by Mike Walsh | Nov 1, 2021 | Salesforce Tips, Uncategorized
Automatic notifications save your team time and boost your overall customer experience. Salesforce CRM solutions give users several options for sending automated emails, which have their own benefits. Two of those options are auto-response rules and workflow email alerts. Both of these serve the same purpose- they automatically send emails from Salesforce following changes to a lead or a case. However, being so similar, you need to think about your exact use case and the differences between your options before making a decision.
In this article, we’ll walk through:
● What auto-response rules and workflow email alerts are
● How to use each option
● Examples of when it’s best to use one method over another
By the end, you’ll be able to start using your auto-response rules and workflow alerts to create automatic email alerts in Salesforce. Let’s get started!
When Should You Use Automatic Emails?
Imagine that you’ve just signed up for a discount program through your favorite online store’s website. When you enter your email, you’d expect to receive something sent by that company that confirms you’re signed up. If you didn’t, you might find yourself wondering if something went wrong or if you’re enrolled at all. Without confirmation, there’s a good chance you’d end up in a support channel to make sure that everything is okay.
This example is one occasion in which you’d want to send automatic emails. That small step prevents unnecessary tickets in your support queues and improves your customer service with nearly no effort. Speaking of customer support tickets, what if you had sent out a ticket asking if your email was registered? When a customer support representative responds, you’d likely receive an email notification letting you know. This instance is another example of how you can use automated emails to improve service.
The goal of these notifications is to improve service while reducing the effort needed from your staff. The reduction in manual processes saves time that you can use for designing new ways to improve the services your company provides, making the experience better for your team and your clients. The result? A low-cost way to increase performance.
How to Choose Between Workflow Email Alerts and Auto-Response Rules
Auto-response rules and workflow email alerts fill a similar need, but it’s important to note that they have some significant differences. Before getting into the details of what they can do for you, first, you must identify the problem you’re trying to solve. Let’s go over an example so you can see how the process works.
Let’s say that you want to send confirmation letters to customers who signed up for a product demo. First, you’d want to look at the aim of the project and the issue that they’re trying to resolve. In this case, the emails would confirm some basic information about what they’ve selected from your website and reduce no-shows and cancelations.
Next, think about how many people need to receive these emails. The first person that needs to get them is your customer. From there, you can be a little more creative. Do you want to send it to the sales team so they can prepare for the demo? Or, is there another way that they get notified with better results? Be sure to outline who you want to receive them, as one of the main differences between workflow email alerts and auto-responses is the number of recipients you can add.
Now that you have some specifics down, we can start to look at your options.
What are Auto-Response Rules?
Auto-response rules tell Salesforce what criteria a case must meet before sending out one of your saved email templates when a specific set of conditions are met. For example, you could set the trigger to send them when someone submits a new case or lead. You can select a series of criteria for the sending of the email, and it will send one based on the first rule entry criteria it matches.
You can think of this as the case above, where someone signs up for a discount program and wants confirmation that they’ve been registered correctly. This case would only require one email sent to the individual who submitted their information, so an auto-response rule is an appropriate choice. This is because auto-response rules send out one email per trigger, unlike workflow alerts.
Workflow alerts are the best choice if you plan to send:
● Confirmation emails
● “Thank you” messages
● Or alerts for the person who submitted information in a web-to-lead form
What are Workflow Email Alerts?
Workflow email alerts are similar to auto-response rules in the way that they send notifications based on changes to a case or a lead. However, unlike auto-response rule alerts, Salesforce can send workflow alerts to multiple users. They can send out an email to anyone you need to notify about activity on a case or lead. Specifically, workflow alerts run when a case or lead is created or edited. The notifications can be sent to anyone you choose. It’s important to note that these alerts send one email to multiple users for each trigger as opposed to just one.
Email alerts, in general, can be sent out from processes, flows, workflow rules, approval processes, or entitlement processes. Use cases for the workflow email alerts vary depending on your business needs. Often, they include notifications to:
● Notify the rep assigned to a case when a new action is taken
● Keep management informed about changes to high profile leads
● Help your sales team on top of their pipeline
Workflow emails can accommodate ten email alerts as immediate actions, ten email alerts per time trigger as time-dependent actions, and ten time triggers.
Now that you understand the basics of auto-response rules and workflow alerts, we’ll go over how to set them up.
Setting Up Auto-Response Rules
First, we’ll review Salesforce’s response rule from a web-to-lead form. To start, navigate to Setup and then type “Auto-Response Rules” into the Quick Find area. Next, click the option “Lead Auto-Response Rules.”
The other option is to create a response rule for cases. In this case, you’ll first navigate to Setup and then type “Auto-Response Rules” into the Quick Find area. Next, click the option “Case Auto-Response Rules.”
Regardless of which of the above options you choose, the following steps will be the same.
First, from the Auto-Response Rules page, click on New
Type in the name for the rule you want to create
Activate this rule by clicking on Activate
Save the rule by hitting the Save
Now, you can create your rule entries
Here’s how you can create your response rule entries.
Go to the rule detail page and select New
Think about where this rule will fall in your process order and enter the number step you choose
Keep in mind that the rule stops processing after finding the first matching entry. That is how Salesforce determines which email template to send. If it doesn’t find any matching entries, it sends out a default email that you can select in advance.
For extra security, create an additional rule entry as the last step in line. This step should have no added criteria, so it will apply to any event that doesn’t match your previous criteria. Since some forms don’t have any default templates, like Email-to-Case and On-Demand Email-to-Case forms, this ensures that a response goes out.
Choose the criteria to filter records, such as priority level and language. You can create formulas to evaluate the record and return the proper response
Type in the name and email that you want to appear as the sending email address in your message. The email needs to be a verified email address from your Salesforce org or the address associated with your Salesforce CRM profile. However, it cannot be the same address you used in your routing addresses for the Email-to-Case form.
Now, you can enter an email address for replies
Choose the email template that you want this rule to send
Make sure to click the option that allows you to send the response to all recipients if you’re using an Email-to-Case form. This option sends the auto-response message to the recipients specified in CC and To fields.
If you want, enter a reply-to address.
Select an email template.
If you’re creating a response rule entry for Email-to-Case, select Send Response to all recipients to send auto-response messages to anyone included in the To and Cc fields in the original message.
Now, click Save. That’s it!
Setting Up Workflow Email Alerts
Before setting up alerts, you have to create a field on your lead object for email information.
First, on your lead object, navigate to your field options
For Salesforce Classic, you can do this by going to Setup > Customize > Leads > Fields
In Salesforce Lightning, it’s Setup > Object Manager > Lead > Fields & Relationships
Select Email as the field data type
Input Contact Email as the field label
Next, you will build the workflow rule that sends out an automated email.
In Classic, navigate to Setup > Create > Workflow & Approvals > Workflow Rules. In Lightning, navigate to Setup > Platform Tools > Process Automation > Workflow Rules.
Choose New Rule
Under objects, select the Leads option
Enter the name for your rule
Now, under Evaluation Criteria, select the criteria that you want to return the response as “true”
Hit Save and then Next
Now, go to Immediate Workflow Actions > Add Workflow Action and select Email Alert
Enter the description of your email alert
Choose which template you want the alert to send
Choose your recipient type
Hit Save > Done > Activate
Now, you’re ready to go!
Closing Notes
Configuring email alerts to send automatically saves time for your staff and improves your customers’ experience with your company. While both auto-response rules and workflow alerts send emails in response to lead changes, you’ll find situations where each of them outperforms. If you understand the problem you’re trying to solve and how to address it, you’ll have no issues choosing the right email alerts for the job.
Both auto-response rules and workflow alerts automatically send emails from Salesforce following changes to a lead or a case. Being that they’re so similar, you should think about your exact use case and the differences between your options before you make your decision.
Don’t hesitate to explore other options within Salesforce CRM integrations to build and track outreach campaigns. For example, take a look here to see how to set up and use sales performance dashboards to monitor your campaigns. Remember to test, test, test, and keep building on what works. Keep up with our blog for more of the latest tips.
CEO of CloudMyBiz Salesforce CRM consulting services with a deep knowledge in the lending industry. Taking keen interest in the project management side of operations, playing a vital role in the 31% YOY company growth. Strategic leader, mastering the ability to problem solve at every level of the business, providing effective solutions for clients.
by Mike Walsh | Sep 18, 2021 | Salesforce Tips
Disorganized data can dismantle even the most organized strategy. This is why it’s essential to make sure that your reports in Salesforce are current and get to the people who need them. Reports help your team stay on task, find the information they need, and monitor the health of their workflow.
In this article, we’ll explain:
- How Salesforce Reports work and what they do
- How to subscribe yourself and others to reports
- Managing report schedules
- Setting up notifications
How Do Salesforce Reports Work?
You can think of a report as a list of information with all the information you’ve asked Salesforce to provide. For example, this could be a list of prospects that your sales team will call, accounts in default, or open support cases that need follow-up. Salesforce looks for the criteria you select and presents users with a list of that data.
In Salesforce, this information will show up grouped into rows and columns. You can then organize this info by characteristics like priority level or dollar amount, filter it only to see what’s relevant, or create visual representations of the data.
The information in these reports is stored in folders, which can be private or available to whoever you like. You can allow users in specific groups to see them and those with particular roles, license types, or permissions. If you want, you can also hide or share your reports with people inside and outside your organization. This means that anyone who needs to access the data will be able to get it.
Why Should You Use Salesforce Reports?
Birds-eye view of data
Reports can tell you information at a glance to quickly take action. Fast, accurate responses can give you a leg up on your competition. For example, time required to prepare for a meeting could be reduced by automatically mailing reports out to your team. Or, you could respond to support tickets faster by having a detailed list right in front of you.
If you have a weekly meeting with your sales team, everybody needs to see the numbers for that week’s sales. It wouldn’t make sense to mail the report to each person individually, so instead, you can set up report subscriptions, so everyone has it sent to them.
While reports provide the insight, subscriptions make sure that those who need them have them. People are liable to error. We take sick days, we go on vacations, and we occasionally make mistakes. Setting up reports to automatically go out takes one more task off your team’s plate while giving more intelligent updates on what needs action.
Before Subscribing to Reports, Check Your Permissions on Salesforce.
You will need different permissions for report subscriptions depending on who you’re trying to add and how you intend to do it.
- If you’re trying to subscribe yourself to a report, the only permission you need is to Subscribe to Reports.
- If you’re trying to subscribe other people to reports, you will need permission to Subscribe to Reports and Add Recipients.
- Or, if you’re trying to subscribe groups and roles to reports, you will need permission to Subscribe to Reports and to Send to Groups and Roles.
- Finally, if you want to change who runs the report, you will need permission to Subscribe to Reports and Set Running User.
How to Subscribe Yourself to Salesforce Reports
Now that you know what permissions you need, you can subscribe to whichever reports you like. To do this in Salesforce Classic, follow these steps.
- Navigate to the Reports folder and click on All Folders on the left-hand side.
- Then, click the pull-down menu on the right and navigate to Items I’m Subscribed To.
- On this page, you can view, edit, and delete your current subscriptions to reports.
In Salesforce Lightning, here’s how to do it.
- Click on the Reports tab and find the All Reports option on the left-hand side.
- At the top, you’ll see a tab labeled Subscribed.
- Now, you can manage your subscriptions and add new reports.
How to find your Subscribed Reports
If you want to see what reports you’re currently subscribed to:
- First, go to the Reports tab.
- Next, look at the sidebar on the left and click the option that says All Reports.
- In the menu on the right, sort the reports by Subscribed.
How to Subscribe Other Salesforce Users to a Report
Now that you know how to subscribe yourself to reports, you can subscribe others as well. Salesforce allows you to choose users, groups, and roles for report subscriptions. So, for example, you can send reports on how many hours your dev team has worked for a client to your Human Resources department, so they’re billed correctly.
To subscribe users, groups, and roles to reports, follow these steps.
- First, navigate to the Reports tab on the Report Run Page.
- Next, click Subscribe.
- When it brings you to the Edit Subscription menu, set the schedule of how often you’d like the report to send.
- You can also add conditions before sending a scheduled report. That means that the email won’t go out with the subscribed reports until all of these conditions are met.
- After you’ve set the schedule on the conditions if chosen, navigate to Send To. You are automatically selected as the only recipient of the report.
- If you would like to add others or take yourself off the report, hit the Edit Recipients button.
- This area will show the users, groups, and rules with access permissions for the report here. You can add and remove recipients here.
- When you’re finished, you can close the window, and it will save your recipients.
Now that you’ve set that up, the reports will send to the email addresses found under Settings > Email > My Email Settings. If you haven’t sent an email yet under My Email Settings, the emails will automatically go out to the address associated with each person’s Salesforce user.
Tips on Subscribing Others to Reports
Here are a couple of helpful pointers for subscribing others to reports.
- First, each user can have up to five report subscriptions. This is regardless of what type of user they are within your Salesforce org.
- You also won’t see the recipients listed on the emails, so you will have to go back to Salesforce to see them. If you were working with a platform user, an admin must enable these features.
- Remember how these reports live inside of folders? To send the report to a user, the user must have access to the folder. Don’t forget to check this before continuing.
- You can subscribe up to 500 users to each report. If you exceed this, some users will not receive the emails.
How Do I Manage Report Schedules in Salesforce?
Report schedules make sure that the information in your reports is up-to-date. The Schedule Report page lets you manage the frequency and conditions for sending out scheduled reports. Here, you can schedule a new report run, change an existing schedule, view current schedule jobs, and delete scheduled runs.
View Existing Report Schedules
- To view a report schedule, navigate to the Reports tab.
- Next, hover over the checkmark in the Schedule column.
- This shows you how often the report goes out and the next date it is scheduled to run.
- Keep in mind that Salesforce users who don’t have permission to schedule reports will not see this information.
To see a report’s schedule from the schedule report page, follow these two steps.
- Click on the report’s name on the Reports tab.
- After that, click the Schedule Future Runs button on the run report drop-down menu.
If you want to see all the scheduled reports within your organization:
- Navigate to Setup.
- Click the Scheduled Jobs option.
- Here you will see all of your organization’s scheduled reports. If you don’t see this, check that you have the View Setup and configuration permissions.
Change a Report’s Schedule
If there is a report with an existing schedule that you’d like to change, for a score of the reports tab and then click the name of the scheduled report. Next, hit the schedule future runs option from the run report menu. Here you can make the changes to the report schedule. When you’re done, make sure to hit save report schedule to keep the changes that you made.
Delete a Scheduled Run
If for whatever reason you would like to delete a scheduled run for a report, you can do it without deleting the entire report.
- First, go to the Reports tab and then click on the report’s name that you’d like to delete.
- Click Schedule Future Runs on the Run Report menu.
- Then, click on Schedule Report.
- Now, the run schedule for that report is canceled, but the report is not sent to the recycle bin. You can set a new schedule or keep the report unscheduled.
How Do I Manage Report Notifications?
Notifications for reports let you know when data meets a particular set of criteria that you set. You can select what you want to be notified about and what conditions are essential to you to receive relevant notifications. You can also set up notifications for the Salesforce app, email, and on Chatter. Just remember that the report has to be saved before you set notifications.
Also, keep in mind that your notifications on reports are not related to the option which lets you schedule future runs. The Schedule Future Runs feature lets you send email reports at a given time with or without specifying which conditions you need them to meet. If you want to schedule email reports, choose the Schedule Future Runs option from the Run Report menu instead.
Changing Report Notification Settings
In order to set and change your notification settings, follow along here.
- Click on the Report Run page.
- Next, hit Subscribe.
- On the Report Subscription page, select if you want to receive a notification each time your data meets these conditions or if you wish to receive it the first time.
Setting conditions helps you avoid repetitive and unhelpful notifications. The requirements can be related to three different areas; aggregate, operator, and value. You can set up to five conditions for each report. You can also schedule checks to see if the report meets those conditions, Including daily, weekly, or every weekday.
When you choose to receive notifications, you can select the most helpful type for the task at hand. For example, you can send a notification within the Salesforce app, post it to Chatter, have it send an email, or set it to carry out in Apex action. This could be something like escalating a case or creating a task. Make sure to set up your notifications so they only give you relevant updates.
Wrapping it Up
Report subscriptions are an intelligent way to make sure that valuable information gets into the right hands. When you automate their distribution, you reduce human error and save time used to reach more of your company’s goals.
Now that you understand how Salesforce reports work, how to set up subscriptions, and manage their schedules and notifications, your team will have even more resources to put towards growth. Remember to check back in for more ideas on how you can get even more out of Salesforce.
CEO of CloudMyBiz Salesforce CRM consulting services with a deep knowledge in the lending industry. Taking keen interest in the project management side of operations, playing a vital role in the 31% YOY company growth. Strategic leader, mastering the ability to problem solve at every level of the business, providing effective solutions for clients.
by Mike Walsh | May 26, 2021 | Blog, Salesforce Tips
Regardless of the size of your business operation, it is crucial to have a quality software system that manages your loan portfolio. A proper suite to manage this aspect of your business will inevitably save the business a lot of time and energy in the long run.
Picking the right software will require an inside-out approach. Through this method, you will need to have an in-depth understanding of the nitty-gritty of your business before venturing to external sources for the solution. Aside from a loan management platform, CloudMyBiz also provides business consultation services to help with this process. To better appreciate everything, a number of internal factors have to be identified and sorted out, if required before executing any decision.
What Does the Business Need?
It’s important to maintain a realistic view of where the business currently resides in the grand scheme of things, but also have a well thought out projection of where the business should be directed towards.
This will require a strategic approach that caters to the most important features you look forward to having in your service your loan portfolios. You will need to prioritize a list that identifies the gaps in your current system and an approach that will work for the new system.
The best thing you can do for your business is pick a loan structure that aligns with your company’s goals and projections. This means that regardless of the number of loans you’re servicing, your focus is on the success of the business.
According to Ingvar Petursson, Chief Strategist with Slalom Consulting in Seattle;
“The goal should be to find a strategic partner in your software company so that ultimately, the software will meet your goals not just today, but in the long term.”
Generally speaking, getting a clear picture of your business processes, goals for the future and the hurdles standing in the way of those goals is essential in picking the right software.
What Does the User Need?
The successful implementation of your software will naturally require having ample information about the potential users/staff of the organization. Establishing everyone involved in the process, from top management to the loan servicers who will be working in the program every day is crucial. This sets the implementation up for success to make sure every part is delegated to a specific person.
This process will increase the efficiency of the program because you will know where your staff spends most of their time and the aspects that need to be tweaked or otherwise.
How Do You Deliver the Software?
This requires you to decide how you want the cloud lending software to be made available. Considering that there is a multitude of softwares in existence that vary based on qualities, you must choose wisely.
There are typically two ways of getting a new software; one is through purchasing the license and the other is a cloud-based approach. Picking either option depends on the personnel available.
For example, if you have a robust IT staff, then it is better to just purchase the license and let them navigate the software. However, if your team doesn’t have a dedicated IT department to handle such tasks, then using a cloud-based approach is preferable since it is remotely managed, serviced and maintained by the software provider.
Don’t Stretch It
Every business is focused on making a profit but at the same time, improving the quality and pace of activities should be just as an important factor when considering your goals. In this case, it is important to strike a balance between the quality of software used and the amount spent on procuring it.
This means that regardless of the type of software you pick, you have to make a budget that accounts for both direct costs like software and hardware cost, as well as indirect costs like the number of employees performing tasks that a dependable system will do automatically.
You’ll Need a List
When you’ve cleared out all the internal factors, the next step is to look for potential solutions. This requires for you to consider your needs, your vendor, and tech support.
You will need certified and reliable software, which will require in-depth research through numerous tools available. Your main goal is to come up with a short list of possible solutions.
After the list is created, the next step is to streamline your search towards the software that accounts for all internal factors that are a must. Focus on all aspects of the software in the streamlined list, considering the price, customization capabilities, security features, “licensed / SaaS” options, and other features important in your evaluation.
You could even run demos of as many softwares as possible, getting a feel of them and knowing which one will satisfy your needs in all ramifications.
Put it to Work
At this point, you should have a crystal clear idea about which software will be perfect for your loan servicing business. Ensure that you keep detailed records of all transactions relating to the decision and contact support if you encounter any issues.
Read manuals, watch tutorials and get as much information from numerous sources on the internet. Ensure that the software resides in a safe and secure PC environment, handled by the right people and used for the right purpose. It is an investment towards the success of the business and should be treated with the utmost level of delicacy.
CEO of CloudMyBiz Salesforce CRM consulting services with a deep knowledge in the lending industry. Taking keen interest in the project management side of operations, playing a vital role in the 31% YOY company growth. Strategic leader, mastering the ability to problem solve at every level of the business, providing effective solutions for clients.
by Mike Walsh | May 26, 2021 | Blog, Salesforce Tips
Having a suitable, standard operating procedure (SOP) is crucial for efficiently running any business. If your business doesn’t have a simple structure to handle the simple tasks, then creating SOPs must be prioritized.
Business owners often make the mistake of believing that the growth of a business depends on more advertising, but that is not always the case.
As important as these elements may be for your businesses, having a successfully operating business requires improvement in other departments. One of the most differentiating factors between a successful business and one that continues to play “catch-up” is having SOPs in place.
Standard operating procedures are instructions that are well-written to explain how a task or job is handled. They are tailor-made and in-depth guides to make a task easier to do. SOPs are practical and can be used for virtually any task imaginable. They have been used for financing, legal work, operations in business, and so much more.
How Do SOPs Improve Businesses?
Kamyar Shah, a strategic consultant and CloudMyBiz’s Fractional Chief Marketing Officer, discusses his experience of working with organizations on The Process Breakdown podcast. He has found that most of them lacked SOPs or had very few of them. In comparison, organizations that had well-thought-out and structured SOPs ran quicker and more efficiently. The podcast continues with Kamyar emphasizing that SOPs are the factors that may seem small, but give businesses an edge in the industry.
Why Should You Have SOPs?
Improves the ability of employees executing tasks
If an essential task in a workplace appears too complex, there is a strong possibility that clear instructions and expectations for this specific task are missing.
When a company takes the time to have SOPs written down, people know exactly what to do, are more reliable, and are more likely to succeed. Employees are also less confused and have fewer questions.
Improves reliability
Consistent businesses are reliable. Even if the products are small, reliability in producing great results is important and customers will be satisfied. A written down SOP gives everyone a standard to target and if everyone meets that target then better results will be achieved.
What you produce can be affected by mistakes and these will reduce the quality or the quantity of the product.
Efficient on-boarding process
When you have standard operating procedures, you make hiring and retaining employees a lot easier.
Training new employees becomes much easier, because new employees can adopt the a lot faster when they are written down. SOPs also make it easy for you to recognize the problems a new trainee might be facing and address them faster.
Improves health and safety practices
An employee’s safety should be high priority when conducting a business. In some fields, an injured employee and damaged equipment often occur from an unsafe work environment. When employees follow SOPs, they tend to keep the environment and themselves safe.
When it comes to online and SaaS business, having a system of processes in play can avoid mishaps from happening. As a lending or software company, it’s important to stay away from bad press as much as possible. It is crucial for any company that has social media or any marketing outreach, to have the do’s and don’ts written out for any onboarding team member.
Get proper feedback
It is important to consider speaking with front-line workers. Your front-line has the most contact with customers and know their complaints. When you open the door for feedback, you may find that your business’s decisions to retain customers are actually doing the exact opposite.
Speaking to employees and trying to find out what the customers think will help you see progress. This can help build a good client relationship.
What Results Can You Expect from Using SOPs?
Common issues being resolved
When you have a working SOP, make sure to take the time and have the right people look over the SOP together so any details may be discussed. see if an ambiguous part of it can be dealt with. This helps you work with employees properly while bringing their problems they may be experiencing with either the procedure or workplace environment to light.
Improves communication
SOPs point out organizational needs. This allows new and employees to understand the standards of the company and receive the correct information.
If everything is properly spelled out within the SOP, you will find that the frequency of communication gaps will be cut down drastically.
Better performance according to checklist
SOPs are used as checklists for supervisors and as a standard form of communication to team members. Because of this, there will be noticeable performance progress among your team. Invariably, this will lead to better client satisfaction, especially if proper feedback is given from the client on their specific needs.
CEO of CloudMyBiz Salesforce CRM consulting services with a deep knowledge in the lending industry. Taking keen interest in the project management side of operations, playing a vital role in the 31% YOY company growth. Strategic leader, mastering the ability to problem solve at every level of the business, providing effective solutions for clients.
by Mike Walsh | May 26, 2021 | Blog, Salesforce Tips
What is the one most potent drive that humans have? Is it physical survival? To a degree, yes. But if we need only to address our basic needs to live, why do we strive for something more?
There is a secondary drive in humans that at times overrides even our physical survival. Some set out to climb Everest. Others leave their mark with literature or art.
Everyone, in their own respect, is looking for their way to be heard.
On the one hand, being heard implies projecting your ideas onto someone else. On another, it indicates that someone will listen. So how does one get the authority and expertise that makes them a leader?
Kamyar Shah, fractional COO/CMO, addressed the question in an interview with Coruzant. He responded above all that knowledge and lifelong learning is the key to leadership.
What is his motivation to learn? It’s not leadership. It’s not even advancing in his career.
His motivation to learn, he answered, is waking up every day “not knowing” and wanting to change that.
The beauty of this is that it shows anyone can become a leader in their field. Don’t get overwhelmed by the mountain ahead. The climb is as easy as taking the first step.
1. Admit you don’t know
As mentioned by Shah, what drives him is the desire to know. Not knowing is the spark that motivated him to take over 100 courses in the last year. It took him from a call center to a fractional COO for seven different companies. Assuming that you don’t know is not the same as an admission of weakness. It’s the first step to gaining knowledge.
There will always be knowledge gaps and misunderstandings. Identifying them can help clear up misconceptions to communicate your message clearer. For example, alternative lenders face many communication gaps with their own clients. As discussed in this article, the responsibility is on them to lead and close these gaps.
2. Use free resources
Traditional education offers in-depth coverage of the topic at hand. But, the cost and time constrictions limit its practicality for some. What’s most important is what you learn, not following the standard means of getting there. Take advantage of other resources if you have time or financial constraints. Some options include webinars, LinkedIn learning, online conferences, and video lectures.
3. Get in-depth coverage
Short videos and blog posts have great introductory value for a topic. However, don’t forget to build on that information. Coupling easily digestible information with in-depth coverage gives invaluable context. Without this, it is harder to make sure that you have the context to apply your knowledge.
Consider listening to a lecture series, reading a book, or taking online courses. Remember that you can always ask someone with more experience than you, bringing us to the next point.
4. Talk to other professionals
Some of the most practical knowledge you can find comes from the people that use it every day. Talking with other professionals is an underutilized and crucial tool for learning. It adds the value of connecting with a source of direct experience in a given niche. If you have a particular question or want to hear more about why some use a specific process in their work, ask. Find out where the leaders of your industry go. Are they in LinkedIn groups or on forums? Are there conferences or other meetups that they frequent? There’s value in surrounding yourself not with people like you but with people like who you want to be.
5. Always aim to prove yourself wrong
The scientific method sets out to prove a proposed hypothesis wrong. Experiments exist only to see if the belief holds up. Only after every attempt fails to bring another conclusion is it trusted.
Like researchers, only after trying to prove our assumptions wrong will we see what’s right. Even illusions can hide a nugget of truth. When you encounter failure, learn everything you can from it. Change your process, try again, and each time you’ll come closer to success.
6. Use diverse sources of information
Every person puts their perspective and options into their work. Often, even the author is unaware. When you see diverse perspectives on the same information, it’s easier to see what they have in common.
The Chaldean Oracles and ancient wise men would invite people to partake in acts of collective reason. Often, they invited others, saying, “Come now, let us reason together.” Once you have enough perspectives to see what varies from person to person, you begin to pick out the truth. As you practice this, the process gets quicker, and even your own biases will yield to facts.
7. Apply your knowledge through action
Even the knowledge of the most educated individual doesn’t mean a thing until tested. For example, a person can spend their life studying the maintenance of cars. They can spend every day reading, watching videos, and observing. Does this make them a mechanic?
Not until they fix a car.
The best testing ground for your newfound knowledge is applying it every day in real life. It may not feel like progress at first, but even your struggles are a form of movement. Only after practice and application will you look back and see how far you’ve come.
Summary
Industry leaders are created through a lifetime of learning. It’s not about what resources you do or don’t have. All you need is the want to know, the openness to grow, and the willingness to try, fail, and try again. The following growth reaches much further than your career or even your industry. It provides tools you’ll have for life.
CEO of CloudMyBiz Salesforce CRM consulting services with a deep knowledge in the lending industry. Taking keen interest in the project management side of operations, playing a vital role in the 31% YOY company growth. Strategic leader, mastering the ability to problem solve at every level of the business, providing effective solutions for clients.
by Mike Walsh | Jun 26, 2020 | Blog, Salesforce Tips
During the crisis, you may be seeing a surge in applications. At the same time, you may have set tighter lending criteria and be requiring more documentation to assess the creditworthiness of each borrower. The result is that it’s more difficult to make underwriting decisions quickly and accurately. Your team can be overwhelmed.
One way to handle that heavy workload is through a more streamlined, automated underwriting process. FUNDINGO consolidates all the information your underwriters need in one place, and helps to generate more price options, reduce errors, lower risk, and ensure greater consistency.
A short video explains how the system can help your underwriting team. FUNDINGO Underwriting Software. You might also find this white paper useful: “An Inefficient Solution for Underwriting Means Inconsistency and Greater Risk for Alternative Lenders”
CEO of CloudMyBiz Salesforce CRM consulting services with a deep knowledge in the lending industry. Taking keen interest in the project management side of operations, playing a vital role in the 31% YOY company growth. Strategic leader, mastering the ability to problem solve at every level of the business, providing effective solutions for clients.