by Erin Kowtko
Yes, it’s shameful. That’s my current Gmail account.
If your inbox is anything like mine, it’s overflowing with email. Some emails are tagged as important, others serve as a reminder that I’m awaiting a response from a client, and then there are those that function as a cue to complete a task for a client. All those emails can add up pretty quickly and can be tough to keep track of.
Thankfully there is a wonderful solution. FollowUpThen is an email address that enables you to simplify your life and stay organized. You have the option of doing a free trial or jumping right into a paid version. The advantage with a paid one is that it gives you a significantly larger number of options. The prices are nominal as well, starting from $2 a month.
I signed up for the free trial and tested it out. While this program includes many features, I’ll focus on the top ones.
Streamlining Your Inbox
Do you sometimes hold on to an email just so that you don’t forget to address it? Take said email and forward it to FollowUpThen.com with a time you choose. Say you want to circle back on this in 1 week. You’ll forward the email to 1week@followupthen.com. You will receive an email from the group that includes your original message. Another cool feature is the ability to postpone the task. If you are in the midst of project now but you’ll be free in 4 hours, select that populated time slot and you’ll receive your reminder then. I like that this frees up mental space to focus on the task at hand, without risking forgetting about the next one entirely.
Further Customization
This is my favorite aspect of the service. You can schedule reminders for any time that’s helpful for you. You can select time of day, day of week and reoccurring reminders. Say you want to check in with a specific person once a month. Simply choose the date/time of your choice and send the email to every2ndTuesday@followupthen.com. I tested it out and it works like a charm!
Who gets this?
Another handy feature of the service is that you can select who receives these followups. If I want to be the sole recipient of the emails, use the fields “To” or “BCC.” If you want other folks to receive the same reminders, utilize the “CC” section and you can add up to 15 email addresses.
In a similar vein, are you guilty of keeping an ever-expanding To Do list? This feature is fantastic for those of us who have a lot to keep up with. Let’s say I want to assign a task to my co-worker, Kate.
TO: Kate
SUBJECT: Adopt a Puppy
Both Kate and I will receive this task including links to complete or cancel. We will both continue to receive this reminder until Kate has completed the task, so I don’t have to personally bug Kate – this email will! J You have to trust the recipient because it’s possible for Kate to cancel the task without actually completing it. If no one does anything, we will continue to receive notices every 24 hours until the status has changed.
What I’ve shared is the tip of the iceberg. There are lots more exciting features available through this snazzy site. Give it a whirl and let us know what you think!
Erin Kowtko
Erin has years of experience in the healthcare and non-profit sector. She brings her skills and passion to benefit Network 1’s team, clients and partners. She strives to provide the best service and solutions to her clients so they can achieve greatness through Worry-Free IT.
ekowtko@network1consulting.com or 404.997.7656
Network 1 Consulting is an 18-year-old, IT Support company in Atlanta, GA. We become – or augment – the IT department for law firms and medical practices. Our IT experts can fix computers, but what our clients value most highly are the industry-specific best practices we bring to their firms. This is especially important today as technology, along with its associated regulations and cyber-threats, is changing so rapidly. We take a proactive approach to helping our clients use technology to gain and keep their competitive advantage.
