When you ASK your customers about what they need, you gather the information to Attract, Secure, and Keep them.
The same goes for your internal business needs. You need to Attract new team members, Secure them in their position, and if you give them structure and autonomy you will Keep them! The greatest way to do this for both your customer and your team is through, yep, you guessed it PROCESSES!
Start with writing down your Customer Journey in order to get an idea of road your customer will travel. This gives you the major touchpoints that your business needs to ensure the customer makes it to their destination.
When you document those major touchpoints, everyone involved has a better idea of what’s going on. You’ll see where the road is clear, where there are potholes, and where construction may need to happen. There might even be a boulder or mountain that needs to be navigated around.
ASK About Obstructions and Gaps
Writing out your processes gives you the opportunity to see where you are right now and begin to play with different ways to navigate the obstructions and gaps in your business.
Obstructions are those areas in your business in which things get bogged down, work doesn’t get done, and things go off track. Things like waiting on approvals, areas in which communication just isn’t happening, or maybe the technology isn’t quite dialed in as well as it could be.
When you’re able to determine what these obstructions are, you are able to find a way to remove, fix, or navigate around them. By removing the obstacles, like removing large rocks from a river, you create a smoother flow in your business. One without the major rapids, which may be fun when you’re kayaking but aren’t so fun when you’re trying to deliver quality to your customers.
Gaps are those areas in which things get lost, there’s no connection to the next task, and people are making stuff up to try to get there. They are also a place of opportunity. Opportunity for new systems, products, and services.
As you move through your day to day, you won’t see the Gaps because you’re too busy doing to notice. It’s only when you take a moment to really observe what’s going on that you can see where things don’t quite fit or there’s an opportunity missed. By working on your processes, you give yourself the opportunity to step back and really look at how your business is running. You get a wider view and can start to see where bridges need to be built.
ASKing Is All About Curiosity
When you come from a space of curiosity you get a lot of insight into what both your customers and team members need to make their lives easier and more fulfilled. You’ll see where things are not working well and where things need more support.
Finding and addressing these areas can only improve your business and provide better quality to your customers. It will also allow your team to feel knowledgeable and supported.
Knowledgeable and supported team members =
Better quality product and experience =
Satisfied customers
If you wish to Attract, Secure, and Keep great customers and team members through processes, download the 3 Easy Steps to Identify Your First Process today.