Whether you are a CEO of a billion dollar company, an executive at a local SEO firm, or the owner of a SMB, you will always encounter challenges that require careful consideration in order to fix it.
Problems at work can be stressful. Sometimes, they can be so overwhelming, we don’t know where to start or how to fix it. Sooner or later we just end up going in circles and not getting anything done.
This is not cool.
So here is a simple step-by-step plan that will help you solve a problem, or at least get closer to a solution. This step-by-step plan will help keep you calm and collected instead of running around like a chicken with its head cut off.
First, you need to identify what the problem really is. Sometimes you know there is something wrong, but you just don’t know what exactly is causing it. So step back and look at all the aspects of the issue.
What is causing the problem? What is the real issue and what needs to be fixed?
Is your problem marketing related? Is it personnel related? Is it due to a lack of data, like marketing analytics and business intelligence.
You have to figure out what your problem is before you can fix it.
Now that you have identified the problem, you need to brainstorm solutions. Draw it out on a big white board, meet with other co-workers, meditate alone in your office, just do what you need to do that will help you come up with as many possible solutions as you can. The more you have the better.
Do you need to invest in solutions or technology that will fix the problems? Do you need more employees? Do you need fewer employees?
Now that you have come up with a plentitude of solutions, you need to evaluate each one of them.
Figure out the pros and cons of each one. Put them in order from best to worst and decide which ones will deliver the best results.
For example, we added a new client yesterday that determined they had an ROI problem. They were spending money on marketing that they couldn’t track. They weren’t able to account for all of their spend and measure every dollar.
They brainstormed for solutions, they evaluated options, and they decided they need to upgrade technology to a more fleshed-out call tracking solution.
Now, it’s time to put it to action! You have decided which solution is going to bring you the most success and fix the problem at hand. You need to actually implement your solution in order to fix your problem. But don’t get ready to sit back yet.
If you have an ROI problem, a phone skills problem, a call recording problem, or any problem that’s marketing related–try implementing call tracking.
Once you have put your plan of action into place, you need to make sure you follow-through. This is very crucial because sometimes, even though you picked out the solution that seemed the best, it may still fall through. If you don’t have a follow up plan, you are going to get caught off guard when you find that problem knocking at your door again.
