Keeping Your Summer Cool Staying Organized

Customer Service and Staying Organized - continued from TSF

We talked about using your Customer Order form for great customer service. Perhaps this left some questions in your mind as to how to physically keep track of this information. Keep in mind what we said; no one ever organized himself or herself into management. However, you do want to have some type of system in order to access your information when you need it.

The key to organizational systems is to use one that works FOR YOU and that YOU will use. There are a variety of different personality types and myriads of organizational systems out there, each with its own appeal. We will deal today with just a couple of thoughts on how to better organize your Customer Order forms. Here are some ideas:

1) Monthly - Staple customer order forms together by party. Set up file folders, one for each month of the year. Simply place each party in the month the order was placed or party held. This way you can reference a customer by knowing who's party you met her at and the time of year. It is a great way to open the conversation. “Hi, this is Mary Jane Smith (pause and wait for her reply). If you recall, we met at Jo Simon's house last November…I was the consultant selling for XYZ company and I promised I'd call you about our summer specials. (remember, you got permission to call!)

2) Alphabetically - If your brain works better this way, simply file a customer's order form A-Z in file folders or a 3 ring binder. Be sure you have a note as to the hostess' name whose party you met her at for your reference when speaking with her.

3) Monthly Tickler - You can also file customer order forms by requested “next contact” date (or birthday if you want to send out a card or coupon for a percentage off their order). Simply use file folders or a 3 ring binder with monthly tabs. That way, you will know each month who you are to be calling and from your fully filled out Customer Order form, you will know why.*

4) “Service” Tickler - File customer order forms by how they'd like to be serviced in the future (Recruit? Hostess? Sales/Specials?)*

* Note, if you plan on using the one of the tickler systems, you will need to be able to access her customer information (name and phone number), by having an additional alphabetical listing. This can be as simple as index cards with basic information or a data base of some variety.
Now, while TSF realizes there are lots of computer data base systems out there, and we suspect that you are probably a user of one of these systems because you are receiving our daily emails; we suggest you print these suggestions out and file them for future reference. Stephen Covey says “begin with the end in mind.”

If your “end” is to have a growing team, realize as a future trainer and coach, you will have people join your organization who aren't necessarily computer users. For those people, you need simple solutions. And also, it's not always possible to have your computer every where you go. By having a “paper” organizational system in place, you can grab a file folder and take it with you to fill those pockets of time from your cell phone while waiting in the car pool line or sitting at soccer practice!