I don't need a project list

[BjornLjunggren]

Maintaining

Roseanne: It sound like you are responsible to sign up new customers as a part of you're job. That sound like a bigger area of focus than a project that you can check of as done. So I would put an area of focus on 20000 ft: Job - Get new customers, then I would have no project on 10000 ft. But I would have the action (off course!)

You don't have to have projects to all your area of focus, you can have actions to your area of focus with no projects attached to them.

Life is good

 

[Cpu_Modern]

Roseanne, I wouldn't duplicate the functionality of a CRM with my GTD system, that's way to much overhead for virtually no return.

We had this discussion on the forum a couple of times, you can use the search function and find the old debates.

 

[Roseanne]

Bjorn;
Signing up new customers is a major part of my business all right. I use Thinking Rock and it asks you to add each next action to a project. It doesn't include the concepts of the different levels of focus tho. So I guess I either have a project called 'Sign up new customers' that can never be finished or just not add those actions to any project.

Cpu_Modern;
I did do a search for GTD and CRM but didn't really find a discussion on using the two together - just discussions on the merits of different ones. At the moment if I meet someone and they express an interest in a product/service I sell I add them to my next actions list to call them and talk to them more about it or email them information. Then if it goes further they are officially a 'prospect' and I add them to the crm. Saves me adding people to the crm that say no in the very early stage. I'm quite happy with this system - I look at all the current opportunities in the crm regularly to see who I need to call and have my next actions lists for 'possible prospects' and all of my other actions to do with everything else.

Having the CRM is great tho - before I had information about customers/prospects in so many places - various different excel sheets, index cards, emails. Now its all in one place and I can see details of any emails, calls or meetings with them so I know exactly where things stand with them.

 

[Gardener]

Hi all,
This is an interesting topic. I have the same query as the initial poster. What project should I add 'Call x about signing up as a customer'? Its a recurring thing in my business and not a project with an end date.

I think setting up a separate project for each customer I want to sign up is overkill. Also once they are a prospect I add them to our CRM and use the 'current opportunities' tab in that to prompt me about emails I need to send them or about follow up calls. So they are only on my next action list until I've made initial contact and established that they are a prospect.

What do you think the best is to do this?

I would probably have an ongoing project, with no end date, called something like "Keep up with customer recruitment."

It might have repeating actions like:

- Review and update customer recruitment call list. (Repeating, weekly.)
- Make four calls from customer recruitment call list. (Repeating, daily.)
- Spend one hour completing tasks in CRM system. (Repeating, daily.)
- Spend one hour cleaning stale prospects out of CRM. (Repeating, every two weeks.)

I don't actually know if the tasks or repeat intervals are the right ones, but you see what I mean?

Gardener

 

[kkuja]

Interesting topic indeed.

For me, the project list is a reminder list about which projects I need to give few thoughts in a weekly review. When I have all projects in one list, it unconsciously releases much stress because I'm allowing myself to forget all my other projects while I'm concentrating on any action or project. For me the project list the safety belt which guarantees nothing escapes through a hole in my mind. And I know every project gets its needed attention within a week.

For me project list is a must have.

 

[Suelin23]

I use my project list as the basis for setting up my filing system for my project support, so if I don't have a project list I get my files all messy and can't find stuff.