It's not often you get a client like our Fred—a business owner who has not only become a tenacious proponent of systemizing a business, but one who has carried that message to his business-owner friends and colleagues in his industry.
As Fred goes about preaching this gospel of bringing order to a business through systemization, he now has a continual stream of business owners making the pilgrimage to his place of business to hear his fiery sermons on quality control and other related topics, and to get a firsthand look at Fred's operations.
Many times, when he is sharing with an owner who is looking for solutions to end chaos in their business, Fred starts out his discourse with a definite attention grabber, "I know where you live!" and then he goes on, describing in great detail as if he is looking through a crystal ball, how the owner's business LOOKS, FEELS and OPERATES. He then describes in further detail what the owner is experiencing personally, due to the stresses and strains of their owning and operating a business that's out of order. It's as if he can read their minds!
No, Fred has just walked in their shoes—he has lived where they live!
Fred recounts to the owner how he sees him as "unable to leave the office without your cell phone constantly ringing, without staff asking for information, without costly errors being made and balls being dropped; jobs not being processed correctly, unresolved customer complaints, no time for family life, working long hours and weekends trying to keep up," etc. Fred knows about that!
As he depicts certain problems that ONLY an owner from his industry could possibly relate to and understand, that's when this soon-to-be convert concedes and says "You're right, Fred, I think you've been living under my desk—you really do know where I live!"
At this point, Fred takes the now-ready-to-listen owner through a step-by-step demonstration of his quality control system, emphasizing the importance of each prompt on the SOP's (Standard Operating Procedures). He shows the owner how each system is affected by other systems, how they interact and how these systems hold everyone accountable.
You see, when we first met Fred he was seeking solutions to his own chaos and was ready to do whatever it took to bring his own company to order. Fred KNOWS where other business owners live, because he lived in the same messes himself. We simply provided tools to Fred when HE was the seeker. We shared with him what we have learned and witnessed over the years.
Now it's Fred's turn—he's become a true, committed believer.
Fred now brings to our door more seekers of knowledge who are sick and tired of "business as usual"—those who are ready to make a decision for a new start in their business by harnessing and using the power of systems.
It's not easy to humble yourself and admit to other business owners that you need help. I know about that! We ALL need help and direction at some point.
Did I mention? Great systems work.
Philip Beyer, founder/president of Ebiz Products LLC and founder of Beyer Printing Inc. in Nashville Tenn., is a chronic entrepreneur, business systems analyst and consultant. Author of "System Busters: How to Stop Them in Your Business" and recipient of an InterTech Technology Award for the design and development of System100 business process management software. Beyer speaks to business owners across the country on how to bring lean, sustainable order to their businesses. Contact him at (615) 425-2652.