June 2016 Market Expert of the Month

New Media - First Scoop Blog

Intentionally Left Bank Social Media Campaign

Head of Marketing

Director of Marketing & Strategy

Director of Content & Social Media Marketing

Marketing

Customers

<p>Good customer service is critical to the success of your business, but what happens when you’re too busy to handle every communication channel? You can’t ignore customer service calls and messages, but you can’t sacrifice operations either. If you can’t hire in-house staff to handle all the <a href="/articles/megan-totka-components-of-excellent-customer-service/">key elements of customer service</a>, consider outsourcing customer service as your business grows. </p>
<p>Businesses of all sizes outsource customer service, including prominent enterprises and small firms. We’ll look at the benefits and disadvantages of outsourcing customer service and share <a href="/articles/hiring-a-call-center/">what you should know before hiring a call center</a>. </p>

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<h2 id="what-is-outsourced-customer-service">What is outsourced customer service? </h2>
<p>Outsourced customer service is when management transfers customer-facing communication channels to a third-party service provider. Businesses typically outsource customer service through a call center, which maintains agents trained to handle an organization’s incoming calls. </p>
<p>Weighing whether you should reassign your customer service to a third party is complex and causes unease for many business owners. After all, you want to ensure your business continues providing quality customer service to meet consumer demand. </p>
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<h2 id="what-are-the-pros-of-outsourced-customer-service">What are the pros of outsourced customer service? </h2>
<p>The ability to outsource customer service for small businesses can be highly beneficial. Here are some of the pros of outsourcing: </p>
<ul>
<li><strong>Outsourced customer service reduces workload.</strong> Small business owners and staff typically wear many hats. Responding to customer phone calls and emails distracts from more profitable activities like sales. Outsourcing customer service can free up time for you and your employees so everyone can focus on <a href="/articles/12-ways-to-increase-sales/">increasing sales</a>.</li>
<li><strong>Outsourced customer service can save money.</strong> When you hire contract workers, including call center employees, you don’t pay a fixed salary or <a href="/hr-software/employee-benefits/">employee benefits</a>. Additionally, you don’t have to furnish customer service reps with equipment. A computer and all the necessary software could cost upward of $1,000, while a good headset can cost more than $60. When you factor in office space, a desk, a chair, an additional monitor and so on, you could spend $5,000 on equipment for a single customer service rep.</li>
<li><strong>Outsourced customer service provides after-hours coverage. </strong>Many consumers expect to reach companies’ customer service departments during off-hours. Call center staff can be available 24/7, <a href="/articles/why-efficient-customer-service-is-better-than-friendly/">providing efficient customer service</a> when your customers need it.</li>
<li><strong>Outsourced customer service can provide multilingual service.</strong> Many businesses have customer bases that speak languages other than English. Outsourced customer service platforms give you better access to reps who speak multiple languages. As a result, your customers will feel more confident doing business with your company, knowing their questions will be answered properly without communication barriers. </li>
</ul>
<p>“Outsourcing helps you save resources and create better coverage,” noted Joe Wilson, senior career advisor at MintResume. “If your company operates on an international level, it would be easier to hire a local call center office instead of forcing an in-house team to learn a foreign language. The bigger the audience you cover, the bigger chance you have to satisfy your customers.” </p>
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<h2 id="what-are-the-cons-of-outsourced-customer-service">What are the cons of outsourced customer service?</h2>
<p>While outsourcing customer service offers some excellent benefits, before choosing a provider, understand the cons and address them with the provider you’re considering.</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>Outsourced customer service may reduce customer satisfaction.</strong> Many business owners worry they’ll lose customers if they switch to a call center or answering service. However, to address this concern, business owners can scrutinize the provider’s track record and references to ensure they use one of the <a href="/categories/best-answering-services/">best answering services</a> or call centers.</li>
<li><strong>Outsourced customer service reps aren’t familiar with your company.</strong> Outsourced employees may not be as knowledgeable about your company, products and services as an in-house team because they’re not in the trenches with you daily. To overcome this concern, maintain clear and consistent communication with your outsourced customer service team. Update your provider on new product launches, price changes, policies and more. For more advanced services, hire dedicated agents that focus only on your business, learning the ins and outs of everything you do.</li>
<li><strong>Your business may not be an outsourced provider’s top priority. </strong>A call center rep may handle a customer service inquiry for a clothing retailer one minute and answer a consumer’s questions about home loans the next. While you’d like outsourced reps to be passionate about your company and make your customer service calls a priority, that’s not a guarantee if they work for multiple clients. Again, hiring more expensive, dedicated agents could ameliorate this problem, but it will cost you.</li>
<li><strong>Outsourced customer service may present security concerns. </strong>The very nature of some businesses involves exchanging personal info, such as credit card numbers, names and addresses — information that must be secure. If this is the case with your business, interview call centers about their <a href="/insurance/cybersecurity-risk-management/">cybersecurity and risk management</a> practices. However, many call centers have layers of protection in place to ensure your customers’ data remains private and safe. </li>
</ul>
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<h2 id="are-there-outsourced-customer-service-companies-in-the-u-s">Are there outsourced customer service companies in the U.S.?</h2>
<p>There are highly recommended outsourced customer service companies in the U.S. The following eight companies are all based in the U.S. and can help your business with its outsourced customer service needs:</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://voicenation.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">VoiceNation</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.evoice.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">eVoice</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.helpware.io/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Helpware</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.intelligentoffice.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Intelligent Office</a></li>
<li><a href="https://answerfirst.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">AnswerFirst</a></li>
<li><a href="https://sound-tele.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sound Telecom</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.completecallsolutions.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Complete Call Solutions</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.dialamerica.com/corporate/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">DialAmerica</a></li>
</ul>
<h2 id="what-do-i-need-to-know-before-hiring-customer-service-providers">What do I need to know before hiring customer service providers?</h2>
<p>When <a href="/articles/7-tips-for-evaluating-outsourcing-partner/">evaluating your outsourcing partner</a>, find out about their expertise, quality control, security and training. Consider the following questions:</p>
<ol>
<li><strong>What is the outsourced customer service provider’s expertise?</strong> Has the call center worked in your industry before? Is it familiar with regulations in your industry and the particular concerns consumers have? If it hasn’t worked with other companies in your industry, consider how that might affect service. To deter any potential issues a lack of expertise may cause among your customers, hire a provider with experience in your industry.</li>
<li><strong>How does the outsourced customer service provider maintain quality control?</strong> Ask call center companies how their agents deal with angry customers and keep them happy. Additionally, you should be able to maintain visibility into their customer service with frequent reports and call recordings you can monitor. Ask companies what reports they provide and whether they offer actual recorded calls that you can listen to.</li>
<li><strong>What are the outsourced customer service provider’s security measures?</strong> To <a href="/articles/protect-your-business-from-a-data-breach/">protect your business from a data breach</a>, you must understand your provider’s security protocols. Its inbound and outbound networks must be secure. Also, ask who manages their network and who can access it.</li>
<li><strong>How does the outsourced customer service provider hire and train reps? </strong>Some businesses require specialists to handle customer service inquiries. Ask about any potential provider’s hiring process and training program. How does it keep up with technology as it evolves? </li>
</ol>
<h2 id="how-much-does-it-cost-to-outsource-a-call-center">How much does it cost to outsource a call center?</h2>
<p>The cost of outsourcing your customer service to a third party depend on the services you need. Basic answering services cost 70 cents to $1 per minute, while dedicated call center agents (i.e., professionals who work exclusively on behalf of your company) cost up to $25 per hour. </p>
<p>“Outsourced call center costs are made up of several items such as … employee training, IT infrastructure expenses, incoming info analytics, agents’ payments, maintaining administrative resources, office rent and technical needs, etc.,” Wilson explained. </p>
<p>The complexity and immediacy of your needs also play a role. “Cost[s] also depend on whether there is a team ready to take on a project right away or will it be created anew, according to specific requirements?” Wilson noted. “In the second case, an initial preparatory stage is needed, during which the suitable staff has to be recruited.” </p>
<p>You must also determine whether you need live answering and message-taking services. The more cost-effective option — shared agents — can handle those functions. The more expensive option — dedicated agents — is needed for advanced tasks, like outbound calling campaigns, complaint management and customer win-back services. </p>
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<h2 id="outsourcing-customer-service-is-a-big-decision">Outsourcing customer service is a big decision</h2>
<p>Outsourcing customer service to a third-party provider is a big decision with broad ramifications. However, it may be the right choice to help your business grow, maintain operations and provide quality customer service. </p>
<p>Choose a provider you’re comfortable with that can address your customers’ most pressing needs expertly and efficiently.</p>
<p><em>Jennifer Dublino contributed to the reporting and writing in this article. Some source interviews were conducted for a previous version of this article.</em></p>

Learn if outsourcing customer service to a call center is right for your business. 

The Pros and Cons of Outsourced Customer Service

Marketing Solutions

<p>Automated email sequences are designed to be sent to users after taking certain actions, such as signing up for an <a href="/articles/email-newsletter-draft/">email newsletter</a> or completing a purchase. These perfectly crafted emails may seem like they were created just for you, but they are part of a brand’s email marketing campaign known as “automated sequence emails.”</p>
<p>Read on to learn more about the benefits of automated email sequencing and see some email sequence examples.</p>
<p><strong><span data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"Editor's note: Looking for the right [category name] for your business? Fill out the below questionnaire to have our vendor partners contact you about your needs."}" data-sheets-userformat="{"2":513,"3":{"1":0},"12":0}">Editor’s note: Looking for the right email marketing service for your business? Fill out the below questionnaire to have our vendor partners contact you about your needs.</span></strong></p>

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<h2 id="what-is-email-sequencing">What is email sequencing?</h2>
<p>As the name suggests, an email sequence is a string of emails sent automatically to an email list based on subscribers’ actions. Here are some examples of those kinds of actions:</p>
<ul>
<li>Signing up for your email list</li>
<li>Adding an item to a shopping cart but not completing a purchase</li>
<li>Downloading your free e-book</li>
<li>Making a purchase</li>
</ul>
<p>Several options for email sequencing software, with different automation types, are available to help you best connect and interact with your target audience. As stated earlier, email sequences are a series of emails with content determined by the actions of your audience, such as visiting a particular page on your site or viewing a specific product. <strong>[See related article: </strong><a href="/categories/ecommerce-platforms/"><strong>The Best Ecommerce Platforms and Shopping Cart Software of 2023</strong></a><strong>]</strong></p>
<p>Creating email sequences allows you to promote sales and nurture leads to increase customer engagement and retention. In addition, because they’re relatively easy to set up, and you can segment your target audience to create personalized email content, email sequences are a scalable marketing tactic that can grow as your business does.</p>

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<h2 id="what-are-the-types-of-email-sequencing-and-examples">What are the types of email sequencing and examples?</h2>
<p>There are five standard types of automated email sequences: onboarding, engagement, cart abandonment, launch and nurture.</p>
<h3>Onboarding email sequences</h3>
<p>An onboarding email sequence ― sometimes called a <a href="/articles/welcome-email-guide/">welcome email</a> sequence ― is the first series of emails your subscribers get when they sign up for your email list, app or other offerings that require them to give you their email address.</p>
<p>As part of the onboarding sequence, you can share your brand and make a good impression. To help make that positive association, depending on what your promise was to get them to opt in, you may do the following:</p>
<ul>
<li>Share a limited-time promo code for new subscribers</li>
<li>Explain what they can get from being part of your email community</li>
<li>Get them to connect with your brand on social media</li>
<li>Engage them with a video that offers helpful tips</li>
</ul>
<p>Shop LIT Live, a community for consumers to discover brands and products through livestreamed events and multimedia content, shares this first email when consumers register on the brand’s app:</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter  wp-image-4513" src="https://images.business.com/app/uploads/2022/03/23021335/auto3-3.png" alt="Shop LIT Liv" width="241" height="554"></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><em>Source: Shop LIT Live</em></p>
<p>“The welcome email (the first in a series) welcomes customers into our community,” said Toby Zhang, CEO of Shop LIT Live. “We personalize communications to each member of our community to help them discover brands, products and content that are most relevant to them.”</p>

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<h3>Engagement</h3>
<p>As the name suggests, engagement emails aim to keep your contacts engaged. For example, you can use engagement emails to persuade prospects who have yet to make a purchase to do so or to <a href="/articles/four-tips-for-reengaging-past-clients/">reengage people who previously purchased </a>from your company. In the following example, LaToya Russell, founder of Quitting Corporate entices prospects to move further along in the sales process by providing valuable information in the form of a free minicourse:</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter  wp-image-4514" src="https://images.business.com/app/uploads/2022/03/23021336/auto4-3.png" alt="Quitting Corporate letter example" width="314" height="548"></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><em>Source: Quitting Corporate</em></p>
<p>“The goal is to get them to purchase,” Russell said. “In the online space, many individuals are often skeptical to purchase from brands that are not widely known, because of scams. Communicating early helps individuals realize that you are a real business, and this minimizes support emails and refund requests. You also want to give some encouragement. Let them know it was a wise decision (because sometimes, spending money is hard).”</p>
<p>Ted’s Vintage Art has a sequence designed to engage customers who have not purchased in a while. The company sends an email thanking them for their business and asking them to be part of a process that helps to educate future customers.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter wp-image-4515" src="https://images.business.com/app/uploads/2022/03/23021336/auto5-3.png" alt="Ted's Vintage Art letter" width="426" height="442"></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><em>Source: Ted’s Vintage Art</em></p>
<p>These types of emails serve as reminders about your company and can trigger repeat purchases.</p>
<h3>Cart abandonment</h3>
<p><a href="/articles/recover-abandoned-carts/">Abandoned shopping cart</a> emails, one of the most popular types of emails, are among the easiest to set up, especially on a platform like Shopify.</p>
<p>According to Iwona Ordon, the company’s founder and CEO, the organic baby clothing company TØY Baby Clothing sends shopping cart reminders for two reasons.</p>
<p>The first reason is that, because parents are extremely busy, they often cannot finish their purchase at a given moment and they may forget about the order, Ordon said. So, this example serves as a gentle reminder of their abandoned cart:</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-4516" src="https://images.business.com/app/uploads/2022/03/23021337/auto6-3.png" alt="Toy Baby Clothing letter" width="467" height="303"></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><em>Source: TØY Baby Clothing</em></p>
<p>The second reason is that some customers need clarification about which size to choose and, in turn, abandon their carts if they aren’t provided that information. The company’s sizing goes by height and not age, “which is more of a European standard than a U.S. practice,” Ordon said.</p>
<p>Therefore, in her company’s shopping cart emails, her team includes a link to a proper size guide that helps prospects find the perfect size for their baby.</p>
<p>Ted’s Vintage Art also uses abandoned shopping cart emails and the company incorporates an image of the product to help engage prospects, as in this example:</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter wp-image-4517" src="https://images.business.com/app/uploads/2022/03/23021337/auto7-3.jpg" alt="Ted's Vintage Art" width="400" height="487"></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><em>Source: Ted’s Vintage Art</em></p>
<p>The company’s founder, Justin Blase, explained his process and offered a visual of his workflow chart:</p>
<ol>
<li>Email a shopper who abandoned their cart.</li>
<li>Wait 45 minutes after an item is added to their cart.</li>
<li>Check whether the customer completed the purchase.</li>
<li>If they did not complete it, send an email that links the shopper back to their “prefilled” cart.</li>
<li>Wait another seven days.</li>
<li>Send another email enticing them to complete their purchase.</li>
</ol>
<p style="text-align: center;"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-4518" src="https://images.business.com/app/uploads/2022/03/23021338/auto8-3.png" alt="Ted's Vintage Art flow chart" width="393" height="453"></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><em>Source: Ted’s Vintage Art</em></p>
<h3>Launch</h3>
<p>Launch emails are sales emails that have a specific theme. It can be exciting for your passionate customers to receive these emails because they love your brand and want to learn about its new products and services. Launch emails aim to create awareness of your new products and services and <a href="/articles/5-ways-to-earn-repeat-business/">earn repeat customers</a> or new customers.</p>
<p>Cuddle Clones introduces prospects and customers to its new products through a series of automated emails, as shown in this example of an email introducing the company’s holiday face masks:</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter  wp-image-4519" src="https://images.business.com/app/uploads/2022/03/23021338/auto9-3.png" alt="Cuddle Clones" width="327" height="558"></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><em>Source: Cuddle Clones</em></p>
<h3>Nurture</h3>
<p>Nurture emails, also called follow-up emails, are sent after a customer makes a purchase. The purpose of nurture emails is to get the customer to take a new action, such as reviewing their purchase, uploading a photo of their product to your social media pages or making another purchase.</p>
<p>Nurture emails can also help build relationships with your customers and ensure they have a good experience. Blase explained the process Ted’s Vintage Art uses for nurture emails:</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>Email 1:</strong> Thank a customer for their purchase and ask them to like Ted’s on Facebook. This personalized email is sent 5 minutes after the purchase.</li>
<li><strong>Email 2:</strong> Ask the customer to leave a review on the company’s website. Ideally, this personalized email is sent within days of the purchase as shown in the example below.</li>
<li><strong>Email 3:</strong> Ask the customer to take a picture of their product in their home and share it with the company. This email is sent 15 days after the purchase, in the form of a personalized email and also serves the dual purpose of encouraging engagement.</li>
</ul>
<p style="text-align: center;"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter  wp-image-4520" src="https://images.business.com/app/uploads/2022/03/23021339/auto10-3.png" alt="Ted's Vintage Art" width="406" height="530"></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><em>Source: Ted’s Vintage Art</em></p>
<h2 id="what-are-email-sequencing-best-practices">What are email sequencing best practices?</h2>
<p>When creating your email sequences, follow these best practices:</p>
<h3>Space out your email sequences and target user interests.</h3>
<p>Because every business is unique, you may need to experiment with the frequency of your email sequences to see what works best. Consider sending emails at the following rates:</p>
<ul>
<li>Five emails when the average time between purchases is less than two weeks</li>
<li>Two emails when the average time between purchases is one month</li>
<li>One email when the average time between purchases is three months</li>
<li>One email when the average time between purchases is six months</li>
<li>One email when the average time between purchases is 12 months</li>
</ul>
<h3>Test the sequence length.</h3>
<p>One of the most commonly asked questions about email sequencing is how long a sequence should be. The answer is: it depends. Length will work hand in hand with frequency and <a href="/articles/small-business-customer-journey-map/">your buyers’ journeys</a>. The cycle will end at some point.</p>
<p>You need to determine how many emails it takes to get your desired result. Some businesses may find that three emails per sequence are enough to get the job done while others may need to send more than 10. Use email marketing reporting to help you decide what is working. For example, you may send too many emails if you see open rates decline. If your open and click-through rates (CTR) are strong, but conversions could be better, you may need to rework your creative content.<strong> [Related article: </strong><a href="/categories/best-email-marketing-services/"><strong>The Best Email Marketing Services and Survey Software of 2023</strong></a><strong>]</strong></p>

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<p>Consider these examples submitted by Quitting Corporate’s LaToya Russell.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter  wp-image-4511" src="https://images.business.com/app/uploads/2022/03/23021334/auto1-3.png" alt="Quitting Corporate flow chart" width="545" height="433" /></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><em>Source: Quitting Corporate</em></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter  wp-image-4512" src="https://images.business.com/app/uploads/2022/03/23021335/auto2-3.png" alt="Quitting Corporate flow chart" width="490" height="550" /></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><em>Source: Quitting Corporate</em></p>
<h3>Use language that speaks to your buyer personas.</h3>
<p>Tailor the language you use in your email campaigns to your buyer personas, which are fictional representations of your target customers. Consider the following applications of targeted language:</p>
<ul>
<li>A law firm may use language that is formal and serious.</li>
<li>A clothing boutique may use language that is fun and flirty.</li>
<li>A life coach may use language that is empathetic and informal.</li>
</ul>
<h2 id="what-are-the-benefits-of-email-sequencing">What are the benefits of email sequencing?</h2>
<p>Email sequencing can be useful for generating new leads and sales. There is a huge opportunity for businesses aggressively pursuing an email marketing strategy to leverage email sequencing.</p>
<p>Three major benefits of email sequencing are increased efficiency, better results and reduced errors.</p>
<h3>Increased efficiency</h3>
<p>Email sequencing campaigns that launch automatically based on the triggers you set reduce the amount of day-to-day labor needed to manage your email marketing. According to the <a href="https://www.getresponse.com/resources/reports/email-marketing-and-marketing-automation-excellence-2018" target="_blank" rel="noopener">GetResponse Email Marketing and Marketing Excellence report</a>, 30 percent of professionals reported that saving time was the biggest benefit of marketing automation, including email sequencing.</p>
<h3>Better results</h3>
<p>If it ever feels like your emails are getting lost in the void, it could signal that your audience is not engaged. To boost your success rate, follow these automated email marketing tips:</p>
<ul>
<li>Send the right emails at the right time.</li>
<li>Segment emails by buyer persona.</li>
<li>Keep prospects engaged over a long or short sales cycle.</li>
<li>Stay at your customer’s top of mind.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Reduction in errors</h3>
<p>There is room for error when you track leads and send emails manually. Through email marketing automation, you can create a set of standard emails to go out over the course of each customer’s sales journey and set triggers for when the emails should be sent as part of a streamlined, error-reducing workflow.</p>
<p><em>Sean Peek </em><em>contributed to his article. ​​Source interviews were conducted for a previous version of this article.</em></p>

Automated email sequences can keep your customers engaged based on their actions and behaviors.

Automated Email Sequence Examples

Human Resources

Managing

<p>Not every business is filled with star employees who consistently meet or exceed the expectations placed on them. For employees who don’t fall into that category, the responsibility of helping them boost their performance often falls on their managers.</p>
<p>A performance improvement plan (PIP) is a popular tool to set them on the right path. This plan sets expectations for an employee with the goal of helping them improve their performance. To get the most out of a PIP, managers need to clearly understand what it is, what to include, and how to develop it.</p>
<h2>What is a performance improvement plan?</h2>
<p>A performance improvement plan is a document created by a supervisor or manager that outlines what employees can do to achieve their <a href="/hr-software/employee-performance-goals/">performance goals</a>. In many instances, these plans are meant for struggling employees, though they can be used for employees who are already doing an excellent job but have opportunities to grow further.</p>
<p>The document outlines the following:</p>
<ul>
<li>The expected behavior and an objective or two</li>
<li>Resources available to achieve those goals</li>
<li>A timeline for improving performance (or, in the case of employees who are not struggling, the timeline to reach additional goals)</li>
</ul>
<p>Since PIPs can have a negative connotation, many HR professionals have long believed that they are best implemented only when employees’ struggles become noticeable and action is needed to correct unsatisfactory performance.</p>
<p>However, some HR professionals are changing their tune as the workplace evolves. Seeing the benefit of PIPs for employees who are already doing an excellent job and have the potential for even better performance, these plans are no longer used just for struggling employees.</p>
<p>“Employees who hear ‘performance improvement’ may assume that something isn’t right or there are dire consequences as a result of being placed on a PIP,” Leanne E. King, founder and CEO of SeeKing HR, told us. “This is truly a negative reaction to what is often an attempt to correct or redirect the behaviors of an employee.”</p>
<p>This is why King added that the preferred term is “development plan” for employees who are doing well and ready for a new assignment or responsibility.</p>
<p>“The catch is in the culture of the organization,” King said. “It’s all in how the process is communicated with employees. Using a single-document performance plan with a check box for improvement and development gives employees a better indication of what may be the next steps, step up or step out.”</p>

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<h2>How a performance improvement plan works in 5 simple steps</h2>
<p>Traditionally, a performance improvement plan follows a series of five steps:</p>
<ol>
<li><strong>Determination of needs:</strong> The supervisor works on their own or with a member of the HR team to determine areas where the employee needs to improve.</li>
<li><strong>PIP</strong> <strong>write-up:</strong> The supervisor outlines these improvements in a templated PIP form.</li>
<li><strong>Formal meeting: </strong>The supervisor holds a formal performance review meeting with the employee to explain the document.</li>
<li><strong>Questions: </strong>The supervisor gives the employee time to ask any applicable questions to ensure they are on the same page.</li>
<li><strong>Sign-off: </strong>The supervisor and employee sign the document as an acknowledgment that it was received, discussed and understood.</li>
</ol>
<h2>What are the benefits of a performance improvement plan?</h2>
<p>A performance improvement plan, or a development plan, can be beneficial for employers and employees. As an employer, you want to get the best from your employees. After all, higher-achieving employees can equate to a higher return on your business investment.</p>
<p>Simply telling employees they need to do better usually won’t have the desired result. Instead of sending these underperforming employees off on their own to figure out how to improve, managers need to clearly identify areas for improvement and lay out a path forward for the struggling team member.</p>
<p>At the other end of the spectrum, you should identify your high performers and set benchmarks for them as well. <strong>[Read related article: </strong><a href="/articles/the-future-of-performance-management/">Times Are Changing: The Future of Performance Management Trends</a><strong>]</strong></p>
<p>“Research shows that significant value for the company can be easily generated by benchmarking the top performers in a structured way, seeing how they operate, and then building those outcomes, tasks, decisions and methodologies into how everyone else can improve themselves,” said Josh Rovner, an author and consultant in the space of building effective organizations. “This is how you can create and use a performance improvement plan for everyone in the company, not just the underperformers.”</p>
<p>These are some additional benefits of a performance improvement plan:</p>
<h3>It helps employees take responsibility.</h3>
<p>If staff members are not aware of how management sees their performance, they can’t take responsibility for it. A performance improvement plan equips team members with the information they need to take responsibility for their performance and work toward improving it.</p>
<h3>It can increase staff retention.</h3>
<p>As job roles evolve, your staff may not be aware of how their role affects the company or if it even matters. When employees know exactly what is expected of them, those expectations can empower them by showing them they make a difference and give them goals to work toward. This can help you retain otherwise bored and unmotivated staff.</p>
<h3>It provides valuable feedback. </h3>
<p>Offering a documented understanding of how employees are doing and where they can improve helps them feel engaged and improve within areas they may not have realized they were lacking in.</p>
<h3>It removes the element of surprise.</h3>
<p>If an employee ultimately needs to be terminated for poor performance, the process might be easier for both parties when the performance issues have been documented through a performance improvement plan. Workers who are terminated will already know their employers’ expectations and have some warning of what’s coming when they see they aren’t hitting their goals. </p>

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<h2>How to develop a performance improvement plan process and what to include</h2>
<p>Developing and writing a performance improvement plan is a straightforward process.</p>
<h3>Step 1: Identify if a PIP is needed.</h3>
<p>Sometimes, <a href="/articles/deliver-informal-feedback/">having an informal conversation with a subordinate</a> or documenting an issue by email is enough to improve performance. An example of when a PIP might be needed is a sales agent who isn’t meeting their sales quotas. If a PIP is necessary, move on to step two.</p>
<h3>Step 2: Focus on behaviors.</h3>
<p>Outline the behaviors that need to improve and get to the root cause of the issue. These are some examples of actionable goals:</p>
<ul>
<li>For a sales professional, it might be to make 50 sales phone calls a day.</li>
<li>For a customer service representative, it could be to address 95 percent of customers by their first name for two weeks straight to improve relationships.</li>
<li>For a marketing specialist, it might be to respond to all Facebook messages within 48 hours.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Step 3: Provide proof with specific examples.</h3>
<p>If you don’t have specific examples of the problem to give the employee, hold off on submitting the performance improvement plan and start documenting them as you see them. Provide as much detail as possible in the examples. Outlining specific examples with dates is the best way to avoid legal issues.</p>
<h3>Step 4: List your expectations.</h3>
<p>As part of the performance improvement process, specify your expectations in the areas where the staff member needs to improve. Expectations are different from job duties; do not pull these expectations from the employee’s job description. Focus on the end results of an employee’s behavior or actions, not just the activities they perform. This can give the employee a clearer understanding of what your expectations are and why.</p>
<p>Step 5: Offer resources.</p>
<p>Expecting workers to improve on their own is not always realistic, especially if they have been struggling for a while and clearly aren’t sure where to turn for help. Offering resources can put a positive spin on the performance improvement discussion and give employees a way to succeed. Here are some examples of resources you could include in the performance improvement plan:</p>
<ul>
<li>Connect them with other staff members whom they can lean on for guidance.</li>
<li>Give them access to an online course they can take to improve their skills.</li>
<li>Give them a book they can read to learn something new about their position’s subject matter.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Step 6: Create a timeline.</h3>
<p>A defined timeline can help team members achieve their goals in a reasonable time frame and track their progress. A typical timeline for performance improvement is 30, 60 or 90 days. Your timeline should provide structure and offer realistic, achievable goals.</p>
<h3>Step 7: Sign off on it.</h3>
<p>Your performance improvement document should conclude with a place for all parties involved to date and sign.</p>
<h2>Free performance improvement templates</h2>
<p>You can find a wide selection of templates online to help you develop your PIP. Below are some free templates to guide you in laying out the PIP:</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.smartsheet.com/performance-improvement-plan-templates" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Smartsheet</a></li>
<li><a href="https://templatelab.com/performance-improvement-plan/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">TemplateLAB</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.sampletemplates.com/business-templates/plan-templates/performance-development-plan-template-pdf-word.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">SampleTemplates</a></li>
</ul>
<p><em>Skye Schooley contributed to this article. Source interviews were conducted for a previous version of this article.</em></p>

A lot can be gained by giving struggling employees a clear path to improvement with a performance improvement plan.

How to Improve Work Performance With a Performance Improvement Plan (Plus PIP Templates)

Marisa Sanfilippo