It's April and the time for spring cleaning: Clean the windows and the garage; prepare the
lawn for the trampling of little feet; decide if you are finally going to break
down and buy that kink-free water hose.
Those decisions can improve your home life. You can also effectively spring clean for
your work life.
Look around your desk; is it as cluttered as your
garage? Put away those files from the
project that ended three months ago. Look through your old files from a project
you did three years ago or the project you never won. Just as you emerge from
you house to say "hi" to the neighbors you haven't seen since December,
re-engage past contacts with a quick phone call or a note.
We all work extremely hard on a day to day basis trying to
get 12 things done in a 10-thing day. But we need to make sure we set aside
that "cleaning" time on a day-to-day basis as well. Be it an hour or even a
half hour every day, set aside the time to reconnect to that person you should
have contacted six months ago. Hopefully
you are using some type of CRM system that shows you your notes from the last
conversation with that person. Ask them how that trip went or if they got that
big project you discussed during your last call. People do business with people
they like and when you show a sincere interest in what is happening in their
work and personal life, you become a trusted partner and not just a vendor.
You've cleaned your desk; you've dusted off some old
contacts to re-engage; and now let's consider how you look to the world. Has it been a few years since you've updated
your wardrobe? Consider going out and
buying a new suit (men or women) or at least a few new shirts, ties, blouses or
skirts. You know how you feel inside
when you wear something new. You walk a
little taller and your shoulders are back just a little. Others notice that too. You don't have to spend a fortune to look
sharp, just buy strategically to enhance the clothes you have in your closet.
Finally, dust off those same old proposals and sell sheets
you have been using for the last few years. You don't need to start from
scratch, just freshen them up a bit. Look at the content of your proposals and
sell sheets and see if there is updated information you can include in
each. Do you have new case studies you
can showcase, is your bio the most up to date it can be? With just a little bit of work, you can show
the world you are on top of your game.