Forgetting some vital detail when you’re dealing with a client is an embarrassing rookie mistake. It means you don’t have functional systems in place, and that costs you time, money and integrity. In my Coaching Tip today I’ll talk about how to use systems and checklists to make sure all of your processes work smoothly and reliably.
You probably have plenty of systems for everything you do, so many in fact that you can’t keep up with them. The solution is to use checklists to make sure all the many details of your daily business are remembered. For example, a sales checklist will step you through marketing, presenting, negotiation, settlement — every step right the way through to putting up the SOLD sticker. An open for inspection checklist assures you show up at the right place and time with the client’s name and information, and with the key in hand. Missing a single detail can damage your client relationships or even bring serious risks into your business.
Your checklists need to change as your business grows and new steps come into play. I have two categories for checklist updates: “What works well” and “Even better if.” Every time something is missed or goes wrong in my business it gets placed into one of those categories and added into the appropriate checklist. Hitting a bump here and there is going to happen, but it should never happen more than once.
Another benefit of using checklists is that they are great training aids when you put on new employees. It’s a standardised map of all the systems a new hire needs to learn and follow, and puts them in sync with your entire organisation from day one. They will form the habit of double-checking the list and continue to do so throughout their career.
Wherever you have processes of two or more steps you must have systems for those processes to work fully and consistently. Maintaining checklists is the simplest, most successful way to do that. You may choose to use an application such as Asana to organize all your checklists in one place and have them readily available online, in office or mobile. However you do it, make sure you are using systems and checks inside of your business so you never miss a beat, especially in the smallest details.
I hope you’ve enjoyed today’s Coaching Tip, and I look forward to seeing you here again next week.