At my last job, the end of every year meant dealing with a miserable project we all dreaded: Continuous improvement goals.
Imagine the blandest, most buzzword-laden (and completely meaningless) “goal,” written in a way we thought sounded smart (it didn’t) and that no one would ever look at again. That’s what continuous improvement meant to every department head.
Mine typically went like this:
“After having reviewed the data regarding the 2009 fiscal year LTL shipments, it’s clear that expediting expenses can be significantly reduced [cue the passive voice] by utilizing personnel in a more strategic manner…”
The whole exercise was completely meaningless. Department heads spent on average about 10 minutes on their goals, and who could blame us? We were too busy putting out urgent fires to plan for future improvements.
But over the past few weeks, I’ve realized something. That poorly executed goal-setting exercise set me up for future success in my own business.
It showed me how different systems (departments) worked together to produce an output (the finished part). It taught me how to use data within a system to identify potential problems and areas of improvement. And it taught me how to design and test solutions to make meaningful changes.
Continuous improvement for coaches and course creators
You might be thinking, “Ok, Cindy, but I don’t run a factory. I’m a one-person show with a few courses and coaching clients and I’m just trying not to work 70 hours a week so I can enjoy my life a bit.”
Me, too! 🙋🏻♀️
Let’s break down three real-world examples of systems that already exist in your business, how to know if they’re broken, and what to do about it (no buzzword bingo required).
📢 Your client attraction system
Also known as visibility, this is everything you do to attract a new audience to your products and services. It’s your social accounts, your content, your ads, books you’ve written, stages you speak on… anything that puts you in front of your ideal clients is part of your client attraction system.
Unless you have an audience, you can’t make sales. Simple as that. Client attraction or visibility is typically where we focus as marketers. This is why you’ll see so many people selling courses about how to use Pinterest, or start a YouTube channel, or launch a podcast.
They’re all aimed at improving the client attraction system, but they have a fatal flaw: They assume you need more TACTICS when what you might actually need is just better SYSTEMS.
Here’s how to know if your client attraction system is broken: Your audience isn’t growing. You’re not getting new followers on LinkedIn, your views on YouTube are dropping, or your podcast stats are flatlined.
That’s the point where we often think, “I have to do something new!” And then we run off and buy that Pinterest course, because that MUST be the missing piece, right?
Except, what if we just improved the existing system?
Learn to make better, scroll-stopping thumbnails. Write more compelling LinkedIn content. Improve the SEO for your podcast. Those things are easier to do, and can have a bigger impact than starting a completely new project.
Back in my shipping department days, I didn’t try to move the loading docks to the other side of the building to improve downtime. Instead, I cleaned up the one dock that had turned into a storage space and suddenly had 25% more space to load trucks.
Improve what you have, before taking on more and bigger projects.
💰 Your sales system
This is how you make sales. It starts the minute your potential client becomes aware of your solution to their problem, and ends when they have made a purchase.
This system is critical, because it’s where you can easily lose a new customer.
In our Six-Figure Systems Q & A call this week, I talked about how some companies make it difficult for us to give them money. The Atlantic wanted me to fill out a four page (!!!) form to sign up for a free trial. Some marketers insist on having a phone number (hard pass from me) before I can create an account. Some make me create an account to access a free course.
All of that adds friction, and makes for a bad first impression. (As evidenced by the fact that I’m throwing The Atlantic under the bus right now.)
Where is the friction in your sales system? Where do potential customers and clients drop off, never to return? If you have data on email unsubscribes and abandoned carts, use that. It will tell you exactly where the trouble spots are.
If you don’t have that data or you don’t know how to access it, put on your customer hat and walk through your sales process as someone brand new to your world. What’s confusing? What is harder/more time consuming than it needs to be? What frustrates you?
Fix those spots, and your bottom line will improve without having to create new products, host a holiday sale, or recruit more affiliates.
❤️ Your fulfillment system
This is the process for delivering the goods. It’s how you onboard new coaching clients or members, and how customers get access to your courses.
Sadly, this is the one that gets the least attention, and I get it. What’s there to improve here? They’ve already made a purchase, and as long as you deliver the goods, that’s what matters, right?
🛑 Not. So. Fast.
What about repeat sales? A great customer experience leads to higher lifetime value. A poor customer experience leads to refund requests.
What about the cost of support? A smooth onboarding process where the customer or client is able to access everything they need means happy customers and no support tickets. Broken systems make for frustrated customers and time and money spent responding to tickets.
What about word of mouth advertising? A delightful customer experience means they’re more likely to talk about you in a positive light. Bad customer experiences mean terrible reviews.
Again, the data tells the story here, and it’s easy to read.
What’s your refund rate? What can you do to make it 1% less?
What’s your membership churn rate? What’s one thing you can do to improve it by 1%?
What complaints or requests do you hear from customers? Pay attention, because if one person is asking, you can bet that many more just quietly go away without saying a word.
Quick-win action steps for improving your business today
Last week a customer replied to an email I sent. It’s part of the new member onboarding sequence, and she was confused about something I wrote in that email.
This was the perfect opportunity for me to improve my fulfillment system, and it took me about three minutes. I simply updated the email to address her concern, and to clarify it for future members.
In the past, I would have answered her question personally, but not updated the email. In other words, I wouldn’t have improved the system. Don’t be me.
Here’s my assignment for you:
The next time a customer, team member, or affiliate expresses confusion or frustration over something in your business, don’t just answer them. Fix the system.
Business growth really can be as simple as that.
🤝 If you could use some support, here are a few ways I can help:
- Join my Six-Figure Systems community and get instant access to an entire library of system-focused resources to help build, grow, and scale your business. You’ll also get live Q & A calls, mindset coaching calls, and monthly Action Labs to build momentum.
- Work with me 1:1. If you’re ready to nail down the systems that support your business growth, let’s talk about how I can help you avoid the overwhelm and frustration so you can spend more time doing what matters: teaching and coaching.
- Schedule a one-time, “Get Unstuck” call. Bring me your biggest frustration about your existing business systems, and we’ll solve it together. You’ll walk away with an action plan to get you to the next step.
- Need something else? Email me directly at cindy@cindybidar.com. I read and respond to every one of your emails, and I genuinely would love to hear from you.
