Running a business can feel overwhelming at times, which is why implementing these efficiency tips can make a world of difference. Work smarter, not harder, and keep you and your employees happy and hardworking, while your customers stay satisfied with your products and services. Ready to get efficient? Read on!
Forget Multi-Tasking
When a customer walks into a store, they don’t want to be greeted by an employee who is tied up on the phone. Instead of pressing your staff to answer phones, send emails, greet customers, and make sales, get clear about job duties and allow your brick-and-mortar employees to do fewer tasks so they can pay attention to the important ones. Mistakes get made when people are distracted, so allow your team to really focus in, and your business will become a better oiled machine in no time.
Minimize Meetings
Staff meetings are a great way to communicate policies, boost morale, and set goals, but beware of scheduling too many meetings each week. Not only do they pull your employees away from your customers, but they can start to feel like a waste of time. Always have a clear agenda for your team meetings, and invite input before the meeting so you don’t end up adding items during the meeting and running over time.
Focus on Face-to-Face
Whenever possible, encourage your staff to ask questions or make decisions face-to-face rather than in a long email chain or phone tag discussion. That means that you should be accessible to staff in the moment to answer questions and/or your staff should have clear guidelines on your company’s policies and protocols so they can easily make decisions without spending all day trying to get an answer.
Value Your Values
If you feel like your company is spending too much time on certain tasks, ask yourself: does this align with our company’s values, or not? When you and all of your staff have a clear sense of the values that drive your company, you get much more efficient in your decision making. If developing a new marketing strategy is time consuming, but does a great job of communicating your business’ values, then it’s probably worth doing. On the other hand, don’t ask your employees to do time consuming, tedious tasks, if there’s no clear alignment to what really makes your business tick.
Use an Answering Service
Finally, consider the awesome time-saving, productivity-enhancing power of using a 24-hour answering service. When employees can focus on delivering great products and service to customers, instead of answering the ever-ringing phone, your business will become more efficient, fast. Customers will appreciate the focused face-to-face attention, while potential customers calling on the phone get a prompt, professional response, any time day or night.
Remember, the secret to making your business more efficient is staying focused on what really matters, which means being attentive to your customers’ needs. Be accessible and inviting, keep your staff focused on making the most of each customer interaction, and you’re well on your way to getting more done than ever before. For more information on how to improve efficiency and grow your business with an affordable answering service, contact MAP Communications today!
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