Creating Your Operating Processes

Let’s talk about your Operational Process. Who does what, when and why?

If you receive an email from a bride looking for packages and pricing information, how will you respond? Remember, this is part of the initial sales process so be intentional with how you respond.

The photo below illustrates the beginning of a flowchart for a client inquiry process. I use post it notes to create the boxes of the flowchart. Squares represent an occurrence of something or an action step that needs to be taken. Diamonds represent a decision that has to be made.

Here, I put them on the wall in my office. Sometimes I’ve had to move them to a big wall because there are so many steps. Using different color notes makes it fun too. Creating one similar to this for all your processes helps to operate your business in a consistent manner.

In any process you need to know three things:

1. What are you doing? (Taking a client inquiry with the intention of booking them as a client)
2. What are you trying to accomplish? Where are you going? (Schedule a get acquainted meeting)
3. How are you going to get it done? (Describe each step of the process in detail)

Each rectangle in the flowchart represents an area to create a standard response. By standard I mean one that is consistent with your brand and what you are trying to accomplish as part of your sale process. (More on the sales process in a future post.) Documenting your standard responses also allows you to create a process manual so that you can automate your systems for others in your company…like interns and assistants.

One of the processes I encourage all new planners to create right away is one for all new brides that book your services. This is MAJOR! Think of all the steps you will take them through during each of the planning phases, all the way through to the wedding day and after. Don’t be ad hoc about it…you’ll become known for how you do things in your business so make sure you have a solid process in place.

Begin with how you would want to be treated as a customer. Then look back at the last two or three customer service experiences you’ve had. What worked and what didn’t?

Creating processes and documenting them is one area that I go into “really” deep with my private coaching clients. I was used to creating systems and processes while in my corporate jobs over the years so I naturally prepared these when I was building my planning business. It’s one of the reasons I was so successful in the beginning, when it came to booking brides. Many of them told me that they felt at ease because my preparedness assured them they were working with a professional. First impressions are VERY important…what you do here can make or break you.

Do this exercise with every process in your business. Write it down and add it to your procedures manual. And when something doesn’t work, be sure to make adjustments and update your process accordingly.

These exercises and more are in my new report “Seven Critical Mistakes Aspiring Planners Make BEFORE They Book Their First Bride.” Get it by visiting the sidebar on my website today!

Until next time…

Aspire to Plan!!