Temper Yourself

Managing Your Documents With Insightly

Although Insightly is not a document management system per se, it can be used to create better organization of your most valuable files. Thanks to Insightly’s robust list of document integrations, attaching a file is a breeze. Simply enable the Insightly integration to your preferred document system, and you can easily link any file to a record.

Or, if you’re interested in uploading a file that’s saved to your computer, Insightly has you covered there, too. For individual files, the convenient “drag and drop” option might be a wise choice.

If you wish to upload multiple documents, click the “Add Files” button and select your files. Before doing this, it can be helpful to organize your intended documents into a single directory. This will expedite the upload process, saving you time and effort.

At any point, you can easily refer back to a record’s documents. Click on the “Files” tab to view a full listing of each upload. Now, rather than searching through multiple folders on your machine or through third-party apps, everything you need is centrally accessible.

Step Out for a Strategy Session

Even if you’re a one-man (or one-woman) shop, you still need to make time for the occasional strategy session. Unfortunately, you’re busier than ever, which makes strategizing low on the priority list.

Why do you need to make time for formulating your business strategy? There are several good reasons, but among the best is the simple fact that you deserve it. You’re in business to make money – that’s a given; however, you’re also in business for more important reasons. Personal and professional fulfillment are at the top of the list. Strategy helps you align what you do each day with your desire to be fulfilled.

So, what makes an effective strategy session? Here are a few suggestions:

Make a Simple Agenda in Advance: You’re not preparing for a test, so don’t freak out. A strategy agenda could be as basic as a few goals you hope to achieve. Or, if you’re feeling especially motivated, you might set up some Insightly tasks to accomplish. Either way, get a basic plan together.

Go Somewhere Fun: Coffee shops, libraries, or shared work spaces can be good choices. Wherever you go, a scenery change helps you circumvent the doldrums of a typical workday and frees your creative juices.

Hold Yourself Accountable: After your strategy session is complete, find ways to create accountability. Strategic time is wasted unless you follow up on your plans. Set tasks with email reminders in Insightly to avoid forgetfulness.

Practice Temperance

Business owners are known to have an unquenchable desire for achievement. While this is certainly an admirable trait, if left unchecked, it can lead to entrepreneurial burnout.

For thousands of years, philosophers and clergy alike have trumpeted the value of temperance. In case you’re a little rusty on the Cardinal Virtues, Plato, Aristotle, Thomas Aquinas, and many others have consistently spoken of this particular virtue for both personal and societal benefit. Although somewhat overlooked in recent years, temperance is still fundamental in one’s ability to control excessive tendencies.

By proactively limiting one’s action relative to his goals or desires, a person can achieve greater life balance, and, in time, become more virtuous.

So, what are some simple ways to practice temperance at your place of work? Here are a few quick ideas:

• Drink one less cup of coffee each day
• Avoid lashing out at that telemarketer who keeps calling you (despite your prior requests)
• Bypass your office’s water cooler gossip
• Wait until you arrive where you’re going before checking your phone
• Develop a backlog of new ideas to discuss with your team, rather than filling their inboxes each time a new thought enters your brain

On an average day, you make thousands of choices. These examples may seem like small sacrifices, but they all add up. Pause to consider a few areas of your life that could use a healthy dose of temperance!

Increase Your Close Rate With Faster Quoting

“I’d like to request a price quote from your company.”

These are words that every sales rep and business owner love to hear. Quotes lead to sales, which is the name of the game.

The quoting process is usually a prospect’s first substantive interaction with your organization. Although there is no commitment to purchase yet, you are providing a window into how your company operates. It’s therefore important to provide an accurate and speedy quoting experience. Some companies mistakenly overlook their quoting operation, likening it to just another back-office function. However, it’s far from unimportant.

Put yourself in the shoes of the customer. In his mind, he’s really asking for a simple piece of information. That is, how much does your product or service cost. Despite the complex realities involved with actually assembling the proposal, the customer could probably care less. He just wants to know if it fits in his budget – no more, no less.

To start the process of expediting your quoting function, ask yourself these questions:

• What bottlenecks can we remove from the process?
• Should we centralize all quoting activity?
• Could we use cost assumptions, rather than waiting for actual data to build each quote?
• Should we offer standard “packages,” rather than custom-quoting everything?
• Are there quoting apps that integrate to our CRM (rather than using spreadsheets)?

Lengthy quoting periods can create unnecessary doubt. Continuously seek ways to streamline your process.