When you listen to interviews about how successful entrepreneurs have built their businesses, you’ll probably hear them talk about the importance of having systems. They didn’t allow occasional system mistakes to stand in their way. A lot of them say they were hesitant to start because they didn’t want to feel restricted Once they did, they couldn’t imagine their businesses without them.
Look closer!
If you take a closer look, you’ll see that their systems aren’t complicated or technology-heavy. In fact, they’re often just a series of actions that lead up to an outcome. Above all, they’re designed to fit the needs of that business in the most optimal way.
After noticing this trend many times, you may have finally taken the leap. You set up your own system but were disappointed when it didn’t work out as expected.
Don’t worry! Making system mistakes are normal, and the solution often requires just a simple course correction.
3 Common System Mistakes Business Owners Make
When Setting Up Systems
Mistake 1: You blindly follow someone else’s system without tweaking it for your needs.
Let’s say you’re a copywriter and you learn about another writer’s client-intake system.
You love the process he takes his clients through and try to replicate it step-by-step for your own business.
However, after taking a few clients through the process, it’s evident that his system isn’t working for you.
You don’t have all the information you need to complete projects, and you spend more time on the phone talking to clients than working on the project.
As a result, you’re less productive than before. What happened?
First, it doesn’t matter that you’re in the same industry. You both have distinct personalities with two unique businesses, and your systems have to reflect that. Using someone else’s system as a starting point is great, but don’t stop there.
Second, when you can’t talk with someone to understand the logic behind their systems, you only see one-half of the story which inevitably leads you to create an ineffective system.
DO THIS INSTEAD: Evaluate the system you like and then tweak its components to fit your business model, your personality, your clients’ needs and the tools you love.
Now that you know you’ve realized what parts of his system don’t work for you, you can course correct and make your project scope questionnaire more comprehensive. You can also organize Google Drive, your document management tool, and create a set of folders to copy for each new client. This way you can quickly access documents for projects you work on and see if you’re missing something that needs to be requested.
There is no such thing as a universal system or checklist.
That’s why when I offer my free checklists, I make a point to tell people to tweak them to fit their own business’s demands.
If you’d like an example of how to manage documents, click here to take a look at an example from my own business.
Instead of following someone else’s system verbatim, create your own unique system that serves how you work best and delivers exceptional results for your clients.
Mistake 2: You don’t follow the systems you set up.
You know you work best when you have all of the information from your clients in writing, so you build out a client intake system to reflect that with a detailed survey, folder templates, and checklists. You make sure you have all the information you need to get started on a project.
However, once implemented, you have more than one client who asks to jump on a call with you. They want to talk things out instead of filling out your survey. You make the mistake of continuing to say yes — a decision you later regret because you can’t remember what your client said.
Instead of focusing on the actual work, you’re scrambling to remember what the project actually entailed, endlessly pausing and playing the recorded call to find the information you need.
Making an exception is inconvenient
It disrupts your previously organized day. It also puts your client at a disadvantage because the final outcome may not reflect your best work due to not using your proven system.
DO THIS INSTEAD: When a client asks you to make an exception to your process, explain the logic behind your system. You can do this firmly, but politely, and when you frame your response in a way that shows your client you’re on her side and that this process is in place for her benefit, it’s likely she’ll be understanding and follow through on what you’ve asked.
You have created your systems for a reason, and when you stick to them, you can fully enjoy your work while also delivering the best possible results for your clients.
Mistake 3: You don’t fine-tune your system’s performance.
When you first set up a system, you create it based on your current situation. So what happens when something changes? You may need to tweak your service or the process doesn’t work as well as you thought it would?
Let’s say that after a few weeks with that new client they start expecting you to do things that weren’t in your original agreement. You refer them to the agreement, but they want to talk about it, so you jump on a meeting with them.
As the weeks go on the client continues to expect one on one meetings for even small changes or any type of communication.
Take this opportunity to review
Look at your original agreement to find places where your phrasing could have been clearer. Make sure that the information you ask for during your consultation reflects the client’s actual needs.
DO THIS: As you use your systems, notice where there are inefficiencies, like constantly being asked to do more than originally agreed on or finding yourself in more meetings than are necessary. Use those situations as indications that the system involved needs fine-tuning based on what works best for you and your clients.
An Example: After you start your preferred system, you may notice that allowing clients to expect one on one meetings for simple changes is not efficient. Adding a quick “let’s-get-to-know-each-other” call ensures that you and your prospective client are a good fit. Review the policies document where you outline the reasons why you prefer “in system” communications over phone calls. Then, decide if changes need to be made in your onboarding survey so you obtain all the information you need in order to be most helpful. Your systems exist so you can do your best work which ultimately serves your clients. No system will be perfect right out of the gate. So be patient and adjust as you go.
Routinely check to make sure your systems are up-to-date so you can have full confidence that your systems are working for you. You can produce stellar results for your business and your clients, too.
Back To You
Have you made any of these common mistakes? How did you course correct?
