by Bill Hoffman

   This article was originally published in The Productivity Institute (PI) Newsletter

We live in a super-accelerated world with the Web, technology, social networking and a complete change in the way we communicate. Are you adapting to it as fast as it’s changing? Do you have the tools to keep up with the demand on your time?

It’s time to re-invest in yourself by committing to a routine, a process that works for you. It’s time to go “Back to the Basics.”

Which type are you?
There are four categories of people out there when it comes to productivity and time management.

Group one hasn’t been given the tools
Group two has the tools but just doesn’t apply them
Group three has the tools and applies them periodically
Group four has the tools and applies them every day

Having the tools and applying them every day will make an amazing, positive difference in your personal and professional productivity and time management.

What are these basic tools?
Think of every interaction, both tasks and communications, you have in a typical day. Each of these interactions takes time and has a hierarchy of importance. For example, picking up my kids from school is my top priority at 2:30pm Monday through Friday.

Another given is that we have a fixed amount of time in a day. Each of us has 1440 minutes to work with every day. Have you ever looked at the day ahead and thought, “How am I ever going to get to everything I need to do? There’s just not enough time!” By going Back to the Basics, you’ll be prepared for all of your must-do tasks – and then some.

The “Tools” are segmentation, prioritization, review and preview. Back to the Basics is applying these tools so we are in the best position to have a balanced, effective life within the confines of time.

Segmentation
Document every task you’re going to perform on a daily, weekly, and monthly basis. Sure, there are things that crop up unexpectedly, but if you better understand “what it is you do” on a daily basis, you’ll be surprised at how many of those “unexpected fires” can be predicted and/or comfortably fit into the flow of your day.

Prioritization
Assign the tasks you listed above a hierarchy. You can do this in many ways, such as a grading system (A, B, C, D, F) or star rating (1-5 stars). What you use as a measurement of the hierarchy is irrelevant as long as you’re able to define what each tier represents.

A – Must complete today
B – Will be rewarding to complete today
C – Should complete today (but can be put off for a short period of time)
D – Really want to complete today (but for all the wrong reasons)
F – If I get to it, I get to it (can be pushed off for a period of time)

We also have sub-categories that are critical to our “human experience.” THIS IS NOT JUST ABOUT WORK. We prioritize tasks to reflect balance in our lives. Lunch every day and two hours from 5:30-7:30 with my children are both A tasks.

Preview
Once you have segmentation and prioritization done, take the time to constantly evaluate and learn from this process. I promise you it will be ever changing as will your priorities in life. Every day (or night before) for 10 minutes, a preview of the upcoming day will help you understand the tasks at hand, remind you of preparation work that must be done or quite simply make you smile by reminding you it’s your mom’s birthday. This exercise should also be done Monday morning for the week (once weekly) and for 30 minutes the last day of each month to evaluate the entire month. You’ll be amazed at how much your mind can retain, and if nothing else, this simple exercise will help you be better prepared for what is to come.

Technology (CRM) Plays a Part
How can technology play a part in this? Honestly, technology today is tremendously beneficial if used properly. Remember you can make a really bad situation worse just by speeding it up. One thing I’ve noticed in my interactions with thousands of businesses is that people use calendaring systems such as CRM and Outlook as “reminders not to be late to meetings.” Typically, when a reminder pops up on your screen or your phone, you “snooze” it until the exact moment of the task/appointment. Are you really prepared for the task at hand or are you just reminding yourself NOT to be late? Use these tools to set the appointment time 15 minutes prior to the actual appointment so you have preparation time in order to make the best use of the task/appointment.

Review
How do I know where I need improvement? Gut feeling? Every time I feel guilty because I forgot someone’s birthday? When my boss tells me I need to improve in my annual reviews? We don’t have to wait for negative indicators to review our performance.

A review is a mandatory exercise to your personal and professional health. Take the time at night to review your day. What did you do well? What could you certainly improve on? When I take the time every day to review my interactions, I even ask myself was I honest, was I kind, did I get the job done, did I think of my team before myself? Each and every day I have the opportunity to LEARN from my mistakes and my successes, and each and every day I hope to have the opportunity to LEARN and TEACH. What more could a person ask for?

To sum it up,
Segmentation – write it down
Prioritization – assign importance
Preview – see what’s ahead. Be prepared!
Review – constantly evaluate for continued success

Put the “Back to Basics” process in place on paper, in your calendar or CRM system, try it diligently for 90 days, and I promise it will make a difference in your life.

If you’d like more information on productivity and time management, please feel free to contact me at bill.hoffman@sage.com

With a background spanning more than 17 years of experience in business process management and CRM culture, Bill Hoffman is currently responsible for the design, application and execution of CRM partner delivery programs and Enterprise Sales at Sage Software.  Previously, as Director of Hosted Services and Partner Development at Sage Software, Bill was responsible for direct and partner sales success. He designed strong process and focus for SageCRM and SageCRM.com products. Bill can be reached at: (480) 699-5563 and bill.hoffman@sage.com.

  by Bill Hoffman

This article was published in The Productivity Institute newsletter

The concept of CRM has been around since the beginning of human interaction. Where do you think the phrase, “the customer is always right,” came from? So, why all of the attention now? What is it that makes CRM so important? So much so, that companies invest large amounts of money and time to implement it?

The answer lies in a shift in the 1980s away from true customer service, to what I like to call, our new “Self-Service World.” Today’s popular belief is, “since I can’t get the service I deserve, I will do it myself and pay less.” I was raised in a time when you were not allowed to pump your own gas. It was considered to be too dangerous. I can recall a time when three attendants would service my family’s car while they pumped our gas. They would wash the windows, check the tires and oil, and even check the battery if they knew us well. I remember the attendants would always take the time to speak with us and really tried to get to know my family as people.

Was the attitude and attentiveness of this business designed to create customer loyalty to bring us back to that particular gas station, even in times when you would pay a couple of pennies more for gas at that station? You bet it was! Just yesterday I pumped my own gas, bought some gum and a soda, and went to pay the clerk—only to be made to feel that my transactions were an inconvenience! His only interest was in taking my money as quickly as possible, so as to not interrupt the game he was watching on a TV behind the counter. Sure, the example from my childhood is more costly in the short term, but can you really afford not to provide the best service possible to your customers? When acquiring new customers is seven times more expensive than retaining and reselling to existing customers—no you can’t.

Customer Service

The result of this “Self-Service World” is that fewer companies provide “excellent customer service.” In the past, you gained the understanding of the importance of high level customer service by observing employees at restaurants, gas stations, and retail stores.

Today, most people are comfortable using a computer, and will pick up the technical aspect of your training in an hour, although it may take them weeks to learn how to interact with potential and existing customers. Human interaction training, focused on skills such as consistency, competence, confidence, and kindness, can help your employees successfully deliver desired company results.

For example, by requiring that employees consistently answer the phone with the same greeting throughout the company, you, as a business, provide your customers with the confidence and knowledge that they will receive the same level of customer service each time they contact you. The same result is achieved by providing your employees with a central respository of information—including customer communications—to access for answers to their questions. When industries compete at any level, the difference maker is always customer service. Consistency, competence, confidence, and kindness are reasons why customers will remain “your” customers.

How Does CRM Help Me Achieve My Customer Service Goals?

CRM software provides the technology to ensure that all your resources are centralized and accessible. CRM software opens interdepartmental communications by combining the resources of your customer-facing departments—Marketing, Sales, A/R, Customer Care and Support—whatever they may be. By having this information available at their fingertips, employees are empowered to step out of their realm, if need be, to help customers.

CRM allows support and service departments, for example, to intertwine communications with the same customers on a daily basis by providing them access to the interaction between all employees and customers so that issues can be resolved immediately. Let’s not forget the line of communication between your inside and outside sales groups.

The interaction information maintained in the CRM system keeps everyone in the loop so prospects and customers alike feel that the entire enterprise has been made aware of their issue, not just the person they spoke with on the phone. A CRM solution partnered with human interaction training is a recipe for success!

CRM Simplified: You Can’t Automate Human Interaction

CRM has taken its hold in the business application world, and you should understand that it is not software alone that makes the CRM initiative successful. Many companies sell customer service automation, such as auto e-mail response and “personalized” marketing campaigns, but they may not understand the CRM culture.

For example, my father recently purchased a fifth-wheel trailer camper. One night, while watching a TV advertisement for “how to” videos for his type of camper, he decided to call and order the videos. The customer service representative he spoke with was friendly, polite, and helpful, and even thanked him for his order—the standard behavior expected of an inside sales representative. When my father received his order in the mail, he noticed a message hand-written at the bottom of the invoice. It read, “Thanks for your order Jerry. I hope you have a great time with your new fifth wheel. It was nice talking to you. —Maureen.”

Receiving a personalized response from a company goes a long way to create value in your customer relationship, and will help to ensure they become a repeat customer. If your company understands that a “10 second gesture” is what CRM is about, then your company is ready to embark on a CRM software solution to help enhance the “CRM culture” you practice.

Has your organization taken the time to start your CRM initiative? Maybe it is time…

With a background spanning more than 17 years of experience in business process management and CRM culture, Bill Hoffman is currently responsible for the design, application and execution of CRM partner delivery programs and Enterprise Sales at Sage Software.  Previously, as Director of Hosted Services and Partner Development at Sage Software, Bill was responsible for direct and partner sales success. He designed strong process and focus for SageCRM and SageCRM.com products. His clients included Stanford Medical Center, American Golf, Standard Insurance, Metrohm-Peak, New England Patriots, Acme Truck Lines, Buffalo Sabres, and Broadsoft, amongst others.  Bill can be reached at: (480) 699-5563 and bill.hoffman@sage.com.