Stop Typing The Same Things Again And Again

If you regularly type the same sentences, email addresses, introductions, directions or instructions, stop typing them from scratch.

Text Expansion lets you type a short shortcut and have your computer insert the full text for you.

The Familiar Problem

How many times have you typed your email address?

• Or: “Thanks for getting in touch. I’ll have a look and come back to you.”

• Or your booking link

• Or your address

• Or the same instructions you sent someone yesterday

• Maybe you find an old email, copy the useful bit, paste it into the new one and change the details.

It works but you’re essentially acting as a very expensive human keyboard shortcut.

Let Your Computer Do It

Text Expansion lets you create a short piece of text that automatically expands into something longer.

For example, you might type: mye

And your computer turns it into your full email address.

Or: bookme

Becomes your standard sentence and booking link.

Or: directions

Becomes the instructions you regularly send visitors.

You remember the short trigger. Your computer remembers the rest.

Before You Add Another Tool

Text expansion is available in various forms across operating systems, browsers, email applications and specialist tools.

Before buying anything, ask:

• Does My Computer Already Have Text Replacement?

• Does My Phone Already Do This?

• Does My Email System Have Templates?

• Does My CRM Already Store Standard Responses?

• Am I Repeating A Short Piece Of Text Or An Entire Email?

Then ask: Which Tool Would Put The Shortcut Closest To Where I Actually Work?

That’s important. If you only repeat entire emails, an email template may be better.

If you repeat little pieces of information everywhere, text expansion becomes much more useful.

Human First Principle: Before you add another tool, find out what your existing tools can already do.

How To Do It

Apple

Apple devices have built-in Text Replacement.

On a Mac, look in your keyboard settings for Text Replacements.

Replace: A short trigger you’ll remember

With: The full text you want inserted

For example:

Replace: myemail

With: name@yourbusiness.co.uk

Apple can also use text replacements across devices when your settings are synchronised appropriately.

Microsoft And Other Business Software

Before installing a separate text-expansion application, look at the software where you spend most of your day.

Microsoft applications, email systems, CRMs, browsers and other productivity software may offer templates, reusable text, signatures, shortcuts or similar functionality.

They aren’t all technically “text expansion”, but don’t get hung up on the terminology.

The objective is: Stop repeatedly typing something your computer could remember.

What Should You Save?

Start with things that are repetitive and predictable. Good candidates include:

• Your Email Address

• Your Business Address

• Your Telephone Number

• Your Booking Link

• Frequently Used Website Addresses

• Standard Introductions

• Regular Instructions

• Commonly Used Sentences

• Frequently Requested Information

Don’t immediately turn every conversation into a template. The purpose is to remove repetitive typing, not remove you from your communication.

Start Small

Create three shortcuts.

That’s it.

Choose three things you know you’ve typed repeatedly this week.

Give each one a shortcut that you’re unlikely to type accidentally.

Then use them for a week.

You’ll very quickly discover what else is worth adding.

When Not To Let Your Computer Do It

Not everything you say repeatedly should become automated text.

• A customer asking for help may need an actual response.

• A sensitive conversation may need thought.

• An apology probably shouldn’t sound as though you typed sorry

And standard text that contains outdated information can spread mistakes very efficiently.

So ask:

• Does This Need A Human Response

• Does It Need Personalising

• Could The Information Change

• Could Using Standard Text Make The Interaction Feel Inappropriate

• Does Someone Need To Check It Before It Is Sent

Automate the unnecessary work, not the thinking.

What Difference Should This Make?

Again, we’re not claiming that typing your email address three characters faster will transform your business.

But you may notice:

• Less Repetitive Typing

• Fewer Typing Errors

• More Consistent Information

• Less Copying From Old Messages

• Less Searching For Links And Details

• Less To Remember

And unlike a template stored in one particular application, some text-expansion methods can be useful wherever you’re typing. That’s where they become surprisingly handy.

Go And Try This

Think of one thing you’ve typed at least three times this week.

Your email address counts.

So does your booking link.

So does that sentence you keep copying from an old email.

Turn it into a text replacement. Then use it. That’s today’s entire digital transformation programme.

Human First Reality Check

Computers are extremely good at reproducing exactly the same information repeatedly.

Humans are extremely good at judgement, conversation, context and deciding when the standard answer isn’t appropriate.

It seems slightly perverse to allocate the repetitive typing to the human.

If you’re doing exactly the same thing repeatedly, it’s worth asking whether you should still be the one doing it.