Work Smarter NOT Harder: using auto-responders for hostess coaching

My mantra (all the time, every day!) is “Smarter not Harder”.  I pretty much just try to pay very close attention to what I avoid doing and why, and then I try to solve that barrier. I worked for a time management consulting company for many years as an administrative assistant, I learned a lot from all that stuff I typed!

That means that if it can be automated, streamlined or eliminated, I do it. If it is not a “business building activity” I try to avoid it. If it is something that has to be repeated (consistency and follow through are my arch nemesis) then I find a way to make technology my slave!   See the example below:

• One of the things that was falling through the cracks was hostess coaching.  I had really good intentions about calling my hostesses.  I also have 2 small children at home during the day, and that number grows when school lets out! (Barrier: Me, my memory, time/quiet to call) 

• So, I decided to use emails as my primary method of hostess coaching.  That worked pretty well, when I remembered to send them.  (Barriers: me, my memory, time to compose/send messages)

• So next, I decided to save the messages in my "draft" folder, along with all the attachments so that they were ready to go.  That helped a lot, but I still had to remember to do it! (Barriers: me, my memory)

•  I started using my "delay delivery" feature in my email (Microsoft Outlook).  This took me about 15 minutes to set up a series of emails to go out over the next 2 weeks.  This was working pretty well!  I disciplined myself to do this as part of my scheduling process: create party in workstation, create party on Facebook, mail hostess packet to hostess, email party info to hostess, schedule hostess coaching emails.  (Barriers: me)

Last month I promoted to Director with my company (originally posted 5/2013).  I’m prepping myself for even more BIG growth (especially in the area of team building and recruiting), and I knew that I HAD to have systems in place to support it or I would flop. I invested in iContact and have been working to build my auto-responder messages and systems so that I can become better at follow-up. It’s like having a personal assistant, but less expensive!

Now, that same series of hostess coaching emails takes me 30 seconds to launch.

Smarter.  Not.  Harder.