People love lists, and people love to check things off of their lists. Checklists are easy to read and understand. For the last few years, I’ve been creating free, downloadable checklists for sales professionals, entrepreneurs and small business owners. Today is National Checklist Day, honoring the importance of this simple tool in our daily personal and professional lives.
Checklists are a simple but powerful way to make sure important tasks are never forgotten,
1. After a Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress Ohio plane crash on October 30, 1935 due to a preventable pilot error, a group of pilots looked for ways to prevent future pilot errors. They created a series of checklists for takeoff, flight, before landing and after landing. Boeing delivered 12 of the aircraft to the Air Corps and they flew 1.8 million miles without a serious mishap, says checklist tool Checkli:
2. When a group of top Doctors at John Hopkin’s Hospital were tasked with using a 5-step process and procedure checklist to reduce line infections in the ICU, they scoffed at the very idea of something so trivial. After all, they were the world’s best doctors, surely they could remember 5 simple tasks each time they perform a routine process. However, after long periods of continuous observation, it was found that one of those simple five tasks was routinely missed 2/3 of the time, according to Checkli.
I’ve created dozens of sales checklists, many saved and shared by thousands of people. My free checklists cover a range of sales topics
• tips on buying and selling a business
• sales resources, strategies and information
• productivity, stress management and efficiency ideas
• quotes, books, podcasts and advice from experts
Why We Love Checklists
1. They Keep You Organized
Checklists help you organize your thoughts and your activities so that nothing is ever forgotten.
2. They Make It Visual
Whether your checklist is for a one-time activity or for routine tasks that need to be completed daily, weekly or monthly, checklists are a strong visual cue of what you need to do.
3. They Give You A Sense of Accomplishment
Checklists are motivating. We feel a sense of accomplishment every time we complete a task and check it off on a checklist.
Download My Free Checklists
Free Checklists by Anthony Caliendo, Sales Expert, Author and Coach