Time Management Techniques for Effective Customer Support
Are you the person tasked with providing customer support for your company? If so, then you know how challenging it can be to juggle all of the different responsibilities that go into this position. From answering phone calls and emails, to doing research, we often have a difficult time making time for what is arguably the most important task: listening to our customers’ concerns. Becoming more efficient means that we are able to provide better service and make a bigger impact in both our personal and professional lives!
That's why it's important to personalize which tasks take priority on your daily list- from things like checking email or doing research, down to completing tasks on your "to do" list. Here are two ways to prioritize your daily tasks:
1. Write down the three most important things you want to accomplish that day, as well as three least important things. How do they differ? Perhaps the least important tasks are ones that are repetitive but don't have a significant impact on your business. If so, you may want to delegate them to someone else.
2. Write down the three most important things you want to accomplish that day. Then, imagine you have only five minutes left in the day. Which tasks would you complete? These are your most important tasks for the day. Make sure they stay at the top of your "to do" list!
Use these simple time management techniques and watch how much more effectively you can accomplish all of the things on your daily to-do list! Do these strategies work for you? Share your thoughts in the comments section below!
1. Know Your Priorities
One of the best ways to improve your time management skills is to know what's on your "to-do" list for each day (or at least for each week). Take a few minutes at the beginning of each day to think about what you'd like to accomplish. Maybe you want to develop a new marketing campaign, write a report or introduce some new technology. Whatever it is, the first step is just getting it down on paper.
2. Focus On Your Goals
It can be overwhelming when we have so many responsibilities and things to do. So if you have more than one "to-do" list (and most of us do), focus on one list at a time by accomplishing each task and crossing them off your list as you go along. Once you've crossed off everything on your list, move on to the next one.
3. Start Early and Stay Late
Another common problem is that we wait until the last minute to get things done. Instead, try getting up 30 minutes early or staying up an extra 30 minutes after work in order to complete your most important responsibilities for the day. This will give you an opportunity to be more productive throughout the day and free yourself of stress in the evenings!
4. Delegate Where Possible
We all have a difficult time saying "no" sometimes, but there are probably some things that can be done by someone else. For example, if you want to focus more on one task, think about delegating the others to your co-workers. This can be especially helpful if you happen to be in a position where you have multiple people working for you.
5. Don't Multitask
Although we've all heard that multitasking is a good thing, it's just not true! We've become so used to doing everything at once that we don't give our minds the opportunity to absorb the information we're trying to process. Instead, try focusing on one task at a time and really giving it your full attention!
6. Only Work During Your Peak Hours
Most of us can be more productive during certain hours of the day. For example, let's say that you're more productive in the morning. Don't waste your energy trying to do any work or tackle difficult tasks later in the afternoon. If you do, you may end up frustrated and have a hard time concentrating on all of the tasks at hand. However, if we know we're not going to be at our best during certain times in the day, don't try to accomplish anything difficult or stressful during those hours!
7. Take Breaks
One of the most common time management mistakes is that we "overwork" ourselves. If you feel so stressed out that you can't concentrate or focus, take a break and try to relax for a little while. So instead of continuing to work on a project for hours on end, take a five-minute break every half hour or so.
8. Delegate More Than You Think
Let's be honest: we all have certain responsibilities in our jobs that we don't like doing but feel like we have to do in order to stay employed. However, when you don't like doing something, you're probably not doing it well. So think about what you dread doing the most and try to delegate those tasks to others. This can be especially helpful for your boss!
9. Reward Yourself
Remember that "pat on the back" we've been talking about? Believe it or not, this is one of the best ways to give yourself a boost and keep yourself motivated. For example, if you work hard all week and complete all of your "to-do" lists on time, treat yourself by going out with friends or buying a new gadget at the end of the week. This is also a great way to boost your self-confidence!
10. Stay Organized
One of the first things you should do when you begin a new project or take on a new responsibility is to create an organized system for yourself. For example, create folders and labels for all of your important documents and set up a filing system that makes sense to you. This will help keep everything in order and allow you to better focus on completing the tasks at hand.
Video Tips by: Joseph Jaffe
Joseph Jaffe is an expert communicator who helps technology executives, business leaders, and entrepreneurs deliver their messages with power, persuasion and passion. His clients include leaders of major companies from around the globe, including GE, Microsoft, and AT&T. In addition to authoring numerous books on the topic of leadership and communication, he is an acclaimed speaker who has appeared on CNN, MSNBC, CBS This Morning and other leading television programs. He serves as faculty for several Executive Education programs, including one for business executives in Barcelona. For more information about him and his services please visit http://www.josephjaffe.
Conclusion
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