How to Read Emails Faster: Mastering the Art of Skimming

In today’s fast-paced world, email overload is a common challenge. Sifting through endless messages can consume valuable time and reduce productivity. This article provides practical techniques for reading emails faster, focusing on the art of effective skimming to quickly identify critical information and prioritize your inbox. Learn how to extract key details efficiently and reclaim your time.

Table of Contents

• Prioritize by Sender and Subject Line
• Master Keyword Scanning for Quick Comprehension
• Leverage Visual Hierarchy for Efficient Reading
• Employing Email Templates and Automation

Prioritize by Sender and Subject Line

The first step to reading emails faster is to prioritize which emails you need to read immediately, which can wait, and which can be deleted without opening. This involves a careful assessment of the sender and the subject line. Mastering this triage process dramatically reduces the time spent on irrelevant or low-priority messages.

Creating Rules and Filters

Most email clients allow you to create rules and filters to automatically sort incoming mail. These rules can move emails from specific senders or with certain keywords in the subject line into designated folders. This helps you keep your inbox clean and focused on the most important messages.

Example 1: Gmail Filter

In Gmail, you can create a filter to automatically label and archive emails from your project management tool, such as Jira. This keeps your inbox clutter-free but ensures you don’t miss important notifications.

• Open Gmail.
• In the search bar at the top, click the “Show search options” icon (the three horizontal lines).
• Enter your search criteria. For example: From: jira@yourcompany.com
• Click “Create filter”.
• Choose what you want the filter to do: Apply the label “Jira”, Archive it (Skip the inbox).
• Click “Create filter”.

Example 2: Outlook Rule

In Outlook, you can set up a rule to move all emails with the subject “Daily Report” to a specific folder called “Reports”. This allows you to review these reports at a designated time instead of being interrupted throughout the day.

• Go to File > Manage Rules & Alerts.
• Click “New Rule”.
• Under “Start from a blank rule”, select “Apply rule on messages I receive” and click “Next”.
• Under “Which conditions do you want to check?”, select “with specific words in the subject”.
• In the “Step 2” box, click “specific words”, type “Daily Report”, click “Add”, then click “OK”.
• Click “Next”.
• Under “What do you want to do with the message?”, select “move it to the specified folder”.
• In the “Step 2” box, click “specified”, select or create the “Reports” folder, and click “OK”.
• Click “Next” and then “Finish”.

Subject Line Analysis

Before opening an email, take a moment to analyze the subject line. A well-written subject line should clearly indicate the email’s purpose. Look for keywords that signal urgency or importance. If the subject line is vague or irrelevant, it may be a sign that the email is not a priority.

Example 3: Identifying Actionable Emails

Compare these two subject lines:

• “Meeting Update”
• “ACTION REQUIRED: Confirm Meeting Time for Project X”

The second subject line is much more informative. It clearly states that an action is required and provides context about the project. This allows you to quickly identify that this email needs your immediate attention.

Example 4: Identifying Informational Emails

Emails with subject lines like “Company Newsletter” or “Industry News” are likely informational and can be read at your leisure. Consider setting aside a specific time each day or week to review these types of emails.

“The key is not to prioritize what’s on your schedule, but to schedule your priorities.” Stephen Covey

By prioritizing senders and subject lines, you can effectively filter out distractions and focus on the emails that truly matter, saving you significant time in the long run.

Master Keyword Scanning for Quick Comprehension

Once you’ve prioritized your emails, the next step is to quickly understand the content. Keyword scanning involves rapidly identifying key terms within an email to grasp its main points without reading every word. This technique dramatically reduces reading time and helps you determine the email’s relevance to your tasks.

Identifying Core Keywords

Before diving into the email body, consider what keywords you expect to find based on the subject line and sender. This pre-emptive filtering helps you focus your attention on the most relevant information. For example, if the subject line is “Project Alpha Status Update,” you might look for keywords like “delayed,” “on track,” “budget,” and “risks.”

Example 1: Project Management Email

Let’s say you receive an email with the subject “Urgent: Production Server Outage”. Immediately, keywords like “urgent,” “production,” “server,” and “outage” become critical. Scanning for these words (and related terms like “down,” “unavailable,” “impact,” “restore,” and “root cause”) will quickly reveal the severity and scope of the issue.

Subject: Urgent: Production Server Outage

Team,

We are experiencing a critical outage on the production server. The impact is that users are unable to access the application. We are working to restore service as quickly as possible.

The initial root cause appears to be a failed database connection.  We are investigating further.

We will provide updates every 15 minutes.

Regards,
IT Support

By quickly identifying the bolded keywords, you can immediately understand the severity and context of the email without reading every word.

Example 2: Customer Support Email

If you receive an email from a customer with the subject “Issue with Order #12345,” focus on keywords like “issue,” “order,” “problem,” “refund,” “delivery,” and “damaged.” This will help you quickly understand the nature of the customer’s complaint and determine the appropriate response.

Subject: Issue with Order #12345

Dear Support,

I am writing to report a problem with my recent order, #12345.  The delivery was delayed and when I received the package, the product was damaged.

I am requesting a refund or a replacement.  Please advise on how to proceed.

Thank you,
John Doe

Again, focusing on the highlighted keywords allows you to quickly grasp the customer’s issue and identify the necessary steps to resolve it.

Skimming Techniques

Several skimming techniques can enhance your keyword scanning abilities:

• Read the first and last sentence of each paragraph: Often, these sentences contain the main idea of the paragraph.
• Look for bolded or italicized text: These formatting cues often highlight important information.
• Scan for lists and bullet points: These sections typically present information in a concise and structured manner.
• Pay attention to headings and subheadings: These provide a roadmap of the email’s content.

Example 3: Applying Skimming Techniques

Consider an email discussing a new company policy. Instead of reading the entire email, focus on the headings (e.g., “Policy Overview,” “Key Changes,” “Implementation Date”), the first and last sentences of each paragraph, and any bolded text that highlights important details.

Example 4: Ignoring Fluff

Many emails contain introductory and concluding pleasantries that add little value. Train yourself to quickly skip over these sections and focus on the core message. For example, phrases like “I hope this email finds you well” or “Please let me know if you have any questions” can be safely ignored during the initial scan.

Mastering keyword scanning takes practice, but it’s a highly effective technique for quickly understanding the content of emails and prioritizing your time. By focusing on key terms and employing skimming techniques, you can significantly reduce the time spent reading emails without sacrificing comprehension.

Leverage Visual Hierarchy for Efficient Reading

Visual hierarchy refers to the arrangement of elements on a page (or in an email) to guide the reader’s eye and highlight important information. By understanding and leveraging visual hierarchy, both as a reader and a sender, you can significantly improve email comprehension speed. This involves recognizing and utilizing elements like headings, subheadings, bullet points, whitespace, and font variations to quickly grasp the structure and key takeaways of an email.

Recognizing Visual Cues

Effective email design incorporates several visual cues to guide the reader. Learning to recognize these cues allows you to quickly identify the most important information:

• Headings and Subheadings: These provide a clear outline of the email’s content.
• Bullet Points and Numbered Lists: These present information in a concise and easily digestible format.
• Bold and Italics: These emphasize key words and phrases.
• Whitespace: Using sufficient whitespace between paragraphs and sections prevents the email from feeling overwhelming.
• Font Size and Color: Variations in font size and color can be used to highlight important elements.

Example 1: Identifying Key Sections

Consider an email announcing a new company policy. The email likely uses headings like “Introduction,” “Policy Details,” “Responsibilities,” and “Effective Date.” By immediately focusing on these headings, you can quickly understand the structure of the policy and navigate to the sections that are most relevant to you.

Example 2: Utilizing Bullet Points

If an email lists the steps required to complete a task using bullet points, you can quickly scan the bullet points to understand the overall process without reading the surrounding text in detail.

Optimizing Your Own Emails for Readability

You can also improve your own reading speed by sending emails that are designed for efficient reading. This not only saves your own time but also respects the time of your recipients.

• Use Clear and Concise Subject Lines: A descriptive subject line helps the recipient prioritize the email.
• Employ Headings and Subheadings: Break up large blocks of text with headings to guide the reader.
• Use Bullet Points and Numbered Lists: Present information in a structured and easily digestible format.
• Bold Key Information: Highlight important facts, figures, and action items.
• Keep Paragraphs Short: Shorter paragraphs are easier to read and understand.
• Use Whitespace Effectively: Avoid dense blocks of text that can be overwhelming.

Example 3: Restructuring a Dense Email

Imagine you have a long email with a single paragraph discussing multiple project updates. Restructure this email using headings and bullet points to improve readability:

Original (Dense) Email:

Subject: Project Updates

Team,

I wanted to provide an update on our current projects. Project Alpha is slightly behind schedule due to unforeseen technical challenges, but we are working to catch up. Project Beta is on track and we expect to deliver the final product by the end of the month. Project Gamma is facing some budget constraints, so we need to carefully manage our expenses.  We also need to schedule a meeting to discuss the upcoming marketing campaign for Project Delta. Please let me know your availability.

Restructured Email:

Subject: Project Updates

Team,

Here are the latest updates on our projects:

Project Alpha:

Status: Slightly behind schedule
Reason: Unforeseen technical challenges
Action: Working to catch up


Project Beta:

Status: On track
Expected Delivery: End of the month


Project Gamma:

Status: Facing budget constraints
Action: Need to carefully manage expenses


Project Delta:

Action: Schedule a meeting to discuss the upcoming marketing campaign. Please let me know your availability.

The restructured email is much easier to scan and understand due to the use of headings and bullet points.

Example 4: Using Bold Text for Emphasis

When assigning tasks in an email, use bold text to highlight the action items and deadlines. This makes it easy for the recipient to quickly identify what they need to do and when.

Subject: Task Assignments

Hi Team,

Please complete the following tasks:

John: Prepare the presentation slides (due Friday)
Mary: Review the financial reports (due Monday)
David: Schedule the client meeting (due Wednesday)

By understanding and applying the principles of visual hierarchy, you can significantly improve both your own email reading speed and the readability of the emails you send.

Employing Email Templates and Automation

Leveraging email templates and automation can significantly streamline your email communication and reduce the time spent composing repetitive messages. By creating pre-written templates for common scenarios and automating responses to frequently asked questions, you can focus on more complex and strategic tasks.

Creating and Using Email Templates

Email templates are pre-designed messages that you can quickly customize and send. They are particularly useful for responding to common inquiries, providing project updates, or sending meeting requests. Most email clients offer built-in template features, or you can use third-party tools to create and manage your templates.

Example 1: Meeting Request Template

Instead of composing a new meeting request email each time, create a template with the basic information and customize it as needed:

Subject: Meeting Request: [Project Name] - [Topic]

Hi [Name],

I would like to schedule a meeting to discuss [Topic] related to [Project Name].

Please let me know what time works best for you from the following options:

Option 1: [Date] at [Time]
Option 2: [Date] at [Time]
Option 3: [Date] at [Time]


Meeting Agenda:

[Agenda Item 1]
[Agenda Item 2]
[Agenda Item 3]


The meeting will be held at [Location/Virtual Meeting Link].

Please confirm your availability by [Date].

Thanks,
[Your Name]

To use this template, simply copy and paste it into a new email, replace the bracketed placeholders with the specific information, and send. This saves you the time of writing the entire email from scratch.

Example 2: Project Update Template

For regular project updates, a template ensures consistency and saves time:

Subject: [Project Name] - Weekly Update

Hi Team,

Here's a quick update on [Project Name] for the week of [Date]:

Key Accomplishments:

[Accomplishment 1]
[Accomplishment 2]
[Accomplishment 3]


Upcoming Tasks:

[Task 1] - Due Date: [Date]
[Task 2] - Due Date: [Date]
[Task 3] - Due Date: [Date]


Challenges/Risks:

[Challenge/Risk Description]


Next Steps:

[Next Steps Action Items]


Please let me know if you have any questions.

Thanks,
[Your Name]

Automating Responses

Many email clients allow you to set up automated responses to specific types of emails. This can be particularly useful for handling frequently asked questions or acknowledging receipt of emails when you are out of office.

Example 3: Out-of-Office Auto-Reply

Most email clients offer an out-of-office auto-reply feature. This allows you to automatically respond to incoming emails with a message indicating that you are unavailable and when you will return. You can also provide alternative contact information for urgent matters.

Gmail Example:

• Open Gmail.
• Click Settings See all settings.
• Scroll down to the “Vacation responder” section.
• Select Vacation responder on.
• Fill in the date range, subject, and message.
• Below your message, check the box only send a response to people in my Contacts if you don’t want everyone to see your vacation reply.
• At the bottom of the page, click Save Changes.

Example 4: Automated Response to FAQs

If you frequently receive the same questions via email, consider creating automated responses using rules or filters. For example, if you are a customer support representative, you could set up a rule to automatically respond to emails with the subject “Order Status” with a message providing instructions on how to track their order.

While fully automating customer support is generally not advisable, providing immediate answers to common questions regarding order status, password resets, or accessing documentation improves customer satisfaction and reduces the workload on human agents. For example, a simple script running on a server could parse incoming emails, extract the order number, query the database for the order status, and send an automated reply back to the customer.

# Python Example (Conceptual)

import imaplib
import email
import re

# Email credentials
EMAIL_ADDRESS = "your_email@example.com"
PASSWORD = "your_password"

# Connect to the IMAP server
mail = imaplib.IMAP4_SSL("imap.gmail.com")
mail.login(EMAIL_ADDRESS, PASSWORD)
mail.select("inbox")

# Search for emails with the subject "Order Status"
result, data = mail.search(None, 'SUBJECT "Order Status"')

for num in data[0].split():
    result, data = mail.fetch(num, "(RFC822)")
    raw_email = data[0][1]
    email_message = email.message_from_bytes(raw_email)

    # Extract the order number from the email body (example: Order #12345)
    body = email_message.get_payload(decode=True).decode('utf-8')
    order_number_match = re.search(r"Order #(\d+)", body)

    if order_number_match:
        order_number = order_number_match.group(1)

        # (Replace with your actual database query)
        order_status = get_order_status_from_database(order_number)

        # Construct the automated reply
        reply_subject = "Re: Order Status"
        reply_body = f"Your order #{order_number} is currently {order_status}."

        # Send the automated reply (requires SMTP configuration)
        send_email(EMAIL_ADDRESS, email_message['from'], reply_subject, reply_body)

# Logout
mail.close()
mail.logout()

def get_order_status_from_database(order_number):
    # Placeholder for database query logic
    # Replace with your actual database interaction
    return "Shipped" # Example status
def send_email(sender, receiver, subject, body):
    # Placeholder for SMTP sending logic
    print(f"Sending email from {sender} to {receiver} with subject '{subject}' and body '{body}'")

This example demonstrates the basic concept of automated email processing. In a real-world scenario, you would replace the placeholder functions with actual database interactions and SMTP configuration.

By strategically employing email templates and automation, you can significantly reduce the time spent composing and responding to emails, allowing you to focus on more important tasks and improve your overall productivity.