10 commandments for working from home during the pandemic
Remote work has its own challenges, but if you follow these rules, you will be a lot happier and more productive.
“A rainy day program is a sunny day’s program with a poncho.” I remember that from Scout camp one summer. It means you adapt to the situation, not sit around waiting for the situation to change. Your children might equate staying home with vacation time. Not you. You are an adult. You must adapt.
We need 10 commandments for working from home. Here are mine:
1. Thou must have a plan. Your time in the office has structure. You prospect. You attend meetings. You go out and meet clients. You get prompts from your client contact system. The day in the office starts with a written plan. You need one when working from home too. What do you want to get accomplished?
2. Thou shalt not forget thou art being paid to work. Your income might come from several sources, including trailers. It’s easy to consider working from home as a staycation. But if your clients are paying fees, they are paying for your attention.
3. Thou must get dressed. We are in the world of video calls. They aren’t all outgoing – they also come in. Your clients see you dressed a certain way when you visit their office or have an appointment for a review. They see you as a professional. They need to “see you as a professional” at home too. At least wear pants.
4. Thou must establish and keep office hours. Work isn’t something that’s fitted in between household chores are home-schooling your children. Your calls are likely forwarded. Clients expect you will be available. You need to remain focused. You can only focus on one thing at a time. Your work day includes time for lunch and coffee breaks. These should be part of your work from home schedule too.
5. Thou must remember to ring the cash register. Working from home is not a holiday from doing business. Clients still have money coming due. They should still honor the timetable you agreed on for additional investments. If you see opportunities, you should tell them.
6. Thou shalt not forget to call clients. Everyone has been doing it during this volatile period. Calling clients isn’t a “one and done” activity. Some clients will require more attention. Everyone should get at least some. Have a schedule of calls. Your CRM system should help.
7. Thou shalt not forget to retrieve messages. You might not be in your office, but mail gets sent there. Voicemail messages are left. People send texts and e-mails. Some get forwarded home, but you need to know things don’t fall through the cracks. Ask your office manager how you can stay on top of this situation.
8. Thou shalt not neglect the prospecting pipeline. It’s unlikely you are cold calling, because the DNC list, state of emergency restrictions and other factors are barriers. Also, people might not be in a receptive mood. But you need to plan for “after the pandemic.” Do you have stale leads? Clients who left? People with money coming due in the next few months? Prospects about to retire? When you return to the office you want to hit the ground running.
9. Thou shalt use social media efficiently. Almost everyone is stuck at home. They are putting more attention into social media including LinkedIn. If they are attentive, shouldn’t you be posting, messaging and sending invitations? Shouldn’t you be commenting on posts, accepting invitations to connect and reviewing your LinkedIn notifications?
10. Thou must not forget to keep score. What did you accomplish today? Before you “leave work” make a list. Your manager might call and ask “What have you been working on?” Also, when you review the day’s and week’s accomplishments, you get a better picture of the necessary next steps.
Unlike the original Ten Commandments, best practices for working from home don’t stop at ten!
Bryce Sanders is president of Perceptive Business Solutions Inc. He provides HNW client acquisition training for the financial services industry. His book, “Captivating the Wealthy Investor” can be found on Amazon.
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