Not canned responses. Templates with blanks.
"Hi [name], thanks for [specific thing]. Here's an update on [project]: we're currently in [phase] and expect [deliverable] by [date]. One thing I want to flag: [issue/update]. Let me know if you have questions."
80% of client emails fit one of six templates. The remaining 20% are genuinely unique and deserve the 20 minutes.
Built a library of six templates in a Google Doc. Copy, fill blanks, personalize one sentence, send. Each one takes about 4 minutes.
Saved roughly 8 hours/month. The emails don't sound templated because the structure is invisible. Nobody has ever commented on them being formulaic. They just think I'm fast and thorough.
Efficiency isn't about doing less. It's about not reinventing the same email sixty times a month.