You’ve heard the term –work smarter, not harder. Yet many business owners struggle with being successful at it. How do you work smarter, instead of harder? Here are some useful tips that might help you out:
1. Develop great time management skills
Focus on your top priority task, switch off the phone and close your office door to avoid distractions until that task is completed. If you have to respond to an urgent inquiry, opt to email instead while you accomplish that task.
2. Set doable deadlines and do everything in your power to meet them
Write down your deadline somewhere that you will see and remember them. Always allow yourself some wiggle room. For instance, if you tell yourself to finish something by Thursday that’s actually due on Friday, you’ll be ahead of the game and you’ll have an extra day to refine your work.
3. Learn how to use productivity tools well
With extensive research, you can find tools that will make your work life much easier and free up your time. To have a tool without the knowledge or expertise to use it is futile. It is important to know the type of tools that are needed for your specific purpose, whether it’s to prioritize tasks, communicate efficiently within teams, or monitor work activity to measure profitability. The right tool can be a lifesaver.
4. Use your phone wisely
Instead of writing an email, sometimes it’s just better to pick up the phone and call to discuss an important or urgent dialogue. You can actually run your business from your phone. Smartphones have become increasingly popular in business and a more adept enterprise tool. When utilized correctly, mobile phones can help professionals knock out work, especially smaller tasks, which could potentially boost productivity.
5. Be concise
If you want to sell a product that your company has featured, practice and sharpen your “elevator speech” to 30 seconds or less. You need to be persuasive, so make sure that you know your audience and speak directly to them. Don’t forget to ask for the sale and make sure that you have your business card handy.
6. Ask the right questions at the right time
This is a great way to get feedback and to gather the information that you need to help in decision-making for your business and team. How do you know when is the right time? Be a good listener. This is key to knowing the right time to ask a question. Be sure to follow up with follow-up questions.
7. Learn as much as you can
Look at your skills and determine where you need to fill in the gap and talk to important connections in your niche. Customer engagement can make or break a deal so speak directly to businesses that are in a well-defined niche in which you are comfortable.
8. Keep up to date on trends and development.
There are several ways to do so such as an industry magazine, trade papers, or blogs. You can also sign up for emails, take advantage of training opportunities, and speak to customers. Find a way to keep tabs on your competitors.
It’s important not to lose sleep. Hire a company to do the work for you. Virtual Ingenuity, LLC can do the research for you and help you put individualized processes and effective tools in place for increased productivity and business success.
Let’s impact together!
205-549-0098
Featured on the International Virtual Assistant Association’s (IVAA) blog page
