7 Templates. That Save Me 520 Hours Per Year

Transcription

1 7 Templates That Save Me 520 Hours Per Year

2 I m Brian Balfour VP of Growth at Sidekick

3 As a former entrepreneur of various businesses funded by venture capitalists I m Brian Balfour VP of Growth at Sidekick

4 I used to do EVERYTHING myself.

5 Resulting in a MASSIVE to-do list.

6 Until I realized how STRESSFUL this was.

7 So I started delegating or eliminating tasks that were not important.

8 Allowing me to FOCUS on important tasks.

9 As a result, I sold two companies for millions of dollars.

10 Heres how I did it.

11 First, I d prioritize my to-do list into four quadrants

12 First, I d prioritize my to-do list into four quadrants Wanna try this method for prioritizing tasks? Click here to learn more

13 Second, I d delegate, automate, or decline tasks in quadrants three (Q3) and four (Q4)

14 Third, I d use templates to save myself time.

15 Third, I d use templates to save myself time. Outsourcing Q3 and Q4 tasks saves me at least 10 hours per week of mindless tasks.

16 That is 520 hours saved per year!

17 This gives me freedom to focus on...

18 This gives me freedom to focus on Important tasks that grow our business.

19 This gives me freedom to focus on Important tasks that grow our business. 2. Time with my wife, friends, and family.

20 These are the 7 types of tasks I will delegate, automate, or decline via to stay focused.

21 These are the 7 types of tasks I will delegate, automate, or decline via to stay focused. 1. Design & development projects 2. Booking travel 3. Scheduling personal appointments 4. Scheduling meetings 5. Personal account changes 6. Coffee or lunch requests 7. Internal meeting requests

22 1. Design & Development Projects

23 Project for you Hi [First Name] I just finished up this project and I m looking to put some finishing touches on it, but I need your help. Here s what I m thinking [insert project description] For example, here are a few things I have in mind: [example 1] [example 2] [example 3] Could you have this completed within the next 48 hours? If so, please send me an invoice on PayPal as we ve done in the past to my personal - [email protected]. If you have any questions about the project, please respond to this with your question and leave me your phone number, so I can call you about the project if necessary. Thank you, Brian

24 Bonus Tips: For small design projects I use... Fiverr.com For large design projects... 99Designs.com For development projects I use... odesk.com Once I find a designer or developer I like through these websites, I keep their contact information and send projects using this template. Prices vary from $5 to $500, depending on project complexity.

25 2. Booking Travel

26 Can you please book this trip? Hello, I m booking a round-trip flight from [departure city] to [arrival city], where I ll also need a hotel and car rental. Flight details: Departing flight - [departure city] to [arrival city] on [date] - I need to arrive by [time]. Returning flight - [departure city] to [arrival city] on [date] - I need to arrive by [time]. Regarding flight details, I prefer the lowest price, then followed by these preferences: 1. Non-stop flight (required) 2. Aisle seat (preferred) 3. American Airlines (preferred) Hotel details: Regarding the hotel, I m looking for a three or four star hotel with good reviews (please use TripAdvisor.com to validate for good reviews) for between $175 and $225 per night, located within 5 miles of [address I m visiting]. Car rental details Regarding the car rental, please use a dealership at the airport, so I can pick up and drop off the car there. Please book a Toyota Camry or Honda Civic (if those aren't available, choose something at a similar price) for my total length of stay in the arrival city. Please respond within 24 hours of the three best package deals for flight + hotel + car rental, which meets all of my requirements. Thank you, Brian

27 Can you please book this trip? Hello, I m booking a round-trip flight from [departure city] to [arrival city], where I ll also need a hotel and car rental. Flight details: Departing flight - [departure city] to [arrival city] on [date] - I need to arrive by [time]. Returning flight - [departure city] to [arrival city] on [date] - I need to arrive by [time]. Regarding flight details, I prefer the lowest price, then followed by these preferences: 1. Non-stop flight (required) 2. Aisle seat (preferred) 3. American Airlines (preferred) Dang, that s a lot of text! Hotel details: Regarding the hotel, I m looking for a three or four star hotel with good reviews (please use TripAdvisor.com to validate for good reviews) for between $175 and $225 per night, located within 5 miles of [address I m visiting]. Car rental details Regarding the car rental, please use a dealership at the airport, so I can pick up and drop off the car there. Please book a Toyota Camry or Honda Civic (if those aren't available, choose something at a similar price) for my total length of stay in the arrival city. Please respond within 24 hours of the three best package deals for flight + hotel + car rental, which meets all of my requirements. Thank you, Brian Download template

28 Can you please book this trip? Hello, I m booking a round-trip flight from [departure city] to [arrival city], where I ll also need a hotel and car rental. Flight details: Departing flight - [departure city] to [arrival city] on [date] - I need to arrive by [time]. Returning flight - [departure city] to [arrival city] on [date] - I need to arrive by [time]. Regarding flight details, I prefer the lowest price, then followed by these preferences: 1. Non-stop flight (required) 2. Aisle seat (preferred) 3. American Airlines (preferred) Dang, that s a lot of text! Hotel details: Regarding the hotel, I m looking for a three or four star hotel with good reviews (please use TripAdvisor.com to validate for good reviews) for between $175 and $225 per night, located within 5 miles of [address I m visiting]. Want an easier way to Car rental details Regarding the car rental, please use a dealership at the airport, so I can pick up and drop off the car there. Please book a Toyota Camry or Honda Civic (if those aren't available, choose something at a similar price) for my total length of stay in the arrival city. copy and paste Please respond within 24 hours of the three best package deals for flight + hotel + car rental, which meets all of my requirements. Thank you, Brian these templates? Download template

29 Can you please book this trip? Hello, I m booking a round-trip flight from [departure city] to [arrival city], where I ll also need a hotel and car rental. Flight details: Departing flight - [departure city] to [arrival city] on [date] - I need to arrive by [time]. Returning flight - [departure city] to [arrival city] on [date] - I need to arrive by [time]. Regarding flight details, I prefer the lowest price, then followed by these preferences: 1. Non-stop flight (required) 2. Aisle seat (preferred) 3. American Airlines (preferred) Dang, that s a lot of text! Hotel details: Regarding the hotel, I m looking for a three or four star hotel with good reviews (please use TripAdvisor.com to validate for good reviews) for between $175 and $225 per night, located within 5 miles of [address I m visiting]. Want an easier way to Car rental details Regarding the car rental, please use a dealership at the airport, so I can pick up and drop off the car there. Please book a Toyota Camry or Honda Civic (if those aren't available, choose something at a similar price) for my total length of stay in the arrival city. copy and paste Please respond within 24 hours of the three best package deals for flight + hotel + car rental, which meets all of my requirements. Thank you, Brian these templates? Download Click here to download template

30 Bonus Tips: Website I use: odesk.com Once you build trust with your Virtual Assistant (VA), they can book travel (or other purchases) with your credit card and frequent flyer information, saving you time. Additionally, I use a password manager such as LastPass.com which lets me automatically share usernames and passwords with my VA. Prices are $3 to $20 per hour for a VA on odesk.com

31 3. Scheduling Personal Appointments

32 Please schedule these appointments Hello, I need the following health appointments scheduled for this month, located within 15 miles of 555 Main St, Apt 101A, Boston, MA, [First appointment] (ex. vision, chiropractic, dental, doctor, etc) [Second appointment] [Third appointment] Here are the dates and times I m available: March 9-11, 13, 16-17, am - 10am, 3pm - 7pm (EST) However, I don t have these healthcare providers established yet, so I need someone who covers my insurance. Please use the following steps to find a doctor who accepts my coverage: Look up doctors who accept my insurance - Blue Cross PPO of Massachusetts. After you find doctor s through that website, look at Yelp.com for doctors who have at least 3 ratings, with an rating between 3.5 and 5 stars. Schedule an appointment with doctors who are available for those dates Put the appointment on my calendar and send me an to confirm the details Thank you, Brian Download

33 Bonus Tips: Website I use: FancyHands.com Additional personal scheduling examples with FancyHands.com: Booking dinner reservations with my parents for when they re in town. Scheduling an evening haircut, based around openings in my calendar. Setting an appointment for the most affordable oil change location in the area. Booking a massage appointment for my wife. For more examples, reference David Kadavay s Fancy Hands overview. Price ranges from $3 to $5.80 per task.

34 4. Scheduling Meetings

35 Conference Conferencecall call Hi, Can you please coordinate with [First Name #1] and [First Name #2] for a date and time that works for all of us to have a conference call next week? [First Name #1] s address is [ address] [First Name #2] s address is [ address] Once you found a time that works for all of us, please setup a conference call, invite us all via , add the call to my calendar, and have your conference caller connect us all at that time. Thank you, Brian Download

36 Bonus Tips: Website I use: FancyHands.com Fancy Hands has access to my calendar, so they schedule meetings for me which limits back and forth . Price ranges from $3 to $5.80 per task.

37 5. Personal Account Changes

38 Please update this Hi, Can you please make this change? I need to [Insert problem description]. Here is my account number: Time Warner - XXX XXX XXX Westfield Gas and Electric - XXX XXX XXX Chase - XXX XXX XXX Capital One - XXX XXX XXX Fidelity - XXX XXX XXX Allstate - XXX XXX XXX You can patch me in on my cell phone for security verifications if needed. When completed, please me a confirmation with the company that you ve made the change. Thank you, Brian Download

39 Please update this Hi, Can you please make this change? I need to [Insert problem description]. Here is my account number: Time Warner - XXX XXX XXX Westfield Gas and Electric - XXX XXX XXX Chase - XXX XXX XXX Capital One - XXX XXX XXX Fidelity - XXX XXX XXX Allstate - XXX XXX XXX Pro Tip: You can patch me in on my cell phone for security verifications if needed. When completed, please me a confirmation the company that you ve made the change. Usewith Sidekick, a free tracking tool, to know Thank you, Brian when your assistant has opened your s. Click here to try it out. Download

40 Bonus Tips: Website I use: FancyHands.com Keeping login information in this template for all accounts saves me time, as I can just quickly erase the ones I don t need. Here are a few examples of personal account changes: Upgrading my Time Warner internet package from 15 Mbps to 30 Mbps. Reporting and reversing a fraudulent charge on my Chase credit card. Automating my electric bill to make automatic payments from my checking account. Adding renter s insurance to my Allstate account. Price ranges from $3 to $5.80 per task.

41 6. Coffee or Lunch Requests

42 Re: Coffee next week? Hi [First Name], Thanks for the message - it s nice to hear from you. Fortunately, Sidekick has started to take off in exciting ways recently. Unfortunately, that means I have limited time to meet with people, so I can stay focused on our growth. Sorry to say, but I don t think I can make it. I hope you understand. We re aiming for some pretty ambitious goals and under the radar from our executive team to deliver big results. I try to get to some marketing conferences and events in the area from time to time, so perhaps we can meet up there and chat. Stay in touch and hopefully we ll work out a time in the future. Again, thank you for your understanding and best of luck! Sincerely, Brian Download

43 Bonus Tips: Lunch or coffee requests are imminent for an entrepreneur, but more often than not, they detract from our core goals. However, no one likes being told no, so I try to be as nice as possible. Can t say no? Try these methods: Limit meetings to 15 minutes. This forces the important points out, cutting the fluff. Only accept meetings in your office. This reduces travel time to coffee shops, cafes, etc. Schedule an event immediately after the meeting. This stops excuses from going over time, as you have to make the next calendar event. Note: This template was inspired by angel investor Mark Suster s no templates

44 7. Internal Meeting Requests

45 Re: Can we meet? Hey [First Name], I m open to discussing this, but let s ask ourselves these two questions: 1) 2) Is this urgent? Is it directly related to our current team quarterly goals? If no to both let s hold off on discussing this until our weekly scheduled meeting. As you re focused on your goals, I m focused on mine - strategic growth. If yes to both, great. Just send a calendar invite and an agenda 5 minutes before our meeting (as always, just schedule this using Sidekick) so I can review it before. This uber-focused mindset is the quickest way for both of us to advance Sidekick and grow ourselves personally. Best, Brian Download

46 Bonus Tips: Occasionally, we call for meetings that aren t focused on current goals and/or they don t set a clear agenda, which can waste time. This template forces us to take a step back and ask ourselves if it s urgent or if it can wait until our weekly scheduled one-on-one meeting, keeping both of us on track with our goals.

47 DONE! But why stop now?

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