When it comes to automation it can be really easy to get a little carried away. Automation is great and a huge timesaver but there are some things that simply can’t (or shouldn’t) be automated. Additionally it’s important to think through your entire process and have a plan in place for what will be automated and where that automation will take a prospective client.
There is nothing worse than a prospect getting the wrong email, being taken to a random page on your site, or (the worst) falling out of your automation completely because they hit the wrong button.
I love automation and it’s always a consideration when I am helping business owners create and streamline their business processes but much like alcohol, you should automate responsibly.
Don’t automate EVERYTHING.
With so many options available it can be really tempting to automate every single task you possibly can. And while in the short run this may feel like a huge timesaver, in the long run you can really hurt your business.
Completely removing yourself (and you know all human interaction) from your business makes it feel like just that – not you. Not only will it leave your clients feeling out of touch with you, you’ll start to get out of touch with them. We all know that our clients are our lifeblood and we learn what they need (i.e. what they will buy!) by talking to them.
When deciding what to automate look for the tasks that feel very “backend”. Emails are obviously a great place to start, especially any emails that share the same information with a large group of people. Invoices, proposals and contracts are also great things to automate. So are task lists, scheduling meetings and intake forms.
Before you start looking for zaps, really think through what tasks you want automated. Make a list so you know exactly what you’re working with. This will make it much easier to find the right tool for the job.
Here’s a list of some of my go-tos (all have free options or are low cost):
Acuity
My fav for scheduling meetings and collecting intake forms or questionnaires. Reminder emails go out automatically for all your calls, it syncs with your current calendar, accepts payments and even offers reporting about appointments, no shows and performance.
Convertkit
Awesome tool for automating your email nurture sequences, segmenting audiences and tracking client interactions.
Dubsado
Great for automating proposals, contracts and invoices. If you’re feeling really frisky, you can even use Dubsado for lead capture and workflows.
Wave
A simple, free option for automating your invoices.
And last but not least, double-check your automations. Like always, Always, ALWAYS. Nothing makes you look more unprofessional than the wrong email going out or a random blog post popping up. Phone a friend. Have them go through the process for you. They’ll let you know if something doesn’t make sense or they felt as if they were left hanging.