Many times, I have found it difficult to even have to ability to travel, and because of that, I’m not the best at it. My family especially. My dad will want to get as many things accomplished (and take as many pictures) as possible, my mom wants to sit down and have ice cream. The beauty of the cruise is that we can do both of those things…just not at the same time. Aside from not being used to vacationing my family really likes staying home for the most part, so I’m always shocked when they say they want to go out. I think the main draw of the cruise for my family was to visit some neat islands, enjoy warm weather after a winter blizzard, and eat way too much food.
I can safely say: mission accomplished
The thing about cruises is that they do their best to offer something for everyone. The focus on this cruise was geared more towards drinking and dancing which my parents don’t really do, but that’s okay.
You would think it hard to be able to sit and focus, but I actually wrote the outline for this blog sitting on the back of the ship in peace watching our wake roll off into the distance. Let’s rewind a little though because getting here wasn’t easy.
Setting up your clients for success
Before you even think about becoming unreachable for the next few days or weeks, you have to consider if your coworkers and equipped to cover for you in your absence. I know there are some positions to which the above statement won’t apply, but for the majority, I think this is important.
Hold video conference calls
Asses whether or not your clients are prepared with video conference calls, you can see expressions and help in real time with conference calls. They don’t have to take much time and generally, you have the ability to record the meeting for later reference. I personally use Zoom as it has all I need between screen sharing, recording, a chat box, multiple attendees, etc.
Use videos
Videos demonstrating how to work through certain projects or continue a flow. One tool I always found helpful when passing on “How-to’s” and workflows is Loom. The screen recording software is extremely helpful because you can record live demonstrations of on-screen activities. Are you noticing a theme yet? Video content is more readily available than ever and everyone can learn from it because it incorporates all major types of learning. Audible, tactile, and visual learning can all be encompassed in a video format. Videos are the power tools one uses when building the remote client success environment.
Just ask
Ask your clients if they feel equipped to handle what you’re asking. Ask sincerely and in a ‘just-checking-in’ tone and you should get an accurate answer. Lastly, you have to give yourself time to resolve any confusion that appears, make yourself available for those who are studying your flow and verify that they understand.
Just to name a few:
- How can I help you?
- What are your biggest challenges right now?
- What resources would be helpful for you to accomplish your goals?
Working for ClosedWon opened a new door for me with work/life balance. Many of the other companies I’ve worked for or considered working for have always been reluctant to give time off. Those companies weren’t very interested in publishing your experiences after the fact either.
In my experience, I find that people are more productive after coming back from vacation. Whether its the sense of duty to pick up where you left off, the desire for change at work after experiencing a brief change of scenery/lifestyle, the motivating feeling of freedom or all of the above. Maybe it’s the inspiration that you found on vacation that motivates you to write a blog about travel…no that probably won’t happen, right?
Think Differently
Many people view jobs as the absolute grind, you might not love it, but it’s something to do every day and it puts food on the table. It’s easy to get complacent and comfortable with that mindset because it works. How do you get out of this rut and find something you truly enjoy doing every day? That may be a different conversation entirely. If you feel like you haven’t found the right job yet, keep searching, and manifest what you would like to get out of that job besides a paycheck or benefits.
Believe it or not, it is possible to accomplish your daily tasks and have fun doing it. You can kill it at work and kill it at home. This begins with finding a company with a culture that promotes living life fully. I’m so stoked I get to work at ClosedWon because it’s so accommodating, working remotely and getting empathy instead of reprimand for taking sick days or family time. Although I’m young, I haven’t found or heard of many other companies with a similar culture as ClosedWon.
I’m not sure how you were raised or what your personal work ethic is, but from my perspective, toiling and working yourself into the ground leaves you with little else than a handful of money. Which may/may not last the coming months.
“At our core, our mission is to accelerate meaningful relationships and if our clients are having more fun while closing deals that are retained, then we have made our dent in the universe.” -Zen Lenon, Founder & CEO of ClosedWon