I’ve always been a fan of systems and technology. Although never a software developer (back in the day we called them “Programmers”), today’s technology is so pervasive that we as busy entrepreneurs now have a full Costco-sized toolbox to make our work day more efficient. When I say “automation” I mean setting up a tool to automatically carry out a task when it receives some sort of “trigger” action from you.
While hiring staff is a wonderful thing, sometimes we don’t have the budget to cover someone for everything; and quite frankly, we don’t really need to go that far.
I have no clue why I see folks with thousands of emails sitting in their inbox; worse, there are hundreds of emails unread. For me, keeping my inbox 
clean and efficient is something I’ve mastered over the years. Whether you’re an Outlook or a Gmail fan, there are tons of rules/filters and categories/labels to do a lot of the work for you. If you don’t know how, our good friend YouTube will be happy to show you. About 40% of my incoming mail gets automatically categorized and filed for me so I can actually FIND something when I need it. As of this moment, I have 5 (five) emails in my inbox. They each pertain to something that is happening today. Don’t hate me.
Email Marketing
Whether you’re a Constant Contact or a Mailchimp person, these tools come with cool automation features that you may be unaware of. Yes, it takes some upfront work, but you can set up a series of emails to be delivered at scheduled intervals only to people who are in a certain list; and they get in that list when they indicate their interest in a topic by clicking on a link in your email. You write about Widget A à they click on the “learn more” link you placed in your email that goes to a blog or landing page à the action of their clicking places them in a list à they begin receiving a series of emails dedicated to Widget A. Imagine if you had to keep track of all this and do all this manually!
Scheduling Appointments
My favorite of all activities is to email a person back and forth, back and forth, trying to find a mutually convenient time to meet, said no one, ever. Emails flooding your inbox just to set up a time for one measly phone call is the saddest thing, ever. Love it or hate it, using a Calendar Scheduling app works and can do so much for you it’s kind of ridiculous NOT to. I use Calendly but again, there are dozens of apps for you to try. At first I used the free version which can do just about anything you need. However, when someone books a paid session with me, Calendly can also accept the payment, so for my paying for that capability was a no-brainer and an immediate ROI. When someone books a free discovery call with me, they not only get to pick a date and time of their choosing but also can answer some simple questions for me so I can be prepared. I simply get an email from Calendly when some magic happened. Simple and elegant.
The Real Magic
Ok – are you ready for this? Connect a bunch of individual automations together and sit back with a cappuccino while technology does all the heavy lifting. Just go watch Netflix or grow a garden or something.
- Set your email marketing campaign to trigger an auto-responder series of emails on the topic they liked by clicking on your link. During the auto-responder series, they get more value and an invitation to set up a meeting with you by clicking your calendar app link.
- They set up their meeting with you in the calendar app, which triggers an email sent to you letting you know you have a new appointment.
- Set your email inbox automation to flag that new appointment notification and reply using a template message you had pre-designed. Your message can invite them to answer some pre-consult questions for you.
There are so many other automation tools out there that can handle almost anything for you. No need to buy expensive software that takes weeks to learn. Even the simplest or free software has abilities you may not be aware of.
Working with small business owners on their systems and processes is part of what I do as a Pumpkin Plan Certified Strategist. If you’d like to set up a free initial consult, click here: https://calendly.com/susana-f/phone-consult.
I’m also getting ready to launch a new group business development experience which helps you weather any storm. Take a look at my page on How To Build An Unsinkable Business and let me know what you think.