I am all about to-do lists. But I'm even more about completing things on that list. Checking a box or crossing out a line gives me major satisfaction. I also love a good list to refer to when I have to perform something that I don’t do that often. It’s like a set of directions for me. I don’t know how many times a month I think, "Ah! We need a list for that!" Recently I was talking to a coworker about a client who's going to change their contract with us, which meant a change in the services we perform for them each month. We were spewing off all the things that needed to take place in the next 2 months. Just thinking of the tasks and figuring out who would do what was taking productive time away from other clients. So, we had that a-ha moment: we need a checklist for when clients shift from one set of services to another.
That got me thinking about the recent Client Management HubSpot Training I completed. In the training, they go over having checklists for when clients onboard, go stagnant, or leave. And it all really does make sense to have a checklist. My job, much like most people’s jobs, changes daily, but I do have repetitive tasks that need to take place weekly, monthly or quarterly. I set calendar reminders, send myself delayed emails and make notes in my notepad, but inevitably things will get forgotten. I’ve been taking 5 minutes at the end of the day to jot down notes on things that I need to complete regularly. I am trying to build up a reference checklist for myself. Not only will this make my job easier, it will make me a much more efficient coworker. I produce reports for other departments, and the quicker I can get the reports to their recipients, the easier it is for them to complete their jobs — which in the end gives our client better service.
Another great tool within HubSpot that you can utilize for making your job easier is the Slack + HubSpot integration. I love it! I can be discussing a project via Slack with a coworker and add tasks to the HubSpot portal via Slack. This is great because we can all contribute to the list in one place. To view your task within HubSpot you go to Sales / Tasks. You can even associate the task or company within HubSpot. So useful and efficient!
A few of the checklists we utilize here at adWhite include:
- Website Pre-Launch
- Website Post-Launch
- Inbound Onboarding Steps
- Account Management Weekly & Monthly Activities
I know a blog about making lists sounds so blah. But I feel like our world is so fast-paced now that it’s hard to stop and take step back to really evaluate our actions and daily practices. Knowing the steps you are going to take to ensure your clients are being efficiently and effectively served can greatly increase client retention, employee retention, and overall job satisfaction. So, whether you write it down, make an Excel spreadsheet or utilize an app, get out there and make your job easier by taking the time to plan out your steps.
