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Why an ‘Email-first’ approach makes your team more efficient

  • 16-07-24

How "Email-First" Differs

We have a love-hate relationship with email. E-mail has now almost completely replaced paper mail, and it is impossible to imagine our daily work without it. As nice as it is to experience the direct interaction via phone or channels such as WhatsApp and webchat, most of the communication with colleagues, suppliers and often also with customers (and often the most important messages such as orders, registrations, invoices, etc.) is e-mail! And all those emails usually don’t make us very happy. But why is that? And wouldn’t there be a way to make email work for you? Turning a disadvantage into an advantage? With the ’email first’ approach, you can. Read how below.

What disadvantages do we experience in the use of e-mail?

The use of e-mail is indispensable in every field of work. However, we experience disadvantages in the way e-mail is now often used. We also experience these unconsciously. Do the disadvantages below sound familiar to you?

  • Different email addresses and mailboxes are used within teams, which can make finding specific information in email challenging.
  • Nowadays, we communicate with our customers and stakeholders through various channels, so the information is scattered. Think of telephone, WhatsApp and web chat.
  • In collaboration with team members in the same mailbox, you run into the problem that a team member picks up an email at the same time. This is not immediately visible to team members, with the danger of duplicating work.

What if these disadvantages are no longer important because there is a solution for them?

Email-First Technology and Tools

Technological tools to support the ‘E-mail-First’ approach include the well-known programs Outlook and Gmail for basic functionality. For advanced email management, tools like Front, HelpScout, and Zendesk Support offer comprehensive capabilities for team collaboration, ticket management, and automation. Modern email management tools like FAQtory play an essential role by converting emails into structured knowledge bases. This allows teams to quickly access information and respond efficiently to frequently asked questions, which will improve productivity and customer service.

Future of 'Email-First' in Business Communication

As a universal and reliable communication channel, email will continue to be important for organizations of all sizes. To drive efficiency, there is a good chance that more and more organizations will switch to the ‘E-mail-First’ approach. With the technologies in place, email can be integrated with systems such as CRM software and project management tools in the future. The sustainability and scalability of ‘E-mail-First’ will always remain. Improvements in email management and automation will help to further increase efficiency while keeping the focus on documentation and traceability intact.

Want to boost your communication within the team? We are happy to explain how you can get the most out of ‘E-mail-First’. View our product or contact us directly.

The core of 'E-mail-First'

The ‘Email-First’ principle emphasizes the importance of email as a primary method of communication. Within a company, it can be difficult to maintain an overview due to the many means of communication, such as telephone conversations and individual chat messages, which offer little written record. The ‘E-mail-First’ approach has been developed to improve communication. The goal of ‘E-mail-First’ is structured communication, less distraction, where the conversation history is easily traceable and transparent.

Benefits of an 'Email-First' Approach

Improve internal and external communication with FAQtory’s ‘Email First’ approach. This method is about overview and structure, not distraction. It provides a complete contact history with customers and insight into the communication between colleagues, customers and stakeholders. Using emails as trackable written conversations allows you to process messages at the right time, improving workflows, schedules, and focus. This results in higher productivity and efficiency. Emails also make it easier to find and search communications with teams and experts both inside and outside the organization. Everything is easy to find and searchable.

Challenges with traditional communication methods

Traditional communication systems, such as phone calls and direct messaging, present some problems and inefficiencies that “Email-First” circumvents. Think of the timing that can easily be wrong, because the recipient may not have time to respond immediately. This does not benefit the productivity and focus of the recipient and that is a situation that you would rather avoid. They also offer little room for thinking about answers, which can lead to less thoughtful responses. Furthermore, they are not always traceable, making it difficult to remember previous conversations or find information. The lack of documentation can lead to significant problems with these traditional methods of communication. However, e-mail is also always there for internal communication, instructions and procedures, communication with suppliers, orders, invoices, and so on. You can’t really help a customer until you have those emails at hand!

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