BUSINESS MARKETING: 'Bucketize' your problems to solve them

A businessman recently told me that he had so many problems, challenges and special situations that, "I'm overwhelmed and don't know where or how to start solving them."

So I asked him to list these issues over the next week, as he thought of them, in no particular order. When we talked next, he gave me a laundry list of issues and I could see how he felt overwhelmed. I then introduced him to the concept of "bucketizing."

Bucketizing is a verb I made up that describes the process of putting seemingly disparate things into categories or buckets. These buckets are quite different from the one in the Morgan Freeman, Jack Nicholson movie "The Bucket List" where two terminal cancer patients enjoy adventures together before kicking the bucket.

I'm oversimplifying here because of space, but an example of a customer service bucket might have entries of late delivery, arguing about a guarantee, and being rude to a client on the telephone. The reason I suggest putting them all together into a bucket is because there might be, and often are, solutions each issue shares in common with others.

For instance, improving communications with clients might be a partial solution for the three issues above. If they are all in the same bucketthen we can work on them together, modifying the solution slightly for specific situations instead of starting from scratch with each issue. The initial response for each of these problems might start with the statement, "Thank you for bringing this to my attention. Tell me more about this situation so I can be of help."

Those two sentences can be used in many instances and will change the dynamic from a situation where the customer is angry and ready for battle into one where the two people speaking are working together to solve a problem so that the customer be satisfied and not be lost forever.

Rather than "overwhelm paralysis" from looking at all the issues facing you, just deal with one bucket at a time. Your load will be much lighter, your task easier, and you will accomplish so much more.

Opinions are solely the writer's. Larry Galler, of Larry Galler & Associates, is a marketing and management consultant for small and mid-size companies. Join business greatness coach Galler on Leap Year Day (Feb. 29) along with social media coach Kathy Sipple and research expert Ursula Saqui in a full-day "Focus on the Customer" webinar. For more information, email larry@larrygaller.com. Put "Leap Year" in the subject line.