How to use Delegating to Improve your Life
Once listing season hits, it becomes easy to get behind on the workload you are managing. Your dream of having as many listings as possible, can quickly become a nightmare if you are barely treading water to manage your time. The biggest myth for anyone who wants to be successful in any business is the belief that you are the only one who can handle all the tasks at hand. Learning the art of delegating can improve your life and business by helping you focus on the most important tasks wisely.
Make a List
It is no secret that the most organized (and successful) people tend to be list makers. If you keep a running list of everything you need to do, you can use it to:
Make sure nothing gets missed
Prioritize everything
Look for things you can easily delegate
Let’s not forget how satisfying it is to cross something off a list. It provides you with a feeling of accomplishment which is a great motivator. As well, once you have a list of tasks, you will find you can apply it to all of your listings.
Prioritize and Conquer
A list will allow you to prioritize and conquer each task at hand. You can look at prioritizing from two different viewpoints:
How long it will take
How important it is
By having two categories it makes it easier to figure out what to work on first. For example, if you know something will take just a few minutes to handle, such as signing a document your assistant left on your desk, do this first, even if it is not quite as important as something that is going to take a few hours. This allows you to cross it off your list so you can move on.
Do Like Things Together
A good rule of thumb is to try doing like things together such as returning phone calls, reading emails, or making copies of documents. This is a far more efficient way to handle these types of tasks as they are usually handled in the same place, such as at your desk, so you will be working more efficiently. It is no different when you are delegating these tasks; be organized and hand over all the filing or all the copying together so your assistant is able to do them all at once as well.
Project versus Task
Learn to recognize the difference between a project and a task. A task is a singular step, such as making a phone call, whereas a project is a major undertaking such as marketing. Marketing falls in the project category as it has many individual tasks associated with it such as setting up a photo shoot, sending out an eflyer or posting your listing or virtual tour to syndicated sites. If you list it as a single task, it won’t work as it automatically tends to stay on your list. Instead, projects should be broken down into tasks so you can determine which tasks you have to handle and those you can hand off.
Every Day versus Unique
You are going to have everyday tasks or projects that must be completed for every listing. Having a process in place to handle these everyday items will make it easier to know exactly what has to be done without having to review it and rewrite it for every listing.
Again, marketing is a good example here. Having a general marketing check list you can apply to each listing makes marketing easier to handle. It is one of the easiest lists to delegate as well. Using a DIY marketing program or a virtual assistant service to handle your marketing allows you to conquer this time manipulator, especially during the busy season.
Unique tasks can arise unexpectedly for any listing such as a last minute viewing request you don’t want to miss. By having your everyday tasks organized and properly delegated, you will be available to handle unique tasks when they arise.
Learning to recognize tasks that can be delegated will allow you to become more efficient and more effective. You will be readily available for your clients, which will in turn help generate more referrals and improve your life and your business.
If you would like an affordable alternative to help get your marketing check list off your desk, Realtour offers a Virtual Assistant service that will free up time and improve your client relationships at the fraction of the cost of a part time assistant.
