About four years ago I worked as a Project Coordinator for a telecom provider in Phoenix, Arizona. My role was simple: Take a phone system that a business purchased, configure it to meet their day-to-day operations and leave some room for growth. I was tasked to recommend certain features and functionality with the phone system to help streamline certain processes that needed re-vamping or retired altogether.
To be successful, I needed to get down and dirty, and get to know the business inside and out. In theory, it seemed so simple, but really, it wasn’t. No matter how prepared I was, there was always some certainty that the business I was spending time with wasn’t.
I introduce to you, process mapping and flow-charting.
The most successful and easy phone installs were the businesses that had all processes, voicemail trees and floor plans charted out and ready to go. When I came to Infusionsoft, I worked with new clients who were starting their own business from scratch. In order to provide some clarity to those few that were struggling, I encouraged them to create a flow chart that mapped out every daily task and function they performed. After they finished creating the flowchart, I could review it, and suggest some time-saving improvements and shortcuts. I could see where in their processes they would need to implement a follow-up sequence, the types of steps needed (email, task, fulfillment) or if they could use a pipeline for better workflow.
Some clients stated to me that they did not have a process to map, as they were only starting out. I found that statement to be false. We all work from routines, whether in our personal lives or in everyday business encounters.
Here are some questions to ask when starting out with Infusionsoft:
- Where am I getting my leads from? (Advertising, website, etc)
- Once a lead contacts me or appears interested, how do they contact me?
- When I hear from a prospect, do I send an email? Schedule a meeting? Send a letter?
- If a customer is not interested in my products/services, what do I do with their contact information?
- How do I always stay “in front” of my prospects?
- When a prospect does do business with me, what do I do to ensure their loyalty? Do I offer any upsells?
I have proven advice to those who are starting with Infusionsoft:
Take a step away from the software and answer those questions. I recommend to write down the answers on a piece of paper, type them out on your computer, or create a flow-chart to help you visualize your business and gain a better understanding of where improvements can be made.
You can find a variety of free programs on the Internet to help you map out your processes. Here are a few that I have tried and found quite easy to use:
- Gliffy: Web hosted and easy to use (the free version allows up to three flowcharts)
- Flowchart.com: web hosted and contains pre-built templates to choose from
- Bubble.us: By far the most user-friendly flowchart software out there, although lacking in some functionality. They are implementing updates soon.
- Open Office.org: contains similar features to Microsoft Office products, including Visio (you will need to download)
- EdraSoft — Completely free and easy to use; choose from many different templates.
Be sure to review the terms and conditions of using these products as they may have specific licensing for commercial (business) uses. Nevertheless, as an individual, you’re fine to use these services.
Let’s take a look at a sample flowchart. The example below outlines a process submitted to me by an actual client over a year ago.
If an appointment was set, and a business deal made, then my client had another process ready to go for those individuals.
By looking at his flowchart, I was able to see how he could use Infusionsoft to get all of these processes automated. When a prospect calls in, he could create a Response Form. The response form could contain checkboxes, three to be exact. Each checkbox would trigger a follow-up sequence, depending on the checkbox. One checkbox was for those whose appointments were scheduled less than three days out, the next checkbox was for those individuals with the appointment date greater than three days and the third checkbox triggered a “Request more information” sequence. Each checkbox initiated a sequence, and the sequences could be built around a particular date. To initiate these processes, he needed simply to check a box.
He could have used the Pipeline, and completion scenarios as well. My mind was abuzz of excitement as I explained that the seemingly time-consuming tasks he accomplished manually could actually be automated. I could see the “light bulb” go on as my client soaked all of this in, and he became enthusiastic to get all of these processes setup in his application. Here is how the above example could look in Infusionsoft.
We call this experience the “Infusionsoft moment.”
As you can see, there are limitless possibilities with Infusionsoft; it’s all about your plan. What’s yours?
Are you using Infusionsoft creatively? Share your ideas! Follow the Infusionsoft Training department on Twitter @InfusionHelp. You may also email your ideas to fusebox@infusionsoft.com!
Posted In: Small Business
