Set up systems before business growth, not after

As your business starts to take off, handling every phone call or email inquiry yourself will no longer be possible. At some point you will become too busy to effectively field every question or speak to every new prospect.

Some business owners feel overwhelmed during this exciting period of growth. They’re worried that customers and opportunities might fall through the cracks. Some students have even told me they wished the calls would stop because they just can’t answer one more question! Don’t let this happen to you.

A lack of systems around business growth can cause you to send mixed messages to the Universe. To visualize the impact this might have, put both your hands out in front of you, one with the palm out like you’re saying “stop” and the other waving business in. Doing these two motions is like saying, “Come in” and “Don’t come in” at the same time!

Set Up Systems to Manage Inquiries
Start by hiring someone to manage all initial inquiries for you from social media, email, voicemail or live calls. You’ll need to develop a step-by-step plan that addresses each type of inquiry and the process to handle it. Then assign these tasks to your team or virtual assistant, not yourself.

For example, at The Client Attraction Business School, one person handles all the requests for my free CD and fulfills them. Someone else responds to all inquiries about working with me and assists new prospects in filling out the application. The same thing goes for voice mail inquiries; another staff member takes care of those.

Setting up these systems ensures every inbound piece of communication will be dealt with properly and systematically. This automates the process so everyone knows what to do and when to do it. You need support to carry this out and methods to make sure nothing goes unattended.

Invest in Your Success
It is essential to set up systems before business growth so you can be prepared to handle the potential flood of communication. Planning ahead is completely worthwhile because you are investing in the success of your company, with long-term results in mind.

One of my students struggled with this because of her clients’ expectation. Everyone contacting wanted to speak directly to her. To remedy this and shift expectations, she put photos of her team on many of the contact pages and removed the photos of herself. This way, people weren’t so disappointed when they initially connected with a team member.

Your Client Attraction Assignment
Do you have a system set up to handle a surge of new customers? If not, start planning now. Talk to your team to create systems. If you don’t have staff, this is the time to get started with a virtual assistant.

This is just one of the many best practices we dive deep into with the students of The Client Attraction Business School, the premier training school for growth-minded entrepreneurs looking to quickly attract more clients and make more money. If you’re interested in finding out more, visit www.ClientAttractionBusinessSchool.com for more details.