The hundreds of emails that flood my inbox every day constantly overwhelm me. I make every effort to get my inbox down to zero, only to wake up the next morning with new emails to reply to. Using email signatures to generate responses has been an incredibly helpful strategy for getting through my emails. I first learnt of this strategy listening to a podcast by Michael Hyatt. Email signatures are a very effective way to quickly respond to common or repeated email requests. Also if you have to send the same type of email each day or each week, you can use email signatures as a template. For example I use an email signature with a standard template every morning for staff covers and daily announcements. This post explains how to create email signatures and provides five examples that you might like to use yourself.
Creating Email Signatures
I tend to create my email signatures in a daft email. This provides me with all the formatting options – in particular bold, italics, coloured text and bullet points. Once I’m happy with the template I Select All and Copy. I then create the email signature. In Outlook you click on the Signatures tab and select Edit Signatures. In the Apple Mail App you click on the Signature drop down menu on the right and select Edit Signatures. You can also access signatures by going to Preferences and then selecting Signatures. You then click on the plus sign, give the signature a title and paste the draft email you created into the box on the right.
Email signatures can also include images. I have a series of email signatures, which are images that say Thank You. I use these to email staff after they have run an event or contributed to the school in a special way. I often begin email signatures with Dear , so I can just insert the name of the recipient. I also have an email signature that is a default for all emails that says Kind Regards.
Sample Signatures
Meeting Minutes
Hi all,
Here are today’s minutes. They are saved in Google Drive/Primary/Meetings.
Kind Regards
Absences
Dear ,
Thanks for your request regarding absences. All absences need to be directed to absences@emanuel.nsw.edu.au. Below is a summary of the absence procedures. I’ve highlighted the section that is relevant to you…
Assembly News Report
Hi guys,
One of your roles is to present assembly news reports. You are on the next Primary Assembly. You need to prepare a speech each (only a couple of paragraphs) and then bring them to me on the Thursday before your assembly. This will give us an opportunity to have a practice. BTN is quite a good place to have a look for ideas.
Thanks!
Wet Weather
Hi all,
Please follow wet weather duties today. The duties are displayed in a screen shot below. You need to use the WW in brackets. If there is no WW in brackets then you stay on duty in the designated area.
Kind Regards
Uniform Shop
Dear ,
Thanks for your request regarding the uniform shop. The shop is located on the ground floor of the Adler Building. The opening hours are outlined below. There is an online ordering option available if this is more convenient.
Kind Regards
Question for you: What email signatures would save you time when processing your inbox?
