Rock the System: Resources
You can download the Rock the System workbook here. A good complement to the tools & techniques discussed in Rock the System is the Plan Your Week Toolkit, and if that piques your interest, you can get $3 off it or anything else in the shop with discount code “RTS” at checkout.
Discussed in Rock the System:
Systems 101
Example client follow up system flowchart:
Download the example documentation for a teleclass here
Resources:
A post about the joys of using communication templates
How to use newsletter templates to make your life easier
Systems for New Businesses
There’s a simple template for tracking your marketing activities & their results in the Rock the System workbook, but if you want something a little more complex, check out this article – it’s written by an Etsy seller but is a really great look into creating your own marketing notebook, whether you sell products or services.
Tools & resources mentioned:
TimeTrade & ScheduleOnce – tools for scheduling appointments with less back & forth
Satori – helps automate the intake process (along with other back-end processes) for coaches
Docusign – helps streamline signing documents
FocusBar – sort of an automated nagger app for Mac – you tell it what you’re supposed to be working on, and any time you switch tabs/windows a small bar shows up at the top of the screen, telling you what you’re supposed to be working on. Surprisingly effective!
FocusBooster – a simple Pomodoro timer app for both PC & Mac
StayFocusd – an extension for Chrome that can be used to block you from distracting sites during key work hours
LeechBlock – a similar extension for Firefox
RescueTime – tracks how you’re spending your on-computer time . Can be useful for time audits.
Further reading on personal time management/productivity:
How to manage your time + energy when it’s split
Your to do list is not evil – here’s why
The easiest tactic to actually make that habit stick
Which idea should you start on next?
Making Ideas Happen & The Accidental Creative – these are my two favorite productivity books for creatives, I love them both!
Systems for Growing Businesses
The FreelanceSwitch hourly rates calculator
Read This Before Our Next Meeting
Video reviews of project management tools
Systems for Client Follow Up
Here’s the two tools I recommend for people to get started with on client follow up, with a quick breakdown of each of them & how to use them to set up reminders:
Price: Free version with usage caps, premium version is $20/month, free trial of premium version available
Pros/Cons: Integrates with social media, “gamifies” follow up and shows you statistics in pretty ways (yeah, I’m a nerd like that), sends you email reminders, and you can add users as your team grows. The premium version of Contactually is probably the best option if you want something easy + fun to use that integrates with social media and want to make sure it can grow with you as your team does.
Reminders: You can sort people into “buckets” (for example, one bucket for current clients, one for past clients, one for leads) and set custom follow up reminders for each bucket (for example, every 90 days for past clients). All you need to do is create a bucket and then click the pencil icon to change the bucket settings.
Price: Free, or $10/month for Ming.ly Unlimited
Pros/Cons: Great lightweight/low cost solution for solopreneurs; might not be the best if you have an assistant who helps you keep in touch (since it’s mostly in your inbox), and if you don’t use a Gmail or Google Apps email, it won’t integrate as seamlessly. It does also have Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter integration, as a bonus.
Reminders: “Keep in Touch” reminder lets you set up reminders for 30, 60, or 90 days for a specific person. Search for the person you want to set up a reminder for, click on their profile, and click on the “Keep in Touch” option.
Those are my top two recommendations. I’ve also found Connected, which I haven’t tested out myself yet, but it appears to be free (no pricing is listed anywhere, anyways!), it integrates with various social media networks, and it lets you set up custom reminders for individuals. I’d recommend Contactually or Ming.ly though – flip a coin if you have to, it’s just important to choose something and start using it instead of spending too much time figuring out what to choose!
If you need something a little more hardcore, you can check out Batchbook – but it’s definitely overkill for a most solopreneurs and service based businesses.
Download the client follow up email templates here (tweak as needed for you & your biz!)
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