by Ken Andrukow, TwoBrain Mentor
Two-Brain Business mentors talk a lot about the importance of systems. While it is easy to understand that good systems create a more efficient delivery of business on many levels, it is often lost as to why and when we create them.
All to often we get to a point in our business where we have had a solid core of long standing members and we start to look at ways to increase sales. We add programs but we don’t have the systems in place to effectively deliver them….they fail to launch. We look outside the box to bring new members in and have no system in place for intake. Should the marketing by some miracle work, your retention will be an issue.
15 years ago I asked a big question. How can I improve the lives of those around me through fitness, nutrition and life coaching?
I could have jumped in with both feet and started coaching people, made some mistakes, learned and kept on going. But that has never been my style. I wanted to create a set of systems and procedures that would serve the needs of high-level executives in the pursuit of health and wellness.
I looked at what it was I was trying to accomplish, make positive change in the lives of those around me that have large, stressful, and not so healthy lives. This has remained my mission statement, in part, to this very day. I began to develop systems that would allow me to seamlessly take on clients and ensure each client would have the same experience when they signed up with me. I would need to develop a system that tracked all kinds of health markers of each client. There would have to be a procedure to find gyms and trainers for when my clients were traveling which they did often. How would Clients communicate with me? Yes, there would have to be a system for that as well. What I have learned in all of the various businesses that I have started over the years is that systems come first if you want to have a successful client experience. Without consistent positive client experience what do we have? A failed business.
So before you add yet another service to your business be sure to define how you are going to deliver it to all your clients consistently. Consider how your staff is going learn how you would like the service delivered. Work together to develop the process so they have buy in.
In every company I have created the one constant is that I don’t like to chase my tail around in circles try to solve the same problem over and over again. Systems have always come first long before worrying about sales. A business rich in efficiencies is a business rich in profit.