Dodge the Deluge

Technology research firm IDC estimates that 10.1 trillion e-mails will be sent worldwide this year. Now, a growing number of experts offer training courses to teach you and your employees how to better manage all those e-mails.

In 2006, 42 percent of employers offered e-mail training, according to American Management Association and ePolicy Institute research--up from 24 percent in 2001. But is paying a trainer really worth the cost and effort? Bob Pritchett, founder of Logos Bible Software, a $15 million software publisher in Bellingham, Washington, doesn't think so. He developed his own basic course on e-mail etiquette and efficiency for new hires. "It seems silly to spend money on something so straightforward," says Pritchett, 36.

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Training from an internal leader may have an advantage, because the way a company handles e-mail touches on several facets of corporate culture, says Stefanie Smith, president of Stratex Consulting. Someone who only comes for a day might not grasp the subtleties of a company's operations.

Mike Song, an e-mail efficiency trainer and co-author of The Hamster Revolution, disagrees. He contends that experts bring value and says that his two 90-minute training sessions are far more effective than an internal how-to memo or a book on the topic. "I bring in a host of experiences with other companies in [the client's] industry," says Song. "I'm a bit of a cheerleader as well--to get them motivated and excited about it." Is getting excited about e-mail a stretch for you? Then maybe it is time to call in the experts.