Stop Repeating the Same Manual Workflow: Use Online Forms Instead!

Today I want to share my thoughts on a topic that has been bugging me lately. You know how we all receive emails, right? Some of those emails are pretty relevant for work. I get loads of requests, especially when a contract is completed, and then the company needs more information from me. They send me an email asking for my date of birth, address, insurance details, and whatnot. The issue? I end up replying point by point, and it hits me: why are they doing this for every trainer, consultant, or supplier they work with? It just doesn’t make sense! 🤯

Let’s think about this for a moment. If a company is sending out the same email to multiple people, they’re creating more work for themselves by having to process all that information I send back. It’s frustrating! It feels like they’re using me as their IT expert or digital marketing specialist, and I’m just here to help them out. What they should really be doing is sending out an online form instead.

Example of an online form

Imagine this: an online form, like a survey. You could simply ask, “Hello, supplier! What’s your name? What’s your email? How do I contact you?” You could even include a GDPR compliance question about whether they want to receive marketing emails. If they say yes, great! You can add them to your mailing list. If not, no worries, you respect their choice.

When it comes to my training sessions, I often send out a questionnaire asking if the client prefers to use my meeting link or their own. Sure, some clients might have to use a specific platform like Zoom, even if I’d prefer Microsoft Teams. But that’s okay; we need to accommodate their needs. The point is, we should be using online forms to streamline this process!

Now, why is this better? For one, you can export the data easily. You don’t even have to export it manually; you just click a link within the form, and voilà, you have a nice table! It’s often integrated directly with Excel or Google Sheets. This means you can filter and sort the data to see trends. For example, you might discover how many clients prefer their own meeting system. In the future, you can just say, “We’ll use your system,” and save everyone a lot of time.

Data export example

It’s all about statistics and improving processes for the next time. I’ve been thinking about this rant for some time now, and I believe it’s something worth sharing. I can’t be the only one who thinks there has to be a better way to get things done and be more productive, right? It’s all about efficiency and getting things done—think of the famous GTD (Getting Things Done) methodology!

But here’s the kicker: maybe people are just too busy to think about it. They prefer to send an email instead of spending ten minutes filling out an online form that could save them hours in the long run. It’s like they don’t know what they don’t know! They don’t realize that instead of having ten emails back and forth, they could streamline the entire process with just one online form.

As an example, here is a quick form 👇 I had to create in a few minutes to avoid having to deal with too many emails and different responses that I didn’t ask. You too can create similar form for any of your repeating correspondance!

So, that’s my take on it. I might keep ranting about this because I genuinely believe there’s a better way to handle these situations. If you think I’m totally wrong, feel free to comment! Like, subscribe, and let’s keep this conversation going!

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