Week 48 - Revisiting Systems, Freeing Up Your Future

Week 48 serves as a reminder that “systems” implemented in your business have internal and external functions. I want you to look back over the previous ten weeks and really try to embrace systems. Systems are the key to success in any business so this is not just an area to tighten up, it is an area to evaluate and re-invent, on an on-going basis. Here are the key coaching tips to assist with your review:

INTERNAL

• Start building your operations manual today. The quickest way to get going is to develop a checklist for each and every function in your business.
• Through a friend see if you can make contact with someone who owns a franchise. Call them, explain that you are trying to improve your business by putting systems in place and could you come in and look over their Operations Manual.
• Blame a system, not a person.
• Buy and read Building the Happiness Centered Business by Dr Paddy Lund. Set about implementing The Courtesy System in your business.

EXTERNAL

• Listen and then ACT. Listen to your customers; resolve to make contact with at least 10 per month. Ask probing questions about your service or product quality. Take action using the information you gather.
• Following your customer audit, consider how the customer’s perception affects your ability to price at a premium.
• Conduct “presearch” within your industry. You are searching for what your customers want or expect from a business such as yours in the future.
• Employ a “secret shopper” if applicable. Otherwise work out another way to test your systems and employees on a regular basis. This could include friends calling in (phone, email or fax) or one of your colleagues actually ordering services from your business and giving you a report.

Perform a service audit of your business:

• How do we treat our customers? Try to identify 10 areas which you can improve on and look out for “Not My Job” syndrome.
• Do your employees have all the tools they need to do their work efficiently?
• Read the books Fish and The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing.