Building effective business systems improves efficiency and produces consistent results. However, if you are simply documenting how things are done right now and not evaluating those systems and improving them, your company will eventually fall behind. This is why, in every process-building article we write, we recommend that you revisit the process in a few months and review it.
So, what do you do if you have a process that has not been reviewed in a while? Or do you have a system that works fine but could be improved? How do you go about reviewing the process and improving it?
In a recent conversation with Sebastian Jimenez of Rilla, Adi, and Sebastian discussed this issue in relation to sales. They discuss both methods they use to evaluate and fix processes. Below is a brief overview of their lengthy discussion.
How to Evaluate and Fix Your Business Systems to Improve Efficacy
Because the above-referenced discussion was about sales, we will use a sales example as we discuss how to evaluate and fix a system to increase efficacy. Let’s say you have a great sales process that, when used, produces a 20% close rate. That’s a great close rate in most industries, but it could be higher.
How do you tweak the process to increase the close rate without breaking what works?
Here is a brief overview of the steps you can take to do so:
1. Record sales calls.
Most companies do this. They have a statement that states, “This call may be recorded for quality assurance purposes,” and then the rep gets on the line. You can utilize this technique to evaluate where the sales process can be improved.
2. Run the call through a transcription process or an AI for further evaluation.
You likely won’t want to listen to every call, particularly if your company has hundreds of sales calls daily. Instead, run each call through transcription software or use AI to help you pull out critical areas of the call for evaluation.
3. Recognize patterns.
You will find patterns as you look through the transcripts or evaluate key parts of the call. Maybe your salespeople are talking over clients as they try to get to every feature your product offers. Perhaps your sales team isn’t sharing the company story. Maybe they share too much before getting to the pricing. Maybe there are several common flaws. Whatever they are, make sure to note them.
4. Determine which to tackle first.
You likely cannot fix all issues simultaneously, particularly if they are related. If you fix one, you may end up fixing another. So, find which flaw is most prevalent or concerning and tackle that first. Change the process to solve the issue and ensure your team is aware of the change.
5. Run the team through the updated process.
Have the team run through the new process. This will help you and your team ensure:
- You didn’t make a change that alters something else that works well.
- Your team understands the change and can ask questions.
- Your team feels comfortable with implementing the modified system.
6. Have the team use the new process for a quarter.
Your sales team needs time to implement the process, and you will want to see its success. Perhaps it increases your sales to a 21% close rate—that would be a win!
7. Run the evaluation process from step 1 through step 6 again.
Go through the steps again and see what else comes up. Improving business systems over time can be a slow process, but that is because you are taking a functioning system and making a small tweak. You are not trying to overhaul the area completely – unless the processes in place do not work at all. That’s a different problem and requires further, in-depth evaluation.
Work with the experts as you build and improve your processes. Get in touch with the Business Success Consulting Group team today!
