This weekend I received a postcard from the WA State Department of Health encouraging me to get a Covid vaccine. Funny because I got vaccinated four months ago. It looked like this card was mailed to just about everybody in the State, meaning, no filters applied so pay for mailings to those already vaccinated. Realize this is from the State that I believe led the nation in per capita unemployment fraud due to out-of-date technology.
Our little company has a CRM that can track a lot of things including who opened a message, who clicked a link in it, and can exclude categories when sending a message (as in, exclude those on the vaccinated list when putting together a reminder mailing). But enough railing on government inefficiencies, which we know are plentiful.
Our use of a CRM for more than just a database is something many business buyers bring to the table. They look at creating efficiencies, and often it’s investing in easy-to-use technology. When I think of how much time our CRM saves us on just excluding people when sending something it’s worth the price of the annual subscription.
Business buyers do a lot more than upgrade technology. As in a recent deal, they bring a breath of fresh air to the business. What are some of those things? Here are a few examples.
- Outsource mundane functions with a prime example being HR. Don’t have in-house people try to keep up on all the everchanging rules, hire people who do this all the time.
- Get to know the people. I’ve seen it done with individual conversations, with group sessions, and/or by using surveys. A recent buyer had a situation where the seller transitioning him was gone right after (a delayed) closing. He told me it gave him time to walk around and meet the staff. I commented, “I’ll bet it’s been a long time since there was ‘management by walking around.’”
- Do little things like, and these are real examples, get paper towel holders, get a new printer that doesn’t take a frustratingly long time to spool jobs, buy a quantity of rubber stamps so shipping department employees don’t have to run around to get the only one, have company lunch-provided days, and, this is a good one, beer Fridays once a month (after work).
None of the above is complicated, it’s common sense. Yes, the joke line is common sense isn’t all that common but what really happens is owners get in a rut. It worked that way for 20 years so let’s keep doing it the same.
“If you wish to forget anything on the spot, make a note that this thing is to be remembered.” Edgar Allan Poe
“I’ve never put much store by honesty. I mean, how can you trust a word whose first letter you don’t even pronounce?” (Writer) Lorrie Moore
