The pace that most small businesses operate at is brutal. Days are often filled with responding to one “crisis” after another. The typical crisis is the product of rushing to do something or get something started before the company is fully prepared to do a good job. How can the pattern be changed so the company is on the path to profit instead of the highway to hell?
Proof It for Profit
While talking with a client recently I was taking notes. The issues my client was talking about were created by the company because it had not spent the time to be ready before taking the next step in its processes or starting a project. I wrote the words “proof it” and saw that “profit” is contained in them, literally and figuratively!
Where is the opportunity to proof it before the next steps are taken? My oh my, there are so many! Here are some to get you and your team thinking together about your process and where a second read and/or a second set of eyes would make sense.
When Should You Review Your Notes?
- After the lead in-take person has completed the initial call with a potential client.
- After the salesperson has his/her initial interaction with the client.
- Before the salesperson hands off the client folder to the designer.
- Before the salesperson hands off the client folder and design to the estimator.
- Before the plans are shown to the client.
- Before the estimate is regarded as “done.”
And so on. The main idea is to look at what you wrote for accuracy and completeness before you take action, like handing it to the person who is to do the next step. A big part of the concept, in general, is to have two sets of eyes look at something before anything of consequence moves forward.
Sick and tired of things going wrong and work having to be redone? Take the time to proof it before moving to the next step. Then watch the profits add up.
