Process Development and Your Business
When you sit down at your desk and get ready to send a packet of information to a potential client you go through a process to complete the task. Webster’s defines a process as a series of actions, motions, or operations leading to a result. Processes are meant to be developed and refined during periods of growth, and even periods of stagnation. All are developed to increase efficiency and best business practices.
A new process does not mean, however, adding more to an already overloaded schedule, in the terms I’m talking about. It means making decisions—deciding what stays and what goes. There are processes you have that are automatic, mailing informational packets or taking information from a potential client over the phone. It’s what happens to that information that you have acquired that you have to decide, do you take the next step right away and enter the information into your contact management system as a lead, or do you just wait for them to call? When do you follow up or even who follows up? Those are the types of questions to be answered during any process evaluation. Some larger companies use things like process mapping and programs like “Six Sigma” to develop their best business practices. As a small business owner you don’t have the staff or the luxury of a program like that. However what you do have is desire. Desire to grow and be the best in the field you are in. And this want and need for success is what will drive your company toward developing processes that will open your schedule and bring in the clientele and growth you want.
Mapping out your current processes whether in a calendar form, a process map form, or just a brain dumping a list of steps and next steps, you are taking the jump to eliminating possible chaos from your day. The first step you have to take is setting aside some time to examine where you are right now. One thing I always stress with every individual I talk to about developing a new process is, “To eliminate any missteps and even possibly just cut 15 minutes from your day of busy work, you must spend 4 to 8 hours developing a new process.” When taking the jump to process development, you want to make sure that you know what’s wrong.
Remember the question I posed above. What do you do when you mail/or email a potential client an informational packet? Where does that information go? Do you have an assistant that takes that information and enters it for you? Do you create a potential client folder with their information for follow-up? What is your process? Do you have a process for this? In developing a new process, you look at your issue. In this instance, it’s that you don’t have a system down for follow up and organization after a mailing. The potential client information gets lost in the shuffle, until they decide to call and purchase your services. So what about all the potential business you lost? Here’s an example of what a developed process list for above scenario can look like: Following Up with Potential Clients
1. Mail the packet of information
2. Contact information entered as a lead in contact management database
3. File created with checklist of to do’s added to file and information on the potential client
4. Follow up call entered into your schedule
5. Follow up call made
Keep in mind, there is definitely more or less to this process depending on your services and your field, and how much you information you require or don’t require for your record keeping. The next step is evaluating how much time you as the person in your company who works solely with the clients actually completes in the above process. Is it all of it or none of it? That’s where delegation comes in. What can you delegate to someone else to make it easier for you to focus on the growth that matters so much to your business? In my professional view, the first four steps are what your “Assistant” can take care of. That’s a good ½ hours worth of work, during which you can be selling to another client. Can you afford not to develop processes and delegate? You may think yes, but in the long-run, your best business practices are what may stand out to a client. Efficient processes will bring change, and again, “Growth is contingent on change.”
A new process does not mean, however, adding more to an already overloaded schedule, in the terms I’m talking about. It means making decisions—deciding what stays and what goes. There are processes you have that are automatic, mailing informational packets or taking information from a potential client over the phone. It’s what happens to that information that you have acquired that you have to decide, do you take the next step right away and enter the information into your contact management system as a lead, or do you just wait for them to call? When do you follow up or even who follows up? Those are the types of questions to be answered during any process evaluation. Some larger companies use things like process mapping and programs like “Six Sigma” to develop their best business practices. As a small business owner you don’t have the staff or the luxury of a program like that. However what you do have is desire. Desire to grow and be the best in the field you are in. And this want and need for success is what will drive your company toward developing processes that will open your schedule and bring in the clientele and growth you want.
Mapping out your current processes whether in a calendar form, a process map form, or just a brain dumping a list of steps and next steps, you are taking the jump to eliminating possible chaos from your day. The first step you have to take is setting aside some time to examine where you are right now. One thing I always stress with every individual I talk to about developing a new process is, “To eliminate any missteps and even possibly just cut 15 minutes from your day of busy work, you must spend 4 to 8 hours developing a new process.” When taking the jump to process development, you want to make sure that you know what’s wrong.
Remember the question I posed above. What do you do when you mail/or email a potential client an informational packet? Where does that information go? Do you have an assistant that takes that information and enters it for you? Do you create a potential client folder with their information for follow-up? What is your process? Do you have a process for this? In developing a new process, you look at your issue. In this instance, it’s that you don’t have a system down for follow up and organization after a mailing. The potential client information gets lost in the shuffle, until they decide to call and purchase your services. So what about all the potential business you lost? Here’s an example of what a developed process list for above scenario can look like: Following Up with Potential Clients
1. Mail the packet of information
2. Contact information entered as a lead in contact management database
3. File created with checklist of to do’s added to file and information on the potential client
4. Follow up call entered into your schedule
5. Follow up call made
Keep in mind, there is definitely more or less to this process depending on your services and your field, and how much you information you require or don’t require for your record keeping. The next step is evaluating how much time you as the person in your company who works solely with the clients actually completes in the above process. Is it all of it or none of it? That’s where delegation comes in. What can you delegate to someone else to make it easier for you to focus on the growth that matters so much to your business? In my professional view, the first four steps are what your “Assistant” can take care of. That’s a good ½ hours worth of work, during which you can be selling to another client. Can you afford not to develop processes and delegate? You may think yes, but in the long-run, your best business practices are what may stand out to a client. Efficient processes will bring change, and again, “Growth is contingent on change.”
When you sit down at your desk and get ready to send a packet of information to a potential client you go through a process to complete the task. Webster’s defines a process as a series of actions, motions, or operations leading to a result. Processes are meant to be developed and refined during periods of growth, and even periods of stagnation. All are developed to increase efficiency and best business practices.
A new process does not mean, however, adding more to an already overloaded schedule, in the terms I’m talking about. It means making decisions—deciding what stays and what goes. There are processes you have that are automatic, mailing informational packets or taking information from a potential client over the phone. It’s what happens to that information that you have acquired that you have to decide, do you take the next step right away and enter the information into your contact management system as a lead, or do you just wait for them to call? When do you follow up or even who follows up? Those are the types of questions to be answered during any process evaluation. Some larger companies use things like process mapping and programs like “Six Sigma” to develop their best business practices. As a small business owner you don’t have the staff or the luxury of a program like that. However what you do have is desire. Desire to grow and be the best in the field you are in. And this want and need for success is what will drive your company toward developing processes that will open your schedule and bring in the clientele and growth you want.
Mapping out your current processes whether in a calendar form, a process map form, or just a brain dumping a list of steps and next steps, you are taking the jump to eliminating possible chaos from your day. The first step you have to take is setting aside some time to examine where you are right now. One thing I always stress with every individual I talk to about developing a new process is, “To eliminate any missteps and even possibly just cut 15 minutes from your day of busy work, you must spend 4 to 8 hours developing a new process.” When taking the jump to process development, you want to make sure that you know what’s wrong.
Remember the question I posed above. What do you do when you mail/or email a potential client an informational packet? Where does that information go? Do you have an assistant that takes that information and enters it for you? Do you create a potential client folder with their information for follow-up? What is your process? Do you have a process for this? In developing a new process, you look at your issue. In this instance, it’s that you don’t have a system down for follow up and organization after a mailing. The potential client information gets lost in the shuffle, until they decide to call and purchase your services. So what about all the potential business you lost? Here’s an example of what a developed process list for above scenario can look like: Following Up with Potential Clients
1. Mail the packet of information
2. Contact information entered as a lead in contact management database
3. File created with checklist of to do’s added to file and information on the potential client
4. Follow up call entered into your schedule
5. Follow up call made
Keep in mind, there is definitely more or less to this process depending on your services and your field, and how much you information you require or don’t require for your record keeping. The next step is evaluating how much time you as the person in your company who works solely with the clients actually completes in the above process. Is it all of it or none of it? That’s where delegation comes in. What can you delegate to someone else to make it easier for you to focus on the growth that matters so much to your business? In my professional view, the first four steps are what your “Assistant” can take care of. That’s a good ½ hours worth of work, during which you can be selling to another client. Can you afford not to develop processes and delegate? You may think yes, but in the long-run, your best business practices are what may stand out to a client. Efficient processes will bring change, and again, “Growth is contingent on change.”
A new process does not mean, however, adding more to an already overloaded schedule, in the terms I’m talking about. It means making decisions—deciding what stays and what goes. There are processes you have that are automatic, mailing informational packets or taking information from a potential client over the phone. It’s what happens to that information that you have acquired that you have to decide, do you take the next step right away and enter the information into your contact management system as a lead, or do you just wait for them to call? When do you follow up or even who follows up? Those are the types of questions to be answered during any process evaluation. Some larger companies use things like process mapping and programs like “Six Sigma” to develop their best business practices. As a small business owner you don’t have the staff or the luxury of a program like that. However what you do have is desire. Desire to grow and be the best in the field you are in. And this want and need for success is what will drive your company toward developing processes that will open your schedule and bring in the clientele and growth you want.
Mapping out your current processes whether in a calendar form, a process map form, or just a brain dumping a list of steps and next steps, you are taking the jump to eliminating possible chaos from your day. The first step you have to take is setting aside some time to examine where you are right now. One thing I always stress with every individual I talk to about developing a new process is, “To eliminate any missteps and even possibly just cut 15 minutes from your day of busy work, you must spend 4 to 8 hours developing a new process.” When taking the jump to process development, you want to make sure that you know what’s wrong.
Remember the question I posed above. What do you do when you mail/or email a potential client an informational packet? Where does that information go? Do you have an assistant that takes that information and enters it for you? Do you create a potential client folder with their information for follow-up? What is your process? Do you have a process for this? In developing a new process, you look at your issue. In this instance, it’s that you don’t have a system down for follow up and organization after a mailing. The potential client information gets lost in the shuffle, until they decide to call and purchase your services. So what about all the potential business you lost? Here’s an example of what a developed process list for above scenario can look like: Following Up with Potential Clients
1. Mail the packet of information
2. Contact information entered as a lead in contact management database
3. File created with checklist of to do’s added to file and information on the potential client
4. Follow up call entered into your schedule
5. Follow up call made
Keep in mind, there is definitely more or less to this process depending on your services and your field, and how much you information you require or don’t require for your record keeping. The next step is evaluating how much time you as the person in your company who works solely with the clients actually completes in the above process. Is it all of it or none of it? That’s where delegation comes in. What can you delegate to someone else to make it easier for you to focus on the growth that matters so much to your business? In my professional view, the first four steps are what your “Assistant” can take care of. That’s a good ½ hours worth of work, during which you can be selling to another client. Can you afford not to develop processes and delegate? You may think yes, but in the long-run, your best business practices are what may stand out to a client. Efficient processes will bring change, and again, “Growth is contingent on change.”
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4:39 AM
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