Posts Tagged ‘efficient business’
Who Has Control of Your Workday?
One of the biggest issues every business owner has is time…or rather the lack of time. We all want more time in our day, but the reality is there is no known way to change how the universe is setup and add more hours to the day. What has to change is us and how we use our time.
No matter how in control things may feel, if you track your activity throughout the day, you generally will be surprised at the results. You will see where your time is being spent and who or what is controlling that time. It is the control of your time that can help you find more hours in the day.
To figure out how you spend your time, you will need to do a bit of work, but it always pays off in seeing what is actually happening to your workday. You start by keeping a record of all your activity – everything you do, how long it takes – do this for one week. Picking a normal week too – not a week when you are at a conference or not doing your ‘typical’ work.
Your time log should include:
- The Task
- The start time and stop time
- Interruptions
- Who or What interrupted you
- The start and stop time after the interruptions too
- Whether you completed the task
This will take dedication to do and do for a whole week. I suggest doing it on paper – keep the sheet of paper by your side so you can quickly take out your pen and fill in the sheet. Using a computer-based tracking means leaving your work and interrupting the task at hand to enter the time. Paper is a little mightier and more effective in this case. (I have created a sample sheet you can print out and keep handy. You can copy the sheet template from this Google doc.)
Once the week is up, tally up your results. Review the “interrupted by” column more than anything. Make a tick sheet of the interruptions and the instigator of each. Tally up your top 10 ‘interruptions’. This list will tell you who or what is controlling your workday and you may be surprised at what you find.
If the list is full of names, other than yourself, this tells you others are in control of your day and time. If your name or just a new task is the top factor, then it is, in fact, you controlling your day by the choices you make. Now you know what or who is in control. So, what can you do about it???
Take the next week and track yourself, even if you think everything is fine. You may be surprised at what shows up on the tracking sheet that can help you regain control of your day.
Meeting with Yourself
One of my goals this year is to keep myself better managed with time and tasks. Like many people I struggle to find the best system that works for me. My online calendar is a must for all my appointments and meetings. I like the pop-up reminders that happen and the ability to set them at a time to fit how my brain works.
It’s always been the new tasks that come into play every day that needs to get on my radar as an item on my to-do list. For tasks and work, I am a very visual personal (A ‘Piler’ they call it in the professional organizing world). I need to ‘see’ what I have to work on in order for it to get into my brain as something to focus on and complete.
In the past, I have used a time manager diary book that opens to a week at a time and allows for spaces for meetings (which I never used), as well as a list area. It is here where I would enter my items for the week. Very visual, so that part is great. The annoying part of this system is that I have to rewrite the same stuff every week – mostly client names as well as my own plans for blogging, articles and my own marketing work. Some weeks I found the page for the week empty because I did not have the time to rewrite everything and carry it over from last week. As someone who is always focused on time, this time to rewrite the same info is not in-line with the way I want to be – always as efficient as possible.
Recently, I started a new system – seeing if it will be more effective for my needs. I am using a Google spreadsheet with a list of my main task topics (so I don’t have to rewrite every day / week) and then enter in the new work to be done. So far it seems to be working better for me. I do make a point of keeping a special browser window open with this document. This way I can tick off the items as they are done and also enter in new ones as they pop up during the day.
The trick I have found is to start the day off with a Meeting with Me. 10 minutes to check what was done yesterday, what came into the list and what I need to focus on for the day. So, now when I open my office door each morning, that is where I start – a Meeting with Me.
It’s been a lot more helpful and also the list is more fully completed these past couple weeks than it had been when I was using my old system…time will tell if my ‘Meeting with Me’ is going to work out.
If you have any great methods that work for you, please share them on my Facebook Page. I am always looking for new ideas and ways to improve!
4 Tips to Keeping Focus during a Sales Call or Consult
Consults, Sales Calls, Consultations…
They have different names but their purpose is the same for all…you spend time with a prospective client to determine if your services will fits the needs they have and if you want to work together (make a sale).
There is a point to every sales call or consult that is like the saying “sink or swim”. There are many ways to ruin a sales call and beating around the bush is just one of them. You need to make sure you get to the point and stay focused on the purpose of the call.
You don’t want to spend too much time during a sales call or consult or you risk the prospect losing interest and can also end up giving away too much information. This was something I found I did … A LOT! It’s easy to get talking and lose control because you are enjoying the conversation. But time was an issue for me and not wasting it, was a goal I had.
After a year in business I made a few changes with regards to my consults and since then I have been able to make much better use of my time during these calls. The solution?
A consult process and an agenda tick sheet for each call to be as effective as possible. 
Here are my Top 4 Tips to Keeping Focus during a Sales Call:
1. PRE-Consult Info: One of the most effective tools I do is to send a consult form to everyone looking to have a call with me. The form includes all relevant background information I am looking for when talking to prospective clients. I find this fills me in on a lot of the information that clients want to share about their business. I find if I have the info up front then I have a better idea of their business and their needs.
2. Consult Questions on a Form: The best way to spend time during a consult or sales call is to have an agenda. I created myself a consult form that contains a lot of the normal information I want to learn about a client and the questions I want to ask based on the background I already know. Most of the form is setup like a checklist, so I write less information as opposed to ticking or circling answers. With the form by my side I can keep on track during the call and better spend our time together. If the conversation gets off topic, I use this form to get me back to earth and to keep the focus during the call. It also helps that I have many areas I ask questions and have a lot of the standard answers. I only need to circle the answer from the client. Saves me time and helps me keep better notes.
3. Services & Benefits info: My consult form also has areas on it that remind me of the benefits I want to share about our services and how they can help the client. I keep a list of prices as well so I am not thinking about them as the list is right there in front of me.
4. Set a Time Limit: My consults are free but if I didn’t keep them to a time limit I would have many hours a month spent on these calls. Not every call converts into a client; so keeping them focused is essential to remaining productive. I let prospective clients know how long my free consults take. This sets the expectations up front as to how much time is needed. If it goes over (and occasionally it does) they are appreciative of the extra time I spent with them. The form helps a lot to keep me to a shorter time on the calls. It is easy to lose track of where you are and one look at the form and I know what to ask about next.
My process and form mean that I now have an agenda to follow and the time is focused on the real issues at hand. It keeps clients from getting confused with too much information and me learning how I can help solve their issues.
How do you make your own process and forms?
Look back at your notes from the last 5 sales calls or consults you have had. Take note of the common information you wanted to know and the questions you asked. Using this information you can setup two documents; one to gather info prior to the call and one to use during the call. Make certain to include a part on the form that lists your services, benefits and prices. You may not always refer to this part as you get more familiar with your process, but it’s always good to have the notes there to back you up.
Good luck with your Sales Process, and let me know how your first call goes once you have tried this method.
Missing appointments? This Tool can Help
Last week I scheduled an appointment with a renovation company to go over possible work, get an estimate and get it started. I am asking this of someone who I have worked with before, so the odds are good I will hire them again, and home renovations is not chump change.
But they ‘forgot’ about me and never showed up. When I called because I wanted to check on when they were going to be there, I was told “Oh I completely forgot, sorry. How about Friday morning?” This could be enough for some people to say forget it, you missed this appointment, how will you be when it comes to doing the work? Your presence for consults or estimate say a lot about how you work – making them appointments you should never miss, never forget. I will give them one chance, and frankly if they are not here when noted; I will be writing them off.
As a small business owner working in a any business but even more so a business like home renos or other work where you get calls for estimates and have to followup on these you need an easy reminder / appointment calendar system. This is a must if you don’t want to miss out on business.
Most likely you have it already and just do not use it. Few people working in the trades these days go without a cell phone or smartphone, they are on the go and do not want to miss call or be unreachable. That phone is the answer. Almost everyone of these devices has a calendar system of some sort. USE IT! Make this calendar your friend.
- Learn how to enter appointments in your calendar and set reminders as well.
- Have reminder times that make sense. If it takes you on average 30 min to get to an appointment (if in person) then set your reminders 1 hour ahead. Give yourself reminder time to be on time, if you forget a lot.
- Use it immediately. If someone emails, then move that email to your calendar and setup the appointment. Or once you hang up the phone then enter the name / info into your calendar right there. DO NOT do one other thing until this has been done.
It’s all about keeping yourself organized no matter what line of business you are in. I have even started getting my 12 year old son to start using his phone for his homework / assignments. It’s the one device he always has on his person, so we’re using it to make certain he stays on track.
What tools are you using to stay on track? Please post a comment here with other tips you have to share.
Customer Service Response Time – What’s Yours?
Response time is one of the most important parts of the job for First Responders – Paramedics, Firefighters, and Police. These divisions of services for cities all over the world focus on their response time as a large part of their business planning. They have goals around it, they review it often and also analyze it looking for ways to improve. The improvement and focus is needed because for First Responders; 30 seconds can actually be the difference between life or death for their ‘clients’.
Small business owners sometimes do not realize how important response time is as well. Response time? As a Small business owner?
Your response time to inquiries for business and to service requests is vital to your success. Especially, (ESPECIALLY!!!) as a small business. You need to be certain you have a system in place to respond to customers, potential or current, if you want to grow your business. If you don’t you may simply be letting business walk out your door!
I bring this up, because over the past two weeks I have personally experienced very bad response times to two different requests. By sharing them, and one is really amazing, I hope to open your eyes to how important your own response time is.
EXAMPLE 1: Coaching Services offered via a website
After I returned from a conference in July, I made the decision to hire a business coach. I had some names in mind and set up two interviews and then a friend recommended another person; so I went to her website and did some research. It looked promising and I filled out the online coaching application form that asked for specific info from me and promised a response within 48 hours. (I was a little concerned by the mentions over and over to white list her email to make certain I got her reply).
Two days later, still no response. So back to the site I went, (after checking my spam folders) and sent an email via the online contact form. I asked how long the coaching application takes as I had sent it in 2 days earlier. Again I wondered about the excessive warnings to whitelist the email.
By the next day I had completed the other two interviews and was mulling over my choices to make a decision.
One week to the day from when I filled out the application, I received a response. And in my opinion, a sad response for what I was considering. It came from a colleague who apparently helps with the coaching, but did not really explain the relationship and why it was not the actual coach responding.
My response was very simple:
I had sent my original application and then a followup email a week ago as I had not heard back on anything sent to XXX via her website.
I already interviewed with two others and have made a decision on which coach to sign with and we have started the process.
Sorry, but your followup, or lack thereof, put XXX out of the running after 48 hours.
And that last line was true – She was absolutely out of the running when she did not respond to me by her promised time. My thoughts?
If she can’t even answer something like that in a timely way – how is her coaching process?? I also let the referrer know about this and you can bet she won’t be passing her name around anymore.
EXAMPLE 2: Local Service to fix our driveway and repair the stone wall beside it.
We wanted to make our driveway wider, which meant tearing our part of a stone wall, replacing some and also the driveway repaving and a new set of stair to the house. A BIG Job.
I had been given two names from a neighbour in a related industry. So, in early July I called them for quotes and booked appointments. “Mike” showed up exactly on time, “John” was not close to his window of time, a day late.
Both got the idea of what we wanted and said they would work up an estimate and get back to me.
Mike called to book a time and drop his off, on Monday. His estimate was done with the two additional options I asked about and was very detailed.
John never showed.
Mike got the job and we are in the process of getting permits etc to move ahead.
Response Time!
Do you see how important it was in both of these examples? 
As a follow up (and my inspiration for this post today) Yesterday, that is August 10th… Yesterday ‘John’ showed up at my door. His truck was outside the house for about 15 minutes before he knocked on the door.
He smiled and said, “I bet you thought I forgot about you?”
I honestly was dumbstruck… was he actually here to deliver his estimate??? 40 days later. That’s forty!
Indeed he was.
He handed me a piece of paper as he finished writing on it (hence the 15 minutes parked outside!!!) And there I had it in my hand. It was 3 lines, not detailed at all and missing parts of what we asked to be included.
I took the paper and said thanks. He took me by such surprise that I did not tell him what I should have, I did that by phone call today.
I let him know that I had hired and chosen someone 5 days after I saw him. Telling him that when I look to someone for business, once I am told you will send me an an estimate, I wait and don’t chase them down. You didn’t give me one.
His response was simply : “Oh…”
I took that to be a good reality check!
Response time is VERY important
This will be how your customers view you and your actions will be a determining factor in their opinion on your service. You might not be a First Responder, but your response time dictates many things to a customer.
I have a system in place on my website. The contact email goes to a special email account, and they get placed in a special folder automatically on my email system. I KNOW when I see one there that someone has contacted me via my website. My response time has a goal of 24 hours maximum, and sooner if possible. It is important to be aware of how long it takes you to respond.
Today, in fact I spoke with a business owner who was getting lost in these very emails. She was not able to respond in a timely manner to website inquiries and had realized her time management issues were costing her money and clients. She has now hired us to take care of her email and calendar management. Her forte is making beautiful cakes for weddings and special events; and making time to get to emails was difficult. So… we now are setting up a system to make it more efficient for her, and we will monitor and help her with contacts, inquiries and appointment bookings. What will she do? Simple.
Serve more clients and grow her business.
What goals do you have in place for your response time to business inquiries? Have you ever really thought about how important it is before, if not I hope this post inspires you to do so. And please, any other response time tips are most welcome in the comments section. Share your systems!
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