Perhaps you weren’t as productive as you wanted to be in 2016.

Or maybe you feel like you did a lot of treading water.

Or maybe you were incredibly productive and want to do even better in 2017!

However you feel about the year that just ended…

Productivity is often a key theme for a new year.

And productivity is integral to a strong business.

It is hard to achieve goals if you aren’t being productive.

So, I am going to dedicate a few posts to the first piece of being more productive:

The first piece to creating better productivity is systems.

Systems is such a huge word.

By system I mean “standard operating procedure.”

It is your protocol.

There are all kinds of systems for all sorts of things.

Someone could write a volume to rival War and Peace filled with all the systems out there.

And, if you use the wrong system it can be a serious drain on productivity.

I have found some tried and true systems that work for most of my clients.

I usually start them with three.

The first is a workflow system.

This encompasses what happens from the moment someone becomes your client through the entire process until you have sent them a thank you note at the end of whatever it is.

It is the checklist and map for what happens at every single stage while your client is your client.

And, yes, I mean every dang step.

That includes:

Getting their information.

Sending the contract.

Receiving the contract.

Setting up dates for service.

Finished the intake form.

Doing the work…

And everything in between.

It’s a system because you put every single person through the same flow.

Or at least you should.

Do you have a consistent experience for all of your clients?

Do you know what it is?

Do you follow that plan?

Your workflow system is necessary to get this done – and your clients will thank you.

It keeps you from dropping the ball or forgetting things…and can be a real stress reliever.

And we all know stress is the number one cause of productivity death.

CRM systems are around to help you with this (but you need the plan first).

And there are some free options out there to get you started.

If you think in terms of paper instead of online, you would have a folder with the checklist on the outside and dates and check things off and know where that particular client is at all times.

(Did that give you a flashback to the “Good ol’ days?” Me too!)

Systems are great when you know how to use them.

I have two more to tell you about…but those are posts for another day.

Until then…stay passionate!

P.S. Do you have a system you love? How did using your workflow system change your business? Please share with us in the comments