Document & Review... How to scale your sales practice with ease.

 

Let's try to reverse engineer your entrepreneurial journey. What is it that you would ultimately like to see as the future of your sales practice? It doesn't matter if you have just started your journey. Take a moment to imagine how you would like to see your sales practice running in the next couple of weeks, months or even years.

Ask yourself the following questions;

• How do I want to operate my business?
• How big will my business be in five years?
• Will I need a team?
• How do I want to communicate with my team?
• How will I track what goes on in my business, if I am not micro-managing every detail?

A long time ago, long before tablets & cell phones, I used to dream of being a business woman on the go with Star trek like devices running it all, no matter where I was.

That's no longer a dream.... Thank You Apple!

I took the time to think about how I wanted to see myself running the business. Had I never invested my time in getting organized, there is no way I could have created or maintained my practice as it grew! Getting organized in your practice can drastically change your production.

Once you have an idea of how your business will run, try to write out the details as they come to you. What will your production count look like? What color is your letterhead? How many clients do you see on a weekly basis? What product markets will you focus on? Try to clarify as many details about your future practice as possible.

I learned quickly if we want to increase numbers, I had to know how to process things in the fastest, most efficient manner possible. When I began working in financial services, I took notes on my every move and turned each action into a batch of processes as I navigated each new case. Eventually, I would take all of my notes and turn them into a procedure log for quick reference. To scale a process, you must understand every piece of the process.

You need to understand why the pieces are what they are and where each piece fits into the process as a whole.

In my experience, new financial professionals are concerned with generating income and gaining the first or next client. They keep general information for each customer but neglect to keep this information organized in a manner they can easily refer to.

Once you have several ideas on paper, begin thinking about the resources you currently have available. Which resources do you currently use to support your practice and why? Consider which resources work best together and how they will assist you in the growth of your practice.

Technology is changing daily and the last thing you want to do is have you business scramble to keep up. Review your long-term idea of your sales practice and think about what programs (ex. Client Relationship Management System) you may need to accomplish your vision. Is there a particular operating system you may want or need to implement to improve what you currently do or may do in the future? Always consider the return on the investment of any actions taken or programs used. Begin implementing the programs and systems that have the potential to decrease overall production costs as early as possible.

F.Y.I.- Free is not always the best option! 

 Yes, I preach frugality, especially in a start up! However, There are things you should not try to get frugal with, two of which are; 

1. Your software
2. The time creating your procedures!

It is 2017 and there are numerous workflow and procedure applications to choose from. Be sure the software you purchase is compatible with how you want to run your business. Consider the following;

• Is the software accessible in mobile format?
• How easy is the system to learn and operate?
• Are there any mobile limitations with the software?
• Did you try a demo version?

When starting your sales practice, get as organized as possible as early as possible. Map out step by step actions you need to accomplish to create the practice you described above. If you begin documenting all of your processes and what you would like them to be, scaling your practice, will seem like a walk in the park!