
Steve Meek, founder and CEO of The Fulcrum Group, offers us his insights and a few efficiency hacks on how to organize and maximize your Outlook, Gmail, and other basic tools and processes.
Click through the slideshow above to get his hot takes.
Read more about:
MSPsAbout the Author(s)
You May Also Like