Skip to main content

Field workers need answers, NOW


How pathetic is this post?  In a world filled with technology tools to distribute content this does not seem like it is very interesting.  The often overwhelming number of choices really muddies the waters.  Not to mention the security concerns related to communicating problems and solutions to the field workers and keeping these "nuggets" out of the hands of your competitors. Here are some things to consider:



Topics

  • Take some time, gather some of your key team members, reflect back on the last year and those areas which require the most improvement. Without consideration to how the items are organized simply start jotting them down on a piece of paper or whiteboard. I found it most effective in a group setting to ask everyone to contribute three of their own on a 3 x 5 index card. Have the moderator collect the cards and then put them on the whiteboard for further discussion and adjustment.

Frequency

  • Establish some frequency and stick with it. The aforementioned topics are essentially the lifeline of a field answer solution, you will have struck gold when members of this community begin contributing and responding to each other's contributions

Themes

  • Organizing topics into larger groups, or themes, can sometimes help you balance the type of messages that you are distributing. For instance, with the Last Mile Worker blog, I mix in business, client, workforce, training, process, and technology topics.

Tools

  • For tool selection consider the point of origin of your content. In many cases the content is homegrown or liberated from a partner vendor. Does your content need to be completely private? Would you ever want to share or include your clients in these discussions? I've used many tools over the years including YouTube, Vimeo, traditional blogs, and internal content systems such as Microsoft SharePoint.  The tool is really not that important it is just a means to an end.  What is most important is the convenience for field worker to consume and contribute information. Currently we are using Microsoft Teams in the office 365 technology stack.



The key here is to create a culture that cherishes knowledge. Our best service people are often those which have made the most mistakes yet corrected them before leaving the job. Imagine a world where you can take that valuable insight and perspective and share it amongst all of your workers.  Your organization would be unstoppable.



-----

Next post:  characteristics of a field worker

-----
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

suggesting is NOT selling

People and companies want to buy from people that they trust.   The individual which possesses the broadest set of knowledge will gain the most credibility and as a result yield high levels of trust.   When I was in the field I definitely had the ear of the customer and for the most part discussed areas that needed improvement or replacement. At no moment was I ever, at least in my mind, selling. Instead, as I think back on those days, I believe I was simply "suggesting". Take an immediate need, add in a trusted advisor and a credible suggestion, you will most likely get a sale. However, this is not selling. From my non-salesman perspective I would sum up the following related to the sales process; sales is not a single event but instead a sequence of connection points which create a positive experience that leads to a purchase . Over the years I've been fortunate to have known many different types of salespeople in different industries and I believe that they a...
Post a Comment
Read more

In$pired

As the steam from Avid Andy's coffee fogged his glasses on this crisp January morning, he reflected on last year and thought enthusiastically about the year ahead.   Sometimes the noise of business is deafening, we rarely take the time to contemplate our moves, instead are often thrown one direction or another.   Hey, face it, if you are reading posts to gain perspective you fall in the group of folks who pride themselves as obsequious hoop-jumpers.   We live to help others and expect that all of those around us feel the same way.   I just love Influential Irene.   Okay, it is out in the open, she is an inspiration for me and so many others.   Irene reminds folks every year, without fail, these three statements which she fondly refers to as "the punchline" (although this is no joke).   Businesses, of any size, will be successful if they remember that it is people that make a company.   Put this advice into practice, today: Sincerity |...
Post a Comment
Read more

focus on your annuity base, come on man..

Stick with what you know and repeat often. When I think about maintenance, regardless of type of contract, I think about consistency, consistency, consistency. The motivation behind writing this post is to encourage you to either build or bolster your existing maintenance base, here are some things to consider: most maintenance contracts should yield between 5% and 7% additional revenue above and beyond the contract value.   Building trust between you and your clients organization will result in additional service activity. Full risk contracts, or those where you were charging one flat amount and taking all of the financial risk, can be profitable.   Watch out for the age of the equipment, service call track record, and customer disposition pull-through opportunities can be constrained with full risk contracts unless the scope of work is very specific. This can be a bit of a slippery slope. The perception of a...
Post a Comment
Read more