Discussion Forum > What MF system do you use for commercial activities
No commercial business, working at a public hospital, still using AF4.
November 10, 2011 at 8:51 |
Rainer
Rainer
I'd be interested to hear what anyone uses who work in a freelance capacity for several clients. I probably favour SF but have gone off the rails recently. The problem I have is being able to see what I have on for each client - it all tends to get jumbled up in my list!
November 10, 2011 at 9:02 |
Alison Reeves
Alison Reeves
Alison:
If you are dealing with a number of clients, then it is important to keep client documentation. When I was coaching clients, I kept a file on each client and made a lot of use of standard forms. Any notes referring to a client went in my In-Tray so I could file them as part of my daily routine. That way it's easy to find where you are with each client.
Also make use of project management tasks such as "Review Client X", "Update Client Files", etc.
If you are dealing with a number of clients, then it is important to keep client documentation. When I was coaching clients, I kept a file on each client and made a lot of use of standard forms. Any notes referring to a client went in my In-Tray so I could file them as part of my daily routine. That way it's easy to find where you are with each client.
Also make use of project management tasks such as "Review Client X", "Update Client Files", etc.
November 10, 2011 at 13:46 |
Mark Forster
Mark Forster
Alisson,
I dont know if it is the right method but in the way of MF here is what I do.
I have created a folder on EVERNOTE call Contacts.
then I drop a note on each contact like this
SMITH PROPOSALS
SMITH HISTORICAL (here I dop all my notes about him)
and so on. Each note is specialised about a subjetct with a client. Then When I need it i just make a search and find it.
I do the same with My builldings
Street X Notes
Street X numbers (where there is all the financial informations)
Sreet X Strategy where I jot notes about the way I expect to sell the building.
Street X Historical > Here are my clients and prospects.
I tried to do it on paper but I have too many clients and prospect So it is very difficuult and I need the information about buildings and people anywhere.
Thats about my projects. And it works for me since 6 month.
About tasks as I said somewhere else I am experimenting a mixt of AF, and Brian Ferry with list s. It is a simple sheet of paper with 3 vertical colums
1 is calls (I have many calls per day)
1 Is the short term task I expect to do them in one day or two
1 is one week or so. I try to do them in the week.
I have also a general list which is on my computer for the current mont and another one for later. I read them once a day and complete them little by little when I am not sur to do it shortly.
Once a week I do a weekly revieuw of all my evernotes projects and my lists paer and computer and I report the tasks on the lists.
I also do monthly review to check if I follow my objectives (GOALS) which are determined for 4 years, controles by quarter.
I am still testing so this method may be wont stay. But for the moment it is OK.
I dont know if it is the right method but in the way of MF here is what I do.
I have created a folder on EVERNOTE call Contacts.
then I drop a note on each contact like this
SMITH PROPOSALS
SMITH HISTORICAL (here I dop all my notes about him)
and so on. Each note is specialised about a subjetct with a client. Then When I need it i just make a search and find it.
I do the same with My builldings
Street X Notes
Street X numbers (where there is all the financial informations)
Sreet X Strategy where I jot notes about the way I expect to sell the building.
Street X Historical > Here are my clients and prospects.
I tried to do it on paper but I have too many clients and prospect So it is very difficuult and I need the information about buildings and people anywhere.
Thats about my projects. And it works for me since 6 month.
About tasks as I said somewhere else I am experimenting a mixt of AF, and Brian Ferry with list s. It is a simple sheet of paper with 3 vertical colums
1 is calls (I have many calls per day)
1 Is the short term task I expect to do them in one day or two
1 is one week or so. I try to do them in the week.
I have also a general list which is on my computer for the current mont and another one for later. I read them once a day and complete them little by little when I am not sur to do it shortly.
Once a week I do a weekly revieuw of all my evernotes projects and my lists paer and computer and I report the tasks on the lists.
I also do monthly review to check if I follow my objectives (GOALS) which are determined for 4 years, controles by quarter.
I am still testing so this method may be wont stay. But for the moment it is OK.
November 10, 2011 at 14:55 |
FocusGuy.
FocusGuy.
Thanks both for your thoughts - most useful!
November 10, 2011 at 21:35 |
Alison Reeves
Alison Reeves
Hi Alison,
I thought last night about something easy you could do to replace your paper list
It could be to create a folder in ever not call tasks and then drop each task one by one, one note by one note. As you can add tags you could for example create a @Call for all your calls.
Evernotes autorize to sort by tags so it can be easy to collect, review and do.
As you may have also tour projects on evernote it make a global collecting a,d acting solution which may be not stupid at all. If you want more explanations have a look on my blog how I have organized my project. http://gtdway.blogspot.com/2011/11/bonjour-tous-ces-quelques-lignes-pour.html
I thought last night about something easy you could do to replace your paper list
It could be to create a folder in ever not call tasks and then drop each task one by one, one note by one note. As you can add tags you could for example create a @Call for all your calls.
Evernotes autorize to sort by tags so it can be easy to collect, review and do.
As you may have also tour projects on evernote it make a global collecting a,d acting solution which may be not stupid at all. If you want more explanations have a look on my blog how I have organized my project. http://gtdway.blogspot.com/2011/11/bonjour-tous-ces-quelques-lignes-pour.html
November 11, 2011 at 9:59 |
FocusGuy.
FocusGuy.
What proved to be effective for my business activities, is separating clients` information and client-related tasks in CRM system (or in similar systems as described in this discussion above), from other business tasks, for which I can use the same system I use for all my home/leisure/personal tasks (which is not any proper MF system at the moment, but my own hybrid, however any AF system could be also used for it).
November 11, 2011 at 10:38 |
Daneb
Daneb
100% agree with Daneb. Each time I tried to put on the same sheet information and client-related tasks it was a desaster. About the CRM the results was the same. AF was much better. But waterver is the following and acting system about tasks it must be easy and mobile for me because I work everywhere.
November 11, 2011 at 10:54 |
FocusGuy.
FocusGuy.
I wonder among all MF systems what is the one you still use especially for commercial business. Have you modified the system how and why ?
Cheers