Stop for a second and think about your business. Ask yourself how it functions and what steps your clients or customers take to get from point A to point B. Imagine a stranger was to ask you “what exactly can I expect if I choose your company?” 

If you can easily answer these questions, congratulations! You’re already on your way to a clearly defined company process.

You may have heard the phrase “proven process” thrown around recently and wondered what it was about. (Or you just ignored it completely, since the phrase has quickly become cliche marketing jargon.) While the phrase itself may be overused, the concept is an important one. Your process is simply a series of events (the work your company already does) that will take place in order to achieve the final goal (the product or service your company is selling.)

Odds are your company already has some version of a process, but maybe it’s become dated over time or maybe it’s so loose it isn’t being followed consistently by all your employees. Regardless of the industry you’re in, a clearly defined structure for how your company completes tasks is a must.

Now’s the time to nail down your company process once and for all!

(Just kidding about the “once and for all part.” You should regularly evaluate the process and change it when needed. More on that later).

Establishing the step by step operations a customer can expect when working with you immediately helps to build trust. They can see exactly what they are hiring you to do, and that eliminates any confusion about the scope of the project. Put yourself in the customer’s shoes. If you were  building a home, would you trust a construction company whose only action items were “meet client, build the house, get paid”? Absolutely not! 

People want to see action items in order to understand the work being done. At Roundpeg we recently took a hard look at our own process and while we didn’t necessarily change the steps, we spent some time organizing, condensing and polishing them. Our revised process allows our clients to follow along with their project and understand the work going on behind the scenes. 

A transparent and efficient procedure is not only helpful for clients but it helps employees stay on track and provide a consistent service. Delivering exactly what you promised, when you promised it is a great way to ensure your clients walk away happy.

How to find your own unique process. 

You’re probably thinking all this sounds great, but wondering how to create a streamlined guide for your own company. There’s no one way to come up with a process, and it will entirely depend on your industry and service you provide. 

We gathered the entire team, and did what any good marketing team does; covered a wall in Post-Its and whittled down the ideas until we had the perfect process. Your team may work better if you start with the first step and the final product and then fill in the steps in between. The key is to create something that is simple enough for your customers to understand. Remember this is a tool to guide them, it’s not necessarily a comprehensive list of every single thing your company does. 

A company process shouldn’t be set in stone.

You may feel like after putting all this work into defining the steps you won’t want to edit them. The truth is, things change, and as your company grows and technology evolves, you will need to revisit your strategy. You may also find after six months of living with your process it is missing a step. Make edits and streamline your process when you recognize these pain points. If you put in the effort to build a strong and effective process you’ll eventually find it makes your business run more efficiently. Your clients will have more trust in you, your employees will better understand what their roles are and your company will stand out from any competitors who aren’t as transparent about their company process. 

The Roundpeg Process – Your Path to Success

Curious about what we came up with?  You can see our process here. You will notice that the page  title isn’t about us, but about our customers.  This may be our process, but it is their path to success.