Handling Replies
In this age of 24/7 email, it’s all too easy for us to be “deluged” with emails from any number of people.
When I first started using email back in the 1990s, all I had were my corporate email (and that was an “in-house only” system, which did not allow us to send emails to people outside the employer’s network until later) and my personal “public domain” email.
Since those days, I’ve added two more personal email addresses (for different purposes), my own consultancy business email and my other business email, bringing me to a total of two corporate email addresses and three personal ones!
I receive email in each. Some require responses, some are for information only and others are “junk”. The trick is in handling responses.
One of my former employers had a standard for responding to email requests: two working days if no deadline was specified. Even if we could only send a “holding reply”, at least the sender knew we had received their message and were acting on it. This was considered “professional”. Not only is it “professional”, it’s also courteous and shows the sender that we take them seriously. Personally, if I feel someone doesn't take my requests seriously, I move on to someone who will.
Fast forward to the current age and things seem to be very different. Part of the problem seems to be caused by email systems sending emails from “unknown senders” to one’s “junk” or “spam” folders. This can be for any number of reasons which I won’t go into here.
From a customer service and professional point of view, we should have both corporate and personal standards for replying. My personal standard is that, if I need a response by a certain deadline, then I ask for it by that deadline. If I email someone without giving them a deadline in which to respond, I will generally chase after one or two weeks, depending on the urgency. Luckily I have a highly evolved follow-up system to ensure that I do chase.
For all of us in service industries, we should have response standards. Some organisations send out an automated response to every email stating that it will be handled within a certain number of working days. This is fine, provided that said follow up does occur. My experience is that most of the time, it does.
Does your organisation have “standards” for responding to emails with or without deadlines? If not, how might you change things?
I’ve spent more than half my life delivering change in different world markets from the most developed to “emerging” economies. With a wealth of international experience in international financial services around the world running different operations and lending businesses, I started my own Consultancy to provide solutions for improving performance, productivity and risk management. I work with individuals, small businesses, charities, quoted companies and academic institutions across the world. An international speaker, trainer, author and fund-raiser, I can be contacted by email. My website provides a full picture of my portfolio of services.
Labels: Customer Care, Leadership, Productivity, Selling
Working With Entrepreneurs
I’ve been lucky enough to work for two global finance organisations as well as with numerous entrepreneurs in my consultancy roles.
Large organisations are, very different to a small business (usually headed by the founder). I continue to learn from entrepreneurs but can say now that there are several commonalities amongst all of them.
The first is a burning desire to bring something to market. It could be a product, a service, a solution to a problem, a way of doing something better cheaper faster or whatever. Whatever it is, they’ve found a way to do it and to do it well enough that people are prepared to pay for it. The thing is, only they really understand what it is they’re trying to achieve.
Following on from the above, once an entrepreneur has defined what it is that they want to do, they go “all out” to see their vision come true. They’ll work 24/7 to make it happen.
Another is what many of us may call “absent mindedness” or “inability to concentrate for long periods of time”. Entrepreneurs’ minds work very differently from those of their workers. They’re thinking about different things continuously and re-prioritising as they go. They may be accused of “forgetting what you said five minutes ago” but usually what’s happened is that something more urgent has appeared on their “radar” (unbeknown to you) and they need to deal with that. The key: keep your interactions short and to the point. Don’t waffle.
Not only are they thinking about the immediate present and what needs doing, they’re thinking about the future. They’re chairman of the board, director, CEO, chief finance officer, head of sales, head of product development, head of manufacturing and even head of logistics!
Many (but not necessarily all) entrepreneurs are also extremely flexible and patient (when they need to be). They have to be if their business is to flourish. Whilst their workers may have the “luxury” of getting impatient with others, entrepreneurs appreciate that often they have to “suck it up” if they’re to get the business. They’re great at finding solutions and ways around a problem.
Another trait that many have is they’re consummate salespeople. Again, this may not apply to all but it does to those with whom I’ve worked so far. Even if they have to take on someone as a “professional” sales person, they still have to “sell” their idea, product or service to that person.
Entrepreneurs aren’t always good when it comes to the details. That doesn’t mean they “don’t do detail” it’s just that they tend to have the idea first and worry about details as they go along. I’ve been amazed at the level of detail into which some of the entrepreneurs with whom I’ve worked have gone, but equally there are others who need others to “make it work”. It’s a case of “have your people call my people”.
Are you an entrepreneur and do you see yourself in any of these? Would you add more?
I’ve spent more than half my life delivering change in different world markets from the most developed to “emerging” economies. With a wealth of international experience in international financial services around the world running different operations and lending businesses, I started my own Consultancy to provide solutions for improving performance, productivity and risk management. I work with individuals, small businesses, charities, quoted companies and academic institutions across the world. An international speaker, trainer, author and fund-raiser, I can be contacted by email. My website provides a full picture of my portfolio of services.
Labels: Career, Leadership, Productivity, Selling
How Clever Are Apple?
I followed the speculation and rumour mills concerning Apple’s intentions (if any) to update its iPad Mini series of tablets.
The last time they did this was 2021 and, according to the pundits, if Apple followed previous patterns, the Mini was “due” for another update in 2023.
Rumours flew around about when (not if) the update would be announced in 2023 and 2024 and what it would consist of. I read articles, watched YouTube videos of how users love their Mini and why we should buy one, whenever it was updated... First people though it would be announced at the 2023 March Event, then September’s.
Meantime Apple remained silent! They let the market do the PR work for them. No need to build suspense, no need for expensive advertising. Even as they announced updated MacBooks, Apple Watches and others in the iPad range, the focus remained on Apple in between these announcements thanks to social media.
Let’s not forget: Apple are clever. They wait until they’re “good and ready”, then make their move. Remember the Apple Watch? Their competitors had introduced smartwatches well before Apple, but when Apple finally produced the first Apple Watch, they took the market by storm. Many still consider the Apple Watch as the “best” smartwatch out there.
I was given an Apple Watch for Christmas one year and wore it almost non-stop for three years without really having a battery issue (so maybe the “short battery life objection” isn’t really valid?). The problem was, after that time, I found that, to update the watch’s operating system, I had to wipe its memory and restart. None of my analogue watches obviously have this problem, but I’d suggest that smartwatch manufacturers look into this issue so that one doesn’t have to replace the watch every 3-4 years (although this may be deliberate).
Personally, I’m going to wait until they produce something that has more than 2 days’ battery life, that doesn’t look like a mini-iPhone on my wrist and that doesn’t require me to change it every 3 - 4 years.
I may have a long wait…
Apple have used the classic magician’s sleight of hand to make people think they’re doing one thing whilst they do another.
Whoever the genius is at the Apple Corporation, well done on getting the market to do your advertising for you!
The iPad Mini v. 7 was finally released in October 2024 and now the latest rumour is that Apple are considering a foldable iPad…
I’ve spent more than half my life delivering change in different world markets from the most developed to “emerging” economies. With a wealth of international experience in international financial services around the world running different operations and lending businesses, I started my own Consultancy to provide solutions for improving performance, productivity and risk management. I work with individuals, small businesses, charities, quoted companies and academic institutions across the world. An international speaker, trainer, author and fund-raiser, I can be contacted by email. My website provides a full picture of my portfolio of services.
Labels: Selling, Strategy
Employers and Automation
I recently heard that employers are now taking action to combat the rising tide of AI generated CVs by adding extra “layers” to their selection process.
One of these layers is a “face-to-face interview”. I was surprised to read this, as I consider the interview a vital tool in determining whether somebody is “right”. No matter how many psychometric tests, and other technological traps one lays, once applicants “wise up”, they’ll simply deploy counter measures.
Interviews also give candidates the chance to meet and assess those with whom they’ll work. For me, the interview process benefits both sides in the long run.
The US discovered very quickly that despite its high-altitude all-seeing, all-hearing UAVs in the sky, nothing beat the “Mk I eyeball” and “boots on the ground” in contested territory.
The same metaphor is now extending to the workplace. Candidates who simply rely on AI to get them through the process will probably find they can get a job somewhere but the quality employers will still deploy the “Mk I eyeball” to decide who’s truly worth hiring.
One wonders if part of the drive towards automation is due to the newer generations of employee to whom technology is as basic a tool as running water and electricity is to other generations. The problem is, if these new generations lack the human skills to deal with others, they will clearly face problems further on in their careers where human contact is still a prerequisite.
I’ve spent more than half my life delivering change in different world markets from the most developed to “emerging” economies. With a wealth of international experience in international financial services around the world running different operations and lending businesses, I started my own Consultancy to provide solutions for improving performance, productivity and risk management. I work with individuals, small businesses, charities, quoted companies and academic institutions across the world. An international speaker, trainer, author and fund-raiser, I can be contacted by email. My website provides a full picture of my portfolio of services.
Labels: Customer Care, Leadership, Teamwork
