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In many ways, small businesses deal with clutter just as homes do. If you are in charge of a small business, there are ways that you can apply the KonMari approach to it for better business and sales health overall. What follows are tips.
Marie Kondo is world-famous for her KonMari method of home organizing that teaches how tidying can be life-changing.
You’ve probably seen the KonMari method come up among your friends and family, as well. There is certainly something refreshing about the idea of doing away with clutter and arranging your home and your belongings neatly, for better access and utility.
The KonMari method says that you should only hold on to belongings that spark joy in your heart. Any belongings that don’t meet the joy test should be thanked for their service and given away.
Your client list needs decluttering.
Many small business owners make the mistake of believing that the survival of their business depends on their willingness to pursue every last client and dollar.
It’s important to understand, however, that not every customer is right for every business. Some customers take up too much time and energy in exchange for little reward.
How many clients on your client list spark joy or cause dread?
It can help to closely examine clients who aren’t a good fit, and see if a conscious decision to stop working with them will free up time and mind space to devote to improving the level of service that you’re able to provide your best clients.
You’ll have more fun, and you’ll make more money.
Clean up your sales process
Does your sales department use outdated brochures? Do you recognize that your sales process contains steps that offer low conversion rates?
Is your CRM software or other sales tools difficult to use, compared to modern alternatives?
Automation in a CRM can save you time and double your revenue
These CRM and sales and marketing tools help you get more done with less work so you can grow your business.
Do you participate in conferences and shows that are a time sink?
Does your sales team continue to use a sales process that feels outdated just because it’s always been done that way?
Does jargon weigh down your sales pitches? Have you neglected to update your sales call scripts or your company’s mission statement?
When you tidy up sticking points in your sales process the way Marie Kondo tidies up homes, you have a process that operates smoothly.
It could help look at your sales process with fresh eyes, see how you would have it if you were to design it from scratch all over again and make changes.
Work to bring greater clarity to your long-term goals.
Decluttering your life or your business comes with an important side-effect: it helps you better see your big picture goals and what kind of steps you should take to move forward toward them.
It can help to put yourself on a deadline to work on important, big-picture aims such as identifying and terminating underperforming client accounts and creating new and revised sales demos or pitches.
Once you’ve worked on goals like these, it could be a good idea to give yourself a half-day off from routine duties to think about what your strategy for the long term should be.
With less busy work cluttering up your day, you’ll have a better, clearer vision about where you need to take your business.
Feel gratitude
The KonMari approach to clearing clutter involves the expression of gratitude to every item that you decide no longer belongs in your life.
Gratitude can be a healthy attitude to bring to your business, as well.
Whether you need to break up with a client who isn’t a good fit anymore or discard a sales brochure that you’ve decided is outdated, it can be a healthy practice to think about how they have served you so far and how you’re grateful for having been around them.
When you express gratitude to a client that you’re moving on from, you may find that while they resent being dropped, there are also appreciative of the gratitude you feel, and turn into a source of referrals for the future.
No matter what point in your business journey, gratitude can help bring greater focus and energy to the effort.
Marie Kondo has helped people get in touch with their desire for simplicity and order. Clutter in your strategic options, the volume of communications you need to deal with, and your list of responsibilities can overwhelm the mind and make your business less efficient.
Viewing your business with a minimalist attitude can help you find greater value and enjoyment in every part of your business. You can simply build a business that performs better, is more profitable, and sparks greater joy.
