Success of our business will depend upon effective
follow up. This is true of all business.
We need
to follow - up
. Internally, our won staff
. Externally
. Our clients
. Our
Candidates
. Our Associates
. Our Advt. Agents
. Our Suppliers / Vendors
. Our Maintanance Contractor
. Our Pranker
This list will grow as our business grows.
Most companies depend upon
. Manual
follow - up systems or till worse,
. The
"memory" of their executives
to carry out FOLLOW - UP work.
A few companies have taken help of computers in
their follow - up, but to a very limited extent. e.g. In L & T, Computer
automatically prints - out at the end of each month, what supplies/ materials
are OVERDUE (as compared to normal, cumulative delivery schedule) from EACH of
2000 + Suppliers/ Vendors.
There are many companies, who have, their computers
print - out OVERDUE PAYMENTS (Customer
Outstanding) every month end for each customer, in
. Descending
order of "age" (oldest outstanding at top).
. Decreasing order of "Value"
(Biggest outstanding at top).
There could be also one, consolidated statement for
all customers put together.
These statements could be
-
Business wise/ Product Wise
-
Salesman/ Sales Manager/ Reg. Mgr - Wise.
The amount of Follow - up will directly increase (proportionality)
with the volume of business.
And, unless we take help of the technology (IT),
the more and more of our staff will be spending more and more of their time
simply "chasing" matters! They will have less - and - less time left
to do any DEVELOPMENTAL / CREATIVE work.
I read Norbert WEINER (?)
"HUMAN USE OF HUMAN BEIGS", Some 35 years
ago. Time has come to implement his ideas.
We must harness the powers of
.
Computers
.
Telecommunications
.
Artificial Intelligence (AI)/ Expert Systems
To take over from our staff, the routine FOLLOW -
UP : follow - up which does not add much "VALUE" to our business -
but it is still essential, like oil / grease in an automobile.
EXTERNAL FOLLOW - UP
Here the most important (and most voluminous)
follow - up will be with
. The
clients and
. The
candidates
Let us take up one at a time.
CLIENTS
We need to follow - up clients (including
potential/ Prospective Clients) for
. Getting
response to our "Introduction Letter" (General or special) offering
our services.
.
Feedback on bio - data’s sent (whether interested/ Not interested etc).
.
Feedback on "Interviews" arranged (final) (whether candidate rejected
/ short - listed etc)
.
Feedback on "Preliminary Interviews" held by (Whom to call/ when, for
final interviews).
.
Feedback on "draft Advt/ Artwork/ Estimate" Sent for approved.
.
Feedback on "TERMS - acceptance" / "Advances"
. Follow
- up requesting expediting of ESR form / Tabulation
. Follow
up to expedite Company - Profile / Bal. Sheet Org. Chart. / Job - Description
etc. (For forwarding to candidates). Especially required for Sr. level head -
hunting
. Sending
to client, confirmation of interview - date by candidates called (client should
not have to follow us for this)
. Follow
- up of "Follow - up" !
Eg.
Has he
received/ studies / taken action (what?) on the ROUTINE MONTHLY STATEMENT sent
to him?
Eg.
. Summary
of bio datas sent in last 3 months
.
Outstanding Payments (Invoice wise)
.
Statement of Running Accounts/ Advance adjustments etc.
. Non -
receipt of copies of Appointment - letters issued to candidates.
. Follow
up re : Advt. Agency's Press - Bill (due after 30 days)
FOLLOW UP
WITH CANDIDATES
.
Additional data requested/ queries raised about his geographical preference /
housing etc.
. Return
of Regi form
. Annual
"update" form (Happy Birthday or "Happy Anniversary of
Appointment" - in case of those executives appointed thru us)
. Interview
- date confirmation (after, first relaying to him interview - date information)
. Rush us
copy of you Appt. Letter
. What
happened at the Interview? (feedback)
. We have
sent your bio - data to so - and - so co.
. Are you
interested in So - and - so Company?
. Sorry !
You are not found suitable by --
.
Congrats! You have been Short - Listed for further / final interview by ____
. Can you
Pl. come and meet me on ____?
. Whether
offer from client is acceptable?
. Whether
submitted resignation to current company
. Whether
resignation accepted by current company.
. Date of
Joining.
. Some of
the follow - up activity is "fixed - periodical"
eg.
Annual
update (for candidates)
Monthly
statements (for clients)
So,
software must define
"Whom" to send
"What" to send
"When" to send
Some are
"EVENT - BASED"
eg.
.
Appointment can only follow interview
.
Interview can only follow sending of bio - data etc
. Sending
bio - data may or may not follow on "inquiry" or an ESR (we do send
bio - data on our own also)
So the
"trick" should be
1. Make a
comprehensive list of all activities
2.
Arrange "Sequentially" (the order in which these can happen / take
place)
The moment any staff member enters an activity or
event, the system software would flash on the screen the next 2 or 3 activities and ask.
. Which
of these is likely to be your next activity? Tick
.When
would you like it to be followed - up?
Enter date
. For
follow - up, whom would you like me to send a reminder? enter name / co.
. What
type of standard letter a statement would you like me to send out to that
person?
Now the system has clear "Instructions"
in its memory which will activate the FOLLOW - UP MODULE on the due date.
OR
The EDP
Manager can activate the follow - up module, first thing every morning. The
system will flash on the screen, one by one all the follow - ups due on that
date.
At this stage, EDP Manager has following choices/
Options, listed against each Follow - up Activity.
1. Give a
green signal to go ahead and print out follow - up letters.
2.
Because of additional information gained on the subject - matter during the
interviewing period, decide to RE - SCHEDULE the follow - up action. On
"Reschedule" command, computer will flash all the questions all over
again and the EDP manager (or marketing manager) will enter a fresh set of instructions.
3. Decide
to follow - up by "Phoning/ Faxing/ e - Mail"
So he
gives command "OVERRIDE"
All of these should get recorded in the PURCHASE
ORDER EXECUTION file.
This file should be preserved until a few months
after the order has been extended. There after it can be erased (DROP DEAD
DATE? )
The purpose of preserving it for a few months is
that, an occasions their could - whether we had done our job properly/ timely/
efficiently etc. So we will need PROOF. We already had such disputes with
- Shah & Mahajan
- STP
ltd
-
Mega - Meditex etc.
When they asked us to refund advance.h.c.parekh
