Decided to take a step back and get an overview of how things are going? It might be worth trying something different for a change, to ensure a smoother analysis. Here’s the unconventional way to streamline your online selling business.
I’m sure a lot of you are familiar with this joke of how to make a mess out of a task:
It’s the same old story. Gaps in structure or communication can lead to non-fulfillment of tasks. Instead of having one-on-one meetings or reviews that cause tension and take time, you could actually do something more entertaining for a change. How about taking a few moments to sit down and really think about the actual roles needed to manage your Amazon business? Don’t you worry about anything; as soon as you get started, the list writing will have a snowball effect that’s going to knock you off your feet.
The Snowball Effect
You could start by writing down things off the top of your head. It’s really important to keep roles as granular as possible, so there’s no ambiguity as to what a role implies. This ensures people always know what to expect from their co-workers instead of just making assumptions.
So instead of saying: I am a customer support person, you draw up a list of things that you are typically responsible for as a Customer Support person, such as:
- answering emails
- handling A-Z/chargeback complaints
- checking notifications
- monitoring performance metrics
- working to get negative and neutral feedback retracted
- offering suggestions for improving performance, etc.
Do the same for each section of the business, then ask your team to join in and complete the list. You’ll find there are things they do to ensure a smooth work flow that have not even crossed your mind (for example: clocking in a bit earlier to get all your shipments out when pick-up is done early on Wednesdays).
The Benefits of Roles in Your Amazon Business
If you organize work this way, then people can easily change roles over time. Let’s say your Inventory Manager is the person to handle everything related to stock, whether it’s supplier communication or reorders and clean-up. But there could be somebody else in the team who’s better at price negotiation, who could take over supplier communication with better results in the end.
At the same time, you may find people invest time in activities that do not align with your purpose as an organisation, so you’d want to give them up. We’ll expand on the purpose idea in another blog post coming soon.
Last but not least, you’ll get a clearer idea on whether you need to hire somebody new to cover all needs of your company. You may decide it might be a smart move to outsource your customer support, for instance. Choose a company like SellerEngine to take over all roles the position implies in an Amazon business, and free your employees’ schedule for other assignments they’d excel in.
Send us an e-mail at services@SellerEngine.com and give us a try!
Elena is part of the Business Development team at SellerEngine. She explores online expansion opportunities and goes by the saying