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The Fears Inherent in Systems Creation

Personal Development by Leave a Comment

It may seem odd to be reading about the downside of creating systems in your business, as I believe it is the single greatest practice that can grow your business consistently. Such a logical, clear cut process like organizing, systematizing and executing the tasks of your business shouldn’t involve fear but whenever you involve people in the mix it is a risk.

I’ve shared my story about the boss who told me I was “too efficient” and although I’d created amazingly effective systems, I had my hours cut by 20% to save money. And in reading the E-Myth by Michael Gerber, I was struck by this passage about creating systems to drive down payroll costs:

The model will be operated by people with the lowest possible level of skill. Yes, I said the lowest possible level of skill. Because if your model depends on highly skilled people, it’s going to be impossible to replicate. Such people are at a premium in the marketplace. They’re also expensive, thus raising the price you will have to charge for your product or service. By lowest possible level of skill I mean the lowest possible level necessary to fulfill the functions for which each is intended.

Whenever you create systems that make your employees replaceable there exists fear and insecurity within the team.

This may not be your goal, obviously, but simply to ensure the continuity of your business should one or more team members leave. But from the perspective of the employee, it’s easy to think that ‘as soon as I document what I do I’ll get replaced by cheap labor overseas.’

As owner, your focus is on the growth and future of your business, not the job security of all the people you employ. However, by not addressing this fear and insecurity you risk creating a negative culture that can thwart your efforts. This may show up in a few ways:

  • outright refusing or delays in creating systems for a particular job
  • intentionally giving incomplete information on a process
  • bad mouthing the process, insisting it’s not necessary or helpful
  • challenging indirectly, claiming there is too much unique in each process to systematize
  • sabotaging the recording process or tampering with the software used to store files

Obviously these run the gamut but I’ve seen this all happen in different businesses, both online and brick and mortar. One of the fabulous VAs I work with even had an employer who asked her to complete a comprehensive training manual and then train her replacement.

I don’t disagree with Gerber’s philosophy as he goes on to explain the why behind this shift in mindset:

if yours is a legal firm, you must hire attorneys. If yours is a medical firm, you must hire physicians. But you don’t need to hire brilliant attorneys or brilliant physicians. You need to create the very best system through which good attorneys and good physicians can be leveraged to produce exquisite results.

In your pursuit to create a replicable business that does not depend on superstar talent, there are several steps to take to mitigate the natural fear reaction.

1. Emphasize how systems and process will support your team in their daily work. No longer running to you for every answer, empowered to make decisions and secure in the rhythm of doing business. This is especially helpful if you pay a base rate with incentives as you can show that systems allow your team to produce better results in less time. For the hourly employee, this can be a threat to their income so supplement the workload with more challenging projects to replace the busywork which is now unnecessary.

2. Promote from within and encourage growth. Instead of seeing mastery in a set of tasks as a reason to hire cheaper support, work with your team to understand where they’d like to grow. You’ll retain the experience of your most talented team members while simultaneously bringing in lower cost support for the lower level work. Averages exist because, well, most people are truly average. With your systems in place you’ll be able to eliminate the truly terrible workers, attract average talent and get great results and identify and promote your true superstars.

3. Work with integrity. Your reputation is just one intangible that can influence the business you build. Honor the people who support your goals in business and enable you to accomplish the life you desire. Begin treating them like replaceable clogs in the machine and you’ll find it more difficult to reach those goals with high turnover. Most of us are working as entrepreneurs because, at one time, we got tired of being just another cog and set out to make a change.

By understanding and addressing the fears associated with systems creation you can resolve concerns early and create a culture that works with you to take your business to the next level.

The Lasting Value of a Team

Team & Support by 1 Comment

Last week I had the distinct pleasure of returning to my high school as a featured speaker to their newly formed debate team. After 3 years in collegiate debate and achieving top 5 national rankings, I could be considered to have some level of expertise on the activity. Instead of coaching the students on how to win, I chose to address some of the many skills that debate teaches which I’ve applied to my own business.  Many of the lessons I learned through debate are applicable to the challenges we face as entrepreneurs.

Today I want to share the first of 5 lessons from a moderately successful debate student turned part time coach and full time entrepreneur.

1. As intelligent, insightful and brilliant as you may be, no team can succeed on the back of one debater.

If you’re unfamiliar with the ranking structure in debate, here’s a brief breakdown. Each school forms teams of two individuals who must speak equal amounts of time in each debate round.  Schools may have one team or fifty teams and the organizations that rank schools take into account the top two scoring teams in a given division from your top 6 or 8 tournaments.

In the case where one student is exceedingly talented, he or she must still work cooperatively with a partner in order to win. And, even one highly successful debate team cannot earn enough points throughout a season to win national championships if the remainder of the team is weak.  So even if you have the best Varsity team in the country, another school with a good Varsity, great Junior Varsity and fantastic Novice program can still win on points.

(And that’s precisely how my university swept three National Championships, becoming the first school to do so in history and then the first school to do so in a single season.)

When it came to evidence research, for example, our coaches divided the assignments amongst the debaters and often had one person managing the same updates throughout the season, becoming the expert on politics or economics.  Such a practice allowed the entire team (which was quite large) to benefit from the work of others, making the entire unit stronger.

It makes sense then to develop a team both in breadth (number of students) and depth (skill of students) to ensure championship rankings.

How does that experience inform you as an entrepreneur?

Quite simply, even if you are brilliant, if you work alone it will be harder to build a successful practice that serves hundreds of clients. An objectively less brilliant competitor with a wisely chosen team can provide more value to more people making more money with that support in place.

I often watched as new and stubborn debate students ran ragged, researching across hundreds of cases and arguments over the season, documenting, experimenting and testing what works in round trying to do it all themselves instead of working with the coaching staff and mentors for help.  I see entrepreneurs who do the same thing, spending an hour here looking at Google + then 20 minutes over there looking up backlink builders.  The next day it’s a seminar on graphics before a free call on closing the sale and reading an email about running teleseminars.

You know there are so many things to do and learn that it can feel like a treadmill you can’t get off.  The strength of a team is in its breadth of experience and depth of knowledge, something that even the most energetic, intelligent individual can’t recreate alone.

If you’re a fan of Michael Gerber’s work you’ll understand that it is not advantageous to be the sole expert, the linchpin of the company, even if you’re the owner.  Because, in that situation, you can never leave, never take a vacation or scale back your involvement or sell the business. You’ve effectively trapped yourself and limited your reach because everything rests on your shoulders.

Recently I’ve heard from several colleagues who say they never want a team. The stress, the details, the act of being a boss is just too intimidating.  It can be a challenge to build a team that works individually to accomplish the goals of the collective but the alternative, to shoulder every responsibility yourself, will leave you burdened and tied to a business that cannot survive without you.

I shared so many lessons with the debate team that I will be writing more about soon including:

Why being real, real nice, and authentic is more important than the win.

How to work cooperatively when your partner is a pain in the ass.

The systems and techniques that guaranteed success.

And, how I found my passion and purpose lying dormant under the thrill of a tournament win, hiding in a supply closet.

One last thought on this point and that’s the issue of time. A university doesn’t make the decision to develop a debate program today and win the national championships tomorrow. It’s a process of developing talent, attracting students and building a solid team, doing the right things, executed well, week after week at tournaments.

Your business is no different. While you may have no team today it doesn’t mean that you cannot build the team you need in time – take the long view. Students are only allocated four years before they become ineligible and must relive the experience as a coach but you, your business, have time to mature.

Great Customer Service is not Punitive

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Good customer service has the needs of the business in balance with the expectations of the customer.  It’s fairly understood by most rational, reasonable people that if something goes wrong, then a company with good customer service policies will make things right.

Making things right by punishing people is not the only way to make things right.

This type of punitive-damages policy assumes that if something is wrong, then someone in the business must be scolded, fired or otherwise punished in order to make things right.  Such a way of working does not address the first and most fundamental goal of customer service, which is to take care of the customer’s needs and reset expectations.

You have heard this before, “I can’t do anything unless I know who did (it),” which is a huge cop out.  So, let’s get into solutions and how your business can implement the right foundations in your customer service.

Prepare to hear and ask for feedback. I’m not a huge fan of the section of my paper receipts that asks for a 20 minute survey in exchange for a chance to win some prize – but – the attitude is right. It doesn’t matter what business you’re in, how big or small time. You must be open to feedback (both positive and negative) and demonstrate it by asking.

When you are approached, seek to hear and understand the concern first.  No one likes to be ignored, especially as a paying customer.  Expressing your concerns takes a degree of bravery, particularly when it comes to anticipating future service.  So ensure that your team is giving their full attention to the situation by listening and really comprehending what concerns are being shared.  A complaining client is not great but a complaining client who won’t complain to you is worse.

After hearing the complaint, apologize. And be sincere. This doesn’t mean you have to admit fault but you should certainly find some way to empathize with the client.  You may end up saying “I’m sorry we’ve misunderstood each other,” or “I’m sorry; this situation must be very frustrating for you.”

Make small gestures to ensure the client is comfortable while you work out the situation.  Even the smallest acts of goodwill go a long way when it comes to hearing a concern. In person, this could be a cup of hot coffee and comfortable seat and if distanced, it could be calling at a time convenient to the client and noting their call back number while assuring that, if disconnected, you’ll call them back to continue the discussion.

Find common ground in the conversation, whether that is an outcome that you both want or a change to the relationship.  As you might tell, these are very general suggestions which you can tailor to your business.  Often times, you’re going to disagree on the course of action or the specific steps but by agreeing on the outcome, both parties will have an incentive to find a path to the right solution.

Solve the complaint and let the client know what to expect. Depending on the size and scope of your business you’ll need specific directives for your team who handle customer complaints in regards to what they are allowed to authorize on behalf of your business.

It’s very important that this is a two way conversation as the team who stands on the front line between you, the policy maker, and the customer, the policy perceiver, is an incredible asset.  Listen to what your clients are telling you and how they reach to your customer service and make appropriate changes.

Most customers don’t expect things to go perfectly all the time, but the decision point when it comes to alienating or winning over the individual happens at the customer service interaction.

Allow me to illustrate this process with an example from my recent experience.

One of my favorite airlines to fly is JetBlue;  their flights are typically on time, affordable, direct without extended layovers, I get Directv in my seat, and they have yummy terra chips. However, on a recent flight my luggage was MIA at the return carousal and when I finally made my way to the missing baggage claim, my experience went downhill fast. Far from being greeted and welcomed, as is customary at the JetBlue ticket counter and gate, I was ignored (there was no other customer in the office of 4 people) for 5 minutes.

Once someone agreed to hear my request (do you see how this is already violating the first few principles?) I stood in front of a desk, awkwardly, while the agent looked at the computer blankly for awhile.  In my less than subtle way I pulled a chair over and sat commenting, “sure, it’s been a long day and I am tired, I will take a seat while you look into this for me.”

Now, I’m not an airline customer service expert nor do I play one on TV but lets re-imagine this scenario: I’m tired and worried that I’ll be in New York without my carefully packed luggage all week. I walk into the lost baggage claim and experienced a warm smile and hello, an agent showing me at seat and asking “How can I assist you this evening?” Once I explained my concern, a sympathetic and genuine response such as, “I’m so sorry that you haven’t received your luggage yet.  Let me check into this while you relax for a few minutes.” This could be followed by some information on what would be happening with my request, “Would you like a bottle of water while I check your ticket for notes and contact the ground crew? I’m sure we’ll be able to locate your luggage and if not we’ll take care of you until we can deliver it to your local hotel.”

That would leave me not just feeling understood and supported, but with a clear understanding of what I could expect. These simple changes would re-frame the entire conversation (and this would be a different article and maybe more like this rave of Enterprise Rent a Car) and give me an amazing experience.  As the business owner, you have this chance to set my expectation for the rest of the interaction.

Eventually my luggage was located and retrieved but throughout the experience I was frustrated, worried and concerned – all feelings that could have been avoided with proper customer service.

Before your customers are experiencing negative emotions associated with your products or service and are complaining, either publicly or in private company, spend some time ensuring that you have the right foundations for customer service.  Because what your clients really want is to be understood, hear empathic responses, be comforted and know what to expect. Simply punishing someone who screwed up is not enough nor should it be the focus of your interaction.

With the right foundation to your customer service experience you may find that complaining customers handled with respect become raving fans!

How Systems Solve “Urgent” Requests

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You may not be aware that in college I participated in my university debate team for 3 years, competing nationally against Harvard, Dartmouth, US Naval Academy, Georgetown, Berkeley, Stanford… all the big schools and many of the smaller ones as well.  It was fun and challenging and thrilling, especially when my win rates during the first 2 years placed me in the top 5 teams nationally in my divisions.

My sophomore year I debated with Josh, who has since gone on to practice law, and our partnership was unique in a few aspects. In strategizing with another female debater who had a male partner, I learned an important lesson. Here’s what she told me:

I learned that he has selective hearing in debate rounds; it’s not intentional but if he’s focused on something else I could talk and he doesn’t hear a word.  So I learned to use the “urgent voice” that catches his attention every time.  It’s the “house is on fire” or “you don’t do this and we’ll lose” voice and it was pretty effective. But then he started to block out the “urgent voice” so I had to use it less frequently. It seems to work, I trust him to cover the debate and only insist on his full, immediate attention if something is truly urgent.

Now, if you’re a parent and reading this I’m sure you know that voice. The one that says “I’m not playing around, you do this right now or you will be forever sorry!”

It’s the voice we use when someone is about to run into the street in front of a speeding car or is reaching for the hot stove. Yes, sometimes it’s also the voice when the dog has his nose an inch from the plate of cookies that you just pulled out of the oven.

If you use the “urgent voice” all the time then others will become desensitized to its effect and you’ll need to become more and more shrill to get your point across.

I share this because I see too many entrepreneurs who run every day of their business with the “urgent voice” and their teams are suffering because of it.

When everything becomes an emergency, we will tune out and fail to recognize true urgency through the noise. Are you making this mistake in your business? If you find yourself always in emergency mode then systems are going to save your sanity.

It’s easier to consult the launch checklist and assign tasks than it is to realize you had the wrong pricing listed on the order form and try to fix it later. It’s simpler to get clarity with your whole team about deliverables and due dates before an event than when you’re trying to figure out what went wrong afterwards.

So, how do you avoid constant “urgent voice” in your business and get your team working on an even keel so you can recognize the true emergencies? The answer: develop systems that train your team about what needs to be done and when it should be completed.

Instead of rushing around screeching “oh my the sales page needs to reflect the new pricing! Ahhh! Who can do that?!” All the while giving your team more stress than needed, you need a complete launch map that gives the entire process.

Let’s demystify the word system for a moment, okay? It’s not that complicated!  Just like the hiring system I shared here, you can take any process and break it down into chunks. For the hiring system it would be:

Making a decision to hire and thinking about who you need
Asking for applications
Making a decision, hiring for the position

This system has a bunch of little steps which just need to be assigned with deadlines. Who makes the decision about hiring and when do you need to decide? Who emails the candidates who don’t get hired? When do you send the contract to be signed?

Each of these questions becomes a task within the system, which can be organized in a list, a spreadsheet or project management software.

Now, instead of getting overwhelmed and going into “urgent voice” you can simply check the system, see what has been completed, who is responsible for what and ensure everything is on track. Of course if something is not on track, you’ll know that as well and can make adjustments before it’s too late.

Creating Systems for Hiring

Team & Support by Leave a Comment

Some of my favorite times working is when I’m designing a new system for a client whether that be customer service, interns, e-zines or scheduling.

Today I want to show you how to create an “If/Then” System so you can identify what resources you need to create for your team. Let’s take the example of hiring an assistant. The actual job description is not important here; I want you to use this for any position you seek to fill in your company.

Step 1 : Finding a pool of qualified candidates

Sure there are job boards and websites that let you put out jobs to bid but don’t forget to ask your network, colleagues and get the word out to your audience when it comes time to find a team member. For each position put a deadline on accepting applications to motivate the candidates to send their applications quickly.

If you don’t have a dedicated HR/team manager then you can set up a special email to collect response and field questions.  Do not give out your personal or general business email unless you want to open yourself up to spam and lots of follow up emails.

Step 2 : Requesting information and conducting interviews

Your interview process may be simple or complex, it will probably vary based on the position you’re filling.  My best advice here is to put a time limit on your interview time and decision so it does not drag out indefinitely.

Through this process you may learn that you do not have any qualified applicants – then it’s back to step 1 to a different pool or with more detailed requirements.  Choose a date to make a decision about this group of candidates and notify the applicants (in step 3).

Step 3 : Contacting applicants with your decision

At this point you should see how one action triggers another one and this system falls into sequence rather predictably. You won’t select a candidate before you receive applications but you may worry so much about telling some people they didn’t get the job that you don’t ask for applications.  One thing at a time!

I have to add here that it should not be optional to contact applicants and let them know that you have not chosen to work with them for a job.  As someone who puts a lot of time and effort into my prospective client process it is more than a little frustrating when you hear nothing back.  By creating a template for this process you can make it relatively painless to reach out with this news because in this case no news is worse than bad news.

Step 4 : Tracking

Once you’ve chosen the right applicant for your business and politely turned away other contractors it’s time to get down to work! If you’ve been building your business systems then you’ll find it’s much easier to transition your tasks to this new team member.  But inevitably you’re going to find areas which you had not documented or policies that you didn’t realize you had (one of mine: do not call my cell before 8am).  Train your new team member from day 1 to document and track all of these things in your database for reference.

Ready for more tips? In tomorrow’s e-zine exclusively for subscribers I’ll share a detailed checklist for this process. To get access simply add your name and email to the form at the top of this page and you’ll get my Play a Bigger Game Business Playbook and weekly system tips for your online business.

Building a Support Tribe

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Who doesn’t love Seth Godin? If you’ve read his book Tribes, you know that he speaks very specifically to building a group of followers, your tribe, as the cornerstone of your business.

Today I want to share some tips on how you can build your own tribe, one that is equally passionate and dedicated in the support of your business – in other words your team. The people who make up this tribe will consist of paid and unpaid members in a variety of positions.

But first, accept the notion that you cannot do it all yourself. There is no true solo entrepreneur, even if you have no paid team. The beauty of online business entrepreneurship today is that we are surrounded by as much support as we need as long as we ask. There are opportunities all around to engage, encourage and develop this tribe that will assist in spreading your message. In fact, need help finding your message? There’s support for that too!

Accepting that you’re not alone is important because once you shift your perspective the opportunities you will see will abound.

You cannot build a tribe unless you talk about your work. That often means you need to initiate the conversations because, well, we’re a pretty selfish culture. That doesn’t mean people are unwilling to help, just that you need to find the right people, the ones who tune in to the work you’re doing and want to be a part of the process.

Did you catch that? They want to be involved. When it comes to your tribe, you won’t have to do a lot of old school selling, convincing clients that they need you. Of course there’s some education involved but speaking your message to your tribe is much different than selling.

Talking about your work can include free training calls, telesummits, events, a newsletter, your blog, guest posting – a variety of avenues to sharing your message and reaching new clients.

One of the most effective ways to get out and teach your message is to network – meeting like minded colleagues who can become clients or refer clients to you is an effective use of marketing time.

In addition to meeting people who have the potential to contribute to your tribe, you need to keep in touch and give value in order to develop a stronger relationship. To ensure timely follow up and that you make connections that last I’ve written two articles: Creating your networking system and refining networking systems to give more value.

Giving to your tribe, sharing your gifts and staying connected is an essential part of building a tribe that understands what you bring and who you serve and helps you reach your goals.

What about my team?

When it comes to finding people who love and support your work, share your vision with others and act as your unpaid sales force, it’s important to have systems to ensure you’re nurturing those relationships.

But the relationship you have with your team is just as important.

As business owners, and former employees, it’s hard to strike the right balance between getting results out of our team members and not becoming the type of boss featured in Hollywood comedies. While this subject requires several stand alone posts, I do believe that when you create systems with clear expectations, stipulations and results that your team can become the strongest part of your tribe.

Knowing what is expected and being treated fairly are hard to find in many workplaces today. Whether employees or contract workers, your team will be more efficient and effective when they understand your vision and how to help you achieve it.

If you caught my interview on Mixergy.com you know that I call this “being the GPS” in your business. It’s not enough to ask someone to go from point A to point B (such as “create a sales page”) because if you don’t give them direction they could be wandering all over the place wasting time and money. Instead, it’s your job to create systems by putting the thought in first and being able to communicate what the sales page will entail, the copy, videos, graphics, design, payment options, testimonials, calls to action and more. Creating these road maps takes time but when you’re able to give your team crystal clear direction so they can proceed and deliver your ideal outcome it’s all worth it.

I’ll be sharing more about systems that support your team and bring them into your amazing tribe of supporters here on the blog and exclusively in my weekly newsletter. If you haven’t signed up to receive systems updates fill in the boxes on this page today.

Creating a Lasting Message

Inspiring Businesses by Leave a Comment

I had another post prepared, but this is a story that I want to share today.

This month marks an important anniversary in my family, 46 years ago my maternal Grandpa got sober (by order of a judge) after an… eventful December (and a DUI).  Keep in mind, it was 1966 and in our small town the solution to drunk driving was 60 mandated days in Alcoholics Anonymous as part of treatment.

The Anonymous part of the organization is well known and it’s not my intent to out anyone. In fact, my Grandpa spent most of his free time from 1966 until 1989 working within the organization, talking about sobriety and helping other men through the program. He did P&I, traveling to prisons and institutions to bring people in. He took guys fishing so they wouldn’t be tempted to carry along beer when he was there. He helped guys with their “beer cans” which was the term used for a hobby which replaced drinking like working on an old car.

If you’re an entrepreneur then you’re familiar with the challenge to create a message that lasts and, hopefully, outlasts you. My Grandpa has done that through AA and it didn’t matter to him if he was credited for the message, as long as it sunk in.

Don’t drink.  One day at a time.  Keep comin’ back because it works if you work it.

These were his messages, the ones that he told hundreds of times to thousands of people. It’s simple. Effective.

And my Grandpa stopped sharing this message in 1989. That was the year he had a massive stroke that weakened his body and took his voice, leaving him with few words to communicate. But he didn’t really stop sharing the message of sobriety because for the next 15 years he still went to meetings, drove friends to group and was there, a physical presence and reminder of sobriety.  It wasn’t until Grandpa stopped driving shortly after I moved to town to help out that he stopped attending every week. But his messages, his presence remained.

While Grandpa’s profession was long haul trucking and then delivering cement loads, his real purpose over the past 46 years has been staying sober and bringing other alcoholics to sobriety.  An amazing way to spend a life, right?

In recent years and even in the last month, Grandpa’s health has declined and he is most comfortable using a walker or wheelchair for balance.  That didn’t stop him.

Despite the fact Grandpa can’t give speeches, can’t share his story, go fishing or take the guys out for coffee he is still here and still inspiring his tribe. These are the people he has dedicated his life to outside of our nuclear family.

Every January I begin getting the calls from several guys, all of whom tell me “I wouldn’t be alive if your Grandpa hadn’t found me, brought me to a meeting, forced me into an intervention.” I hear “I wouldn’t have this beautiful child or have lived to see my grandkids grow up” and “there’s nothing I wouldn’t do for him.”

Yes, I’m incredibly proud of the way my Grandpa has lived in the past 46 years, giving his time and life to helping others and it also inspires me.

Think of this: for 23 years my Grandpa has not spoken his message. He doesn’t blog, tweet or write. But his message survives.  It’s carried through the lives of the people he has helped and they keep comin’ back and loving him for it.

Tonight a man who told me he would do anything for my grandpa will be there handing him a coin and offering a hug. Another man will be helping us transport him across town in a wheelchair lift van for the evening. And countless men and women in AA meetings all over the state will be quoting Grandpa, be sharing his messages and the message of AA.

He is such an inspiration to me and to many of the people we will celebrate with tonight.

Can I ask? How are you creating a message that survives you, inspires thousands and brings change to the world?

Refining Your Networking System

Systems by 2 Comments

As a follow up to my popular Networking Systems for Success post last month, I want to show you some additional hacks for measuring your effectiveness at networking and follow up.

First, when you’re networking, as mentioned in Part 1, you want to connect to the people who are interested in your business or you in theirs. This can be easily summarized as “quality over quantity.”  It’s okay to spend 20 minutes talking in depth with one person instead of rushing about meeting as many people as you can.

Several months back I was at an event that was very crowded but with the assistance of the host was able to connect to a few people and had great conversations.  In the middle of one discussion I was passed by a stranger who handed me his business card and walked away.  Rude, right?  Don’t make the same mistake by insisting on papering the event with your cards or collecting as many as possible.  Of course if you don’t have time to really get into conversation, ask for a card so you can follow up.

Second, follow up does not have to mean “begin selling your product or services.”  It’s a little bit like dating sometimes; if you meet someone and ask them to marry you it’s going to sound creepy.  Instead think long term and “date” first by getting to know them better and allowing them to know you. Dating is a process, so start slow and find out areas you have in common by following up after the event.

While it does help to have a good memory when it comes to follow up, I am not known for my short term memory! To compensate I will send myself an email from my phone with the person’s first name, what we were discussing and a quick note on next step.  It’s not unusual to check your phone during an event, and then you’ll have a record for your own notes.

Recognize that reaching out via email doesn’t have to be formal or even overly prepared.  Sure, I use canned responses but the bulk of the message is adapted to be friendly, casual and personable.  Effective systems don’t make others feel like they’re moving through a machine.  We all crave more personal, real connections and as soon as the message seems “canned” I personally tune out.

One prime example of this was a follow up message I got after a networking event referencing a different networking event that I had not attended! Taking time to personalize the message and connect with the person you want in your network is well worth the effort! The time and small cost of a cup of coffee can pay off in unexpected ways down the road.

When it comes to contacting your network the third tip is to give before you request. This will happen more naturally as you grow your network and spend time developing relationships.  Once you know a few fashion design students it becomes easy to connect them to the clothing designer looking for an assistant. Or connect the VA looking for more work to the busy coach who needs to manage her schedule.

Remember, creating systems is all about the results you want to get out of your business.  So here are some sample emails to get your creativity going when it comes to connecting at your next event:

Thanks for the great ideas regarding my business, I’d love to take you out to lunch to hear more about your upcoming projects.

I was intrigued by your business and have some contacts in the industry. Can we talk next week so I can better understand who might benefit from your work or be a strong promotional partner?

Thanks for the information on new marketing tactics for direct mail. It would be great to connect (maybe once a month) over coffee and share resources like this. I’ve got some great ideas and proven tactics for increasing your email open rate that I’d love to share.

I appreciate the offer to connect me to your lawyer, please feel free to use this email or my phone number below to connect.

The trade show you mentioned sounds great and I checked my calendar and can definitely make it that weekend.  I so appreciate your offer to request the booth space from the organizer!

Do you see the trend here? Give and receive and make a specific request and in the instances where you’re waiting on something from the other person (connection to a good lawyer or invite to a trade show) you help by sending a gentle reminder with information that they can use to move forward.

A final tip is this: consistency is more important than getting it right the first time. You may send out many emails and get no response but don’t let that discourage you. We’re all busy and can get easily overwhelmed by email coming in all day long.  Just be consistent, reach out after every event, add people to your CRM software and keep touching base.  If you’re not getting good responses from your efforts, remember to give more.  Give support, resources, connections and give them freely. The more active you are in building a thriving interconnected network the better it will serve you.

The Curse of ‘Someday’

Launching by Leave a Comment

If you’ve ever shared about your goals or big plans and then sighed with an air of ‘someday… maybe’ then this article is for you.

As we’re constantly bombarded with success stories by those who have achieved all the things we ourselves want, it’s easy to become hopeless and frustrated because we’re not there yet. There are countless books, authors and motivational speakers who are dedicated to helping us all move from ‘someday’ to action so I’ll keep this simple.

Take one step forward.

That’s it, the whole ‘secret’ to my success in accomplishing anything. This blog post?  Started with an idea, opened up the file, began writing.  Of course I edited and revised and made many changes along the way but that’s the fun part. The process of taking anything from an idea to a finished project – it’s a little like hiking.  Sure you get to stand at the top of a mountain at the end and hopefully there’s a beautiful view, but also aim to find joy in the process and the challenge of getting there.

One of the many reasons I love working with systems is that once I’ve figured something out I have a map.  I won’t say there is no more indecision and waffling but there is considerably less.

Recently I launched a fun project that I’ve been thinking about and planning for almost a year.  Since the idea would not leave my head and often pop into my ‘someday’ thinking randomly, I knew that I would take action on it eventually. Instead of creating a fifty-seven step plan I just got started. Created the blog. Uploaded a bunch of posts. Started tweeting and sharing.

Of course when you’re launching something in your business, instead of for fun like my blog, you’ll want to plan a little more and here’s where the system comes in.  When you’re creating a new program note if you want to take three weeks to develop the content or six.  Do you want to launch it on a Tuesday or Saturday? What does the order page look like? What is your pricing strategy?

When you start, you don’t have to know all the answers. Just take one step and make one decision and record it so you have a system to follow.  Then, in the next launch, you can refine.

This process is one that you’re already familiar with when it comes to traditional learning.  We practice writing letters, solving math problems, shooting baskets, and even public speaking, each time refining and learning from the process. The person who studies the perfect football play or reads about drumming techniques will not be as effective as the one who picks up the ball or drum sticks and begins to play.

So think back to the one thing you want to do in your business ‘someday’ – what is it? What’s the first step you can take today to move it from someday and into action?

Please share in the comments and if you’re absolutely stuck let me know and I’d be happy to support you getting unstuck!

Please Take This Banana Peel

Personal Development by Leave a Comment

Recently I was discussing interview tactics from the perspective of the employer and this memory came to mind.  It’s been nearly a decade but stands out in my mind so clearly.

I was working as an intern for a project management and design firm in the Bay Area and one of my duties was coordinating and assisting Human Resources, both with interviews and new employees. While most interviews came down to the hiring manager’s discretion, the HR department gave input and options were most often respected.  It was summer and when a strange car was parked in our visitor’s space, I knew it was one of the interviewees.  I stayed at the desk around the corner from reception so I could escort the candidate to our conference room.

Minutes passed. I had no idea why the interview candidate did not come inside immediately but soon heard the door open and the woman asked, politely, if the receptionist could take the peel from her half eaten banana and throw it away.

At first glance it seems harmless, right? This wasn’t a horribly rude request, nor did she act demanding in asking. We were all grateful she didn’t simply throw it on the ground. While I could even understand not leaving a banana peel in a hot car in the summer, it was interesting that the woman did not use the trash can outside or ask to use the bathroom where she could throw away any trash without being noticed.

But what left us completely bewildered was why this woman, who was interviewing for a high level position in a professional office environment, would make her first impression here, please take my banana peel.

The goal in any interview is to stand out as extraordinary but for the right reasons.  When you’re presenting yourself and your business, it’s easy to let something innocuous become a distraction to the message you’re trying to convey.  When told, the hiring manager for the position could only imagine our team entering a client meeting or proposal and having this employee hand over half eaten fruit.

After years of working in human resources, dealing with lost candidates, late candidates, screaming in their car on the phone candidates, I can honestly say this one woman stands out in my memories.

If you’re prone to feeling scattered when you’re out promoting your business try a simple checklist so you check your teeth for lettuce, have business cards handy, and leave half eaten fruit in the car.