In the past few weeks we've discussed the importance of leveraging professional relationships in your business. Today we are looking at the steps you can take to make sure you're leveraging your professional services to the max.
- Be clear on your expectations - In the E-Myth program, we use Position Agreements to clearly communicate the expectations that a company has for its employees. Having a structured way to communicate expectations ensures that everyone is on the same page. Although professional services are technically not employees you should have a clear set of expectations for each professional service that you use in your business. Your expectations should include what your business should expect from their services, when to expect it, and what they should expect from your business.
To get started with your expectations, use the tips that we provided last week as a checklist. You may also want to look through any information you've received from each professional to look at what promises their business have made.
- Evaluate your current relationships - Once you have clear guidelines of what you expect from each service, use those guidelines to evaluate the service you are currently receiving. Use a simple 1-5 rating scale for each of the expectations. This will help you establish the gaps between the services that you need and give you the agenda for your next meeting with that professional.
- Set a meeting - In order to get on the right track with each professional you will want to have a conversation with them regarding expectations. Having the expectations and an evaluation of the services you are receiving will allow you to have a frank conversation about what your business needs. This will also help you discover what your next steps need to be so that the next time you evaluate this service your business is getting what it needs.
The three steps above may seem simple, but often times have a huge impact in making sure that your business is leveraging its professional services. Following these three steps each year will provide you with an outline to a system that can be used time and time again to ensure your business is truly leveraging its professional services.
Don't Forget: Today's email is a part of our series on leveraging professional services in your business. Follow the links below to read the rest of the series:
