How to Streamline Your Business with Automations
Many business owners want to automate their businesses – they know it will save them time and help their team work more productively. It’s often a challenge to figure out which tasks to automate and what to use; there are a lot of choices out there!
The first step is to choose one thing at a time; don’t try to automate your entire business at once. Ask yourself: what would save the most time and money? You may want to start with your onboarding process, an email sequence, or your billing.
Next, you’ll want to outline the workflow that you want your team to follow. This might seem like an unnecessary step, but it’s actually vital in helping your team understand the tasks, timing, and purpose of what you want done. Many of my clients have found that building out key workflows is extremely helpful!
My team and I are in the process of automating some of the steps of our client journey workflow. This is something that we worked on about a year and a half ago, but my business has expanded quite a bit since then, and it’s time for some new systems. (That’s one of the beautiful things about systems – they grow with you!)
By the way, if you’re interested in learning how to build out and streamline your workflows, check out our Workflows and Workloads Boot Camp! In just 6 weeks, we’ll equip your team with the training and resources they need to help you build a stronger, more profitable business (and plan for sustainable growth). To give you an idea of how to go about automating your business, I’d like to share the system we’re in the process of refining. You can find an image outlining the process below!
Pre-Conditioning Your Prospects
Your Pre-Conditioning Sequence is one of the most important things you can automate when it comes to your client journey; this is what gives people an idea of who you are, how you work, and how you can best help them.
This is an email or text sequence that “warms” your prospects up – and it often makes a huge difference in your sales conversion rate. This is something that many business owners either don’t do or don’t do as fully as they could, but it’s actually fairly easy to automate.
You may be able to do this directly through your scheduler, or you may want to connect your scheduler with your CRM or email service provider through a program like Zapier or Konnectzit. A couple of months ago, I gave a workshop in which I led participants through the automation process and platforms we recommend; you can find an image outlining the process below!
Pre-Screening and Gathering Information
The next step, Pre-Screening, gives you a chance to learn pertinent information about your prospect and find out if they are the right fit for your company.
This is something that many business owners shy away from – after all, who wants to turn away business? But think for a moment: do you really want your team spending time trying to help someone who’s not a good fit for what you do? This tends to end badly for everyone involved – including your client.
Having a solid Pre-Screening Process in place helps to alleviate a lot of these issues. A lot of firms do this during the Intake phase, but what if much of it could be done before the prospect even gets on the call? How much time would that save?
This can be done through an email sequence, a survey, or a form to fill out upon booking. It can also be supported by your messaging, which should both attract your ideal client and repel the clients who would be better served by someone else.
Automate Your Onboarding Process
Obviously, the sales call needs to be done in person; that’s not something you’ll want to automate! However, having effective Pre-Conditioning and Pre-Screening Systems in place will significantly help your conversions.
Once your client decides to hire you, automating the entire process can make a huge difference in your client’s initial experience. Sure, you could assign someone to send the contract, invoice, and requests for information, but that’s a lot of steps – and a lot of places where human error can happen.
By automating the entire process, your client can get the information they need when they need it – and you can know at a glance where they are in the workflow. Everything moves smoothly, you present a strong first impression, and your client knows what to expect. Everyone wins!
This can be done through a number of programs, including Dubsado or a case management system. Whatever you use, make sure to map out the workflow ahead of time!
Client Engagement at Each Stage
Your workflows shouldn’t stop at onboarding, however. Providing your client with consistent updates and asking for feedback along the way is an essential part of your Client Happiness Systems.
This is something that does take human interaction at key points, but much of the process can be automated – and actually, doing so can significantly streamline the process both for your client and your staff. This can save payroll, increase client satisfaction, and give you great data points about the effectiveness of your workflows.
This can be done a few different ways; some CRMs have the capability of automating these communications, while may choose to use a combination of platforms.
Wrap Up and VIP Status
One of the great things about automating your client care systems is that they don’t have to end once your client offboards – you can stay in touch with them, keep the relationship strong, and build a strong referral business!
Automating this step can be as easy as segmenting your former clients and building out a long-term email sequence. (Wondering how to do this? Let us know – our Coaches can help!) Staying in touch with your past clients and letting them know you value them is a simple but effective way to set your company apart.