Let’s face it—between all the emails, text messages, phone calls, social media posts, prospecting, showings, and prospecting you’re expected to do, it’s easy to become overwhelmed. Managing all this incoming communication and information is virtually impossible without a system.

Here’s a tried-and-true method that has been around for years that works well for both paper and digital communication. The system is called the “Four D’s.”

Here’s how it works. When you receive any type of communication whether it’s a voicemail, email, social media posts, etc. immediately decide what to do with it. You have four choices

• Do it (deal with it) now.
• Delegate: Reassigning work is one of the most efficient strategies of time management, provided that the person you’re delegating to has the skills to handle the job.
• Defer: It’s best to handle items as they come in, but that’s not always possible. If something is not time sensitive, you can defer it, but be sure to schedule a date to handle the item to make sure it gets done.
• Delete: Learn to say “No,” and eliminate junk emails, meetings that are neither urgent or important, or anything else that keeps you from focusing on the core activities that matter most to your business.

This system really works—try it out for yourself and see.