Feeling a little drained? Sensing that your productivity has been on a steady decline? Probably not a surprise – it’s definitely been stressful and challenging over the past 18 months. Tough times can certainly drain your energy and your ability to maintain productivity. But fear note, we have compiled a list of five tips to help you increase the productivity of your sales and marketing teams:
Keep track of your time. One of the simplest and most effective way to increase productivity is to invest in timekeeping software that will make your admin processes more efficient. This software can help you track exactly how much time and resources you are spending on each client project, aiding with your future project planning. This can be streamlined with your invoicing to save you time and effort. Check out FreshBooks time tracking software for small business to see how you can start improving your productivity straight away.
Invest in infrastructure. Similar to having the best software, it’s also important to have the best hardware for the job. Many companies cut corners or seek to save money on equipment like printers by going for the cheapest option – but a huge amount of time can be wasted on the simplest tasks. Cheaper equipment can also be harder to use or more likely to break down at the time when you need it most. Investing in good quality products to support your business can save you a lot of money and hassle in the long run.
Practice positive reinforcement. Many workplaces fall short in this category but something as simple as recognising a job well done can help boost an employee’s incentive and further drive them on in their future task. And the best thing about this is that it can be completely free. Some companies offer material incentives and rewards in the form of bonuses or gift cards, but something as simple as a positive email from the boss can be a huge morale boost (this kind of work environment can also help with employee loyalty which is an often underappreciated asset).
Ensure your employees are engaged. This aligns with the use of positive reinforcement but also expands into recognizing where employees need help and feedback. There are a million different reasons why an employee might be underperforming or making mistakes and the best way to tackle this is to engage them. Ensure your teams have a safe space where they can address any problems they are having and suggest ways the company can improve in terms of the employee experience. Something as simple as a suggestion box (either a physical one or an employee feedback tool) can make your staff feel seen and valued. It is also important to make notes of their suggestions and ensure you address them or implement them in order for them to know they are being taken seriously and it is not a waste of time.
Delegate and support. Dumping a huge amount of work on one hard-working employee is not the most efficient way to get things done and can cause friction with a valuable asset to your company. Delegation of work is essential in making the project run smoothly, make sure you know what your employees’ strengths are and where they can best be utilized to ensure everything is done efficiently and to the highest quality. It’s also important that you have a network of support should your staff require help or an extra hand in completing their delegated task.
Follow a few of these tips and you should begin to notice an increase in productivity without impacting sales and marketing execution. Increasing productivity without impacting performance is a difficult challenge, but if you are able to achieve this, it could significantly increase profit while also increasing morale and retention of your most important assets. To learn more about how you can get started transforming marketing, download our free 3S Playbook for Transformational Marketers here.
