Everyone always asks me how I am able to do so much. Well, there are 2 secrets:
1) Leverage other people’s time by being a good delegator
2) Get very organized.
I know what you are thinking- -Well, Karen you are probably already hyper organized right?- Wrong. By nature I am an insane
perfectionist. I like everything a certain way, I am very picky on details, and I don’t want to have to say or see it twice!
But, I am only good and having other people do this for me. I am good at giving them specifics, creating timelines and
setting standards-and of course, holding myself to the same standard which I expect to receive.
Only you can know what system of organization works for you but I can tell you for a fact that if you are serious about
creating enormous income (even just decent income) you need to get organized.
1) Evaluate your level of current organization: Is your office clean and uncluttered? Do you or your asst. know where
everything is? Or, do you need to come up with a specific system so that things are easy to file (half the battle) and then
easy to find.
I like overall categories like; -Marketing- and then subcategories such as -Flyers.- If I am working on properties, I keep a
main template of marketing pieces in the Marketing file so I don’t have to reinvent the wheel with each new property, but I
also do the same thing per property. So, in this instance, I would have -Properties- as my main category. Then I might have
a sub-category for -Home Staging’s- followed by -Active- and -Completed.- Then of course the property address file within
each of those. It makes my life very simple and I can get anything in a moment’s notice.
This simple system works with any type of business. I use it for my Home Staging Training Company, my Speakers Training
Company, Our On Line Systems program as well as My Coaching and Mentoring Business for Entrepreneurs and Small Business
Owners.
2) How do you manage your email? This is a big one for many Entrepreneurs because we live by our email and cell phones.
I will address phone calls next, but first, let’s look at managing your email. When you are going to work, you need to turn
your email off. Don’t minimize it, turn it off.
You must schedule time to answer emails just like you schedule time to get your work completed. If you allow your email to
interrupt you all day long, you will never complete your big income tasks and you will continue to wonder why you can’t be as
prosperous as you would like.
If you choose to keep your email and phone active all day long, you must understand that you are conditioning your client to
view you as having a lower value because you are always available instead of being busy enough not to be available.
However, if you manage their expectations, by telling them exactly when they can expect a return email from you, they view
you as professional, organized and valuable.
Now, you can get your Mo*ney tasks completed and still service your customers in an extraordinary way.
3) Unless you are waiting for Brain Surgery, turn off your cell phone! I mean it. Why do you allow people to interrupt
you all day long. It takes 20 minutes to -re-group- after you have been interrupted. 20 minutes! You are here to achieve
great things-right? So, 20 minutes is valuable time.
For friends and family, accept and return their calls after business hours (you are holding regular Home Staging business
hours right?).
For clients, do the same thing you do with emails. If you have an assistant, then great, he or she can answer the phone for
you. You can also hire an answering service. If neither is an option for you, manage your clients expectations by telling
them on your voice mail exactly when they can reach you and when they can expect to receive a return call. I would get very
specific and tell them you are always available M-F by phone form 8-10am and you return calls daily between 4-6pm. And if
they have a specific time they need you to reach them, ask them to leave the time on your voice mail and you will do your
best to accommodate them.
Now, they completely understand how to reach you and when you will contact them. You can go further and let them know that
you are taking care of them 100% by offering these specific hours they know they can reach you.
4) What are you doing with all that email? There are so many times when we know we should look at something or want to
save it and read it later, but we just don’t have the time or system in place to do so.
I like the -One Touch System.- In other words, if you receive an email that you may want to read but don’t have time, create
a -Drop Folder- for those emails on your desk top. As soon as you open it, drop it into the folder for later.
Then, schedule an hour once a week that you review this folder. You can now review, delete, save and/or take action. One
hour a week to create a One Touch System.
The more organized you can become the more profitable you become and it allows you to also have the right staff. So,
logically, if you have enough customers, you can create the income and lifestyle you so desire.
To Your Greatest Joy and Success,
Karen Schaefer
www.APSDmembers.com
