The Top 5 Functions To Automate First In Your Business
As a business automation expert, I get asked a lot of questions about how to best use automation strategically and where to start. Since you can’t automate everything in your business at once, and nor should you try to automate EVERYTHING, some guidance is helpful.
In this article I share the 5 most important things to automate and why, as well as how to get more automation resources.
#1 – Collect Leads Collection and Determine Level of Interest
Collecting new leads is a core function of business. When the process is automated, it can mean a faster path to the sale. Collect new leads with a free giveaway or resource. Automation can deposit their name and email address into your database, send them the free thingy, and track whether they downloaded it.
If they download it, you can consider them a warmer or more qualified lead than one that doesn’t download. Tracking this way is important when trying to determine who to follow up with first. With automation, you can make data driven decisions.
#2 – Nurture New Leads Until They Decide To Buy
What do you currently do with new leads who aren’t ready to buy quite yet? How do you remember to follow up with them? If you’re like most business owners, you don’t – don’t remember and don’t follow up.
You know this is leaving money on the table but you also need to focus most of your attention on those who are ready to buy now. Sales need to be made. So what’s a conscientious entrepreneur to do?
Not everyone is ready to buy from you right away. Nurture your leads until they are ready to buy by staying in touch on a regular basis. Although they aren’t a customer yet, they may still refer you.
Answer: Engage automation technology to automatically follow up and nurture new leads until they are ready to buy from you. Building a series of nurture email can help new leads:
- learn more about your company
- discover what makes you different
- fall in love with your products or services
- gain a deeper level understanding of the benefits
- get to know your origin story
- become more aware in areas they may not be familiar with
- become better customers through education
The nurture email series often gets credited for converting new leads into paying customers. It’s important enough to be #1 if it weren’t essential to collect the leads first in order to have the opportunity to nurture them.
#3 – Automate Your Sales Pipeline
Automate steps in your sales pipeline to free up time for sales reps to make more sales calls. Many of their routine tasks can be automated. Follow up emails can be pre-written and easily triggered through pipeline automation settings.
Salespeople aren’t making money when they aren’t selling. An automated salespipline allows your sales people to spend more time selling and closing deals.
#4 – Automate Appointment Bookings
No more playing email tag trying to coordinate a meeting time with new leads. Automate your appointments with an online booking calendar that’s easy for your leads and customers to use.
Online booking calendars keep track of your availability and only let people schedule time with you during your open time slots. Appointment booking software will also email appointment reminders so you don’t have to.
#5 – Welcome New Customers
Officially welcome new customers to your business family. This is an easy automation to set up, yet so many businesses miss this opportunity to make their customers feel special.
Use automation to automatically send each and every new customer a nice welcome message. Customer satisfaction becomes important as soon as the sale as been made. Keep impressing your customers and help reaffirm the good decision they made in deciding to work with you.
New customer welcome emails are great for:
- helping to onboard new customers
- addressing the FAQs new customers have
- sending them instructions with next steps
- introducing your team members/employees
- sending initial assessments for progress tracking
Of course, there are many more functions you can automate in your business. These are just the top 5 that I recommend getting started with. For a list of 30 more functions automation can help you with in your business, grab a free copy of my ebook, 35 Strategic Ways to Put Automation to Work in Your Business.
