Two weeks passed. I completed the Email Challenge and kept going. Let me share some of my failures in this along with two or three lessons I’ve learned in the process.

A customer complained that we haven’t given them a timeline for their camera system installation. They sent it in a polite email, but they were clearly frustrated. Here’s how we’re responding and learning from this particular situation…

Wouldn’t it be great if all your business processes were clearly documented? The problem is that it takes a lot of time to do this accurately, and then you have to keep updating them for them to stay accurate. Here’s how you can start creating manuals and standard operating procedures before you technically need them.

The Theory of Constraints says that in any system, there’s one limiting factor that prevents the system from producing more. When we’re running our businesses and deciding how to allocate our attention and resources, our focus should be on identifying those constraints and fixing them instead of trying to make everything work well. The challenge, of course, is that it’s easier said than done.

Some secrets are like your secret sauce. Others, you’re just ashamed to admit.

I’m not good at email. I can write. I can type. I’m just not good at responding to all my emails. I don’t keep track of it all very well. So, I’m going to change that… for two weeks anyway…

Every business, fundamentally, sells the same way. But in practice, the process can be wildly different. We have seven steps in our process, whether we’re selling burglary alarm systems, access control, CCTV, or fire protection. We use direct calls to initiate conversations and in person appointments to find out how we can help and delivery our quotes. It’s old school, but our system works.

If you’re testing new technology, products, or entire vendors, here are some things to think about in the process…

When I call someone for work, I start with this simple question: “How are you doing today?” It sounds like a filler question, small talk for no reason. Except I do it on purpose. Two reasons really. One, I want to frame the conversation in my head to be about the other person. Two, I want to get an immediate sense of their attitude before I jump into the conversation agenda.

Some skills can make you a dramatically better business person but typically don’t surface when we’re hiring or training someone. Skills like leading meetings, email communication, or how we greet our coworkers in the morning. It’s hard to pin down how important these are, much less how to develop them. Can we be more intentional about improving these types of skills?