Lance Armstrong, the seven-time winner of the Tour de France wrote in his book It’s Not About the Bike “Winning is in the details…It is in the details that you get ahead.”  From the time an order comes into the facility all the way through the entire process of getting the mail piece out the door, it is in paying attention to each and every detail that true winning takes place.  It is not enough to simply process orders, but each person who has a part in the process must own and ensure that what they do is top notch. The person must ask, did I dot all my i’s and cross all of my t’s? 

The first place to begin is to understand what the client’s expectations are.  Creating a statement of work that clearly outlines who will do what by when and what the end results are sets the stage for the job to be done correctly the first time.  The few minutes it takes before the project is launched to ensure the end result is clear minimizes the chance for error.  The main thing is to simply take the time to listen to your client.  Learn to ask the right questions. If you have run the project before, check your notes to ensure you don’t repeat anything that didn’t go as expected. “We always have time to do it right the second time, right?”

Teamwork and ownership is key for any project so you need to be sure that the right person is doing the right thing for the right reasons.  Selecting the team members who have the expertise and the resources needed to accomplish the project brings about great results.  This person/team oversees all aspects of the job, ensuring that all checks and balances are completed.  In addition, it is equally important to educate your clients on other offerings that would benefit them, not to mention your company! (Can you say UP SELL?)

Throughout the entire project, The Quality Control Process should be in place and having individuals constantly checking on behalf of your clients is also imperative to a successful outcome!  The quality control team should be trained to look at the pieces as if they were the customer, so your customers can rest assured that the end product is what they requested. 

Finally, the follow-up call.  Whether it is good news or bad, you want to make sure that your client hears from you first. After a project has ended it is important to get feedback right away on what worked and what didn’t.  Continuous improvement … making their experience better every time will keep them coming back for more!  As you communicate, you will be building a better, stronger relationship.  Now you just have to perform and do what you say!

I think Lance was right.  It’s really not about the bike.