“My apologies for the delayed response.”
It’s unsettling how many of my emails start out this way.
I used to be awful with email…simply awful. A few years ago when email was my mortal enemy, this opening email apology of mine was usually the result of the irresponsible neglect of my email inbox.
Over time, I have gotten much better with this vital communication channel, because my business relies on it more than anything else (yes, even more than social media).
So, now when I make that apology, it’s because I’ve had two straight days of back-to-back calls, meetings, strategy writing, and sometimes even a podcast. By the time 6:00pm rolls around, the last thing I want to do is try to achieve inbox 0. So, three days later, I’m now responding to your new business inquiry.
How do I address this situation?
I feel the need to apologize when my response time exceeds the limits of what I deem acceptable, but I can’t feasibly move around other aspects of my professional and personal life to make more time for email.
The math just doesn’t add up, there are more emails and less time. What is the solution without singing the sad song of “I’m so busy?” Should I keep up the apologies, or extend my own expectations for email response time?
I’m open to suggestions.