We conducted a survey of 500 small business leaders and professionals who achieved their growth goals in 2023, and their responses uncovered an interesting insight – the most successful businesses are likely to automate five specific tasks.
Watch the video to uncover the top five automations you need to achieve success. Then, you can download Keap’s 2024 State of Business Growth Trends report for even more insights on how other companies are utilizing business automation to surpass their goals.
Keap is dedicated to simplifying growth for entrepreneurs. Our goal is to assist small businesses in strengthening their families, communities, and economies. With 20 years of experience, we have aided small businesses in getting organized, following up, and automating processes to boost sales and save time. As the leading provider of sales and marketing automation software for small businesses, Keap currently serves over 200,000 users worldwide.
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- Twitter: /keapgrowing Are you struggling to hit your growth goals with your business automation efforts? It may be time to take a step back and learn from those who have already achieved success. In a recent survey of 500 small business leaders and professionals who met their growth goals in 2023, we discovered that the most successful businesses are likely to automate five specific things. These include customer communication, appointment scheduling, onboarding experiences (both for customers and employees), and task automations. By implementing these automations, you can streamline your processes, save time, and ultimately achieve the growth and time savings you’re looking for. Check out the video by Keap to learn more about these five key automation strategies and how they can help drive your business forward.
Customer Communication
Automating customer communication is crucial for businesses looking to reach their growth goals. Our survey results have shown that businesses that automate customer communication are more likely to achieve their desired outcomes. This includes automating lead nurture sequences, quotes and invoicing, payment reminders, and product and service updates. With the help of business automation and CRM software, you can automate emails and texts to ensure that your contacts receive the right message at the right time. By automating these processes, you and your team can have more time to focus on other aspects of your business and drive growth.
For example, imagine a scenario where a new customer places an order. With automation, you can set up a sequence so that a welcome gift is automatically sent to them. This eliminates the need for manual work and creates a positive and personalized experience for the customer. The possibilities for automating customer communication are endless, but it’s important to start small and gradually automate your entire customer journey to save time and improve efficiency.
Appointment Scheduling
Appointment scheduling can be a time-consuming task that involves back and forth communication to find a suitable meeting time. However, automating this process can save you valuable time and make scheduling appointments more convenient for both you and your clients. With the help of automation, you can eliminate the need for manual back and forth by allowing clients to book time slots directly from your calendar.
In addition to scheduling, automation can also take care of appointment reminders. Instead of manually sending reminders to your clients, automation can handle this process for you. For instance, when someone books a time on your calendar, automation can automatically schedule two reminders to be sent – one 24 to 48 hours before the appointment and another one hour before the appointment. If the meeting is canceled, the automation system will also remove these reminders.
Automating appointment scheduling and reminders not only saves you time but also improves the overall client experience by making the process seamless and hassle-free.
Customer Onboarding
Automating customer onboarding is crucial for creating a positive first impression and ensuring a smooth and consistent client experience. When a new customer comes on board, it’s important to provide them with all the necessary information and resources they need to succeed. However, manually managing the onboarding process can be time-consuming and prone to human error.
By automating customer onboarding, you can streamline the process and ensure that every new customer receives the same high level of service. Automation can help you deliver welcome emails, instructional videos, and other resources automatically, saving you time and effort. This also creates a positive first impression on new customers and gives them peace of mind that they have everything they need to succeed.
Moreover, automating customer onboarding can help you turn customers into raving fans. By providing a consistent and exceptional onboarding experience, you can build strong relationships with your customers that result in repeat business and greater referral traffic over time.
Employee Onboarding
Just as automating customer onboarding is important, automating employee onboarding is equally crucial for businesses looking to achieve their growth goals. When a new employee joins your team, it’s essential to provide them with all the necessary information and tasks to set them up for success. Manual onboarding processes can be time-consuming and prone to miscommunication.
By automating employee onboarding, you can clearly inform new employees of their tasks and responsibilities. Automation can deliver personalized onboarding checklists, training materials, and important documents to ensure that new hires are well-prepared and ready to start their first day. Furthermore, automation can notify the team when each step of the onboarding process is completed, keeping everyone informed and ensuring a smooth transition.
Automating employee onboarding not only saves time but also creates a welcoming and organized environment for new hires. It sets a positive tone from the beginning and helps new employees feel prepared and excited to contribute to the team.
Task Automations
Task automations are essential for moving projects forward and ensuring that everyone knows what tasks they need to complete. By using small business CRM and automation software, you can trigger tasks for team members based on specific criteria that you set up.
For example, when a product is purchased, you can use automation software to launch a set of follow-up tasks, such as fulfillment assignments, shipping label creation, and notifications when the item is ready to ship. This not only saves time but also ensures that projects are moving along smoothly without any roadblocks. When everyone involved in a project knows what’s expected from them, it improves collaboration and efficiency.
Task automation is not limited to purchases; it can be applied to any project on your plate. By automating tasks, you can save time and ensure that no important steps or deadlines are missed.
Benefits of Automating Customer Communication
Automating customer communication offers several benefits that can contribute to your business growth. Firstly, it ensures that your contacts receive the right message at the right time. With automated emails and texts, you can deliver personalized and timely communication to your leads and customers, increasing engagement and driving sales.
Secondly, automating customer communication frees up time for you and your team to focus on other aspects of your business. Instead of spending hours manually sending emails and following up with customers, automation takes care of these tasks, allowing you to dedicate your time and energy to strategic activities that drive growth.
Automating customer communication also improves efficiency and accuracy. Automation software eliminates the risk of human error and ensures that no important communication falls through the cracks. By automating these processes, you can provide a consistent and professional experience for your customers, enhancing your brand reputation and customer satisfaction.
Real-Life Example of Customer Communication Automation
One real-life example of customer communication automation is setting up a welcome gift for new customers. With automation software, you can create a sequence that automatically sends a welcome gift whenever a new customer places an order. This eliminates the need for manual work and provides a personalized touch to the customer’s experience. By automating this process, you can make a positive impression on new customers and create a memorable first interaction.
This example highlights the limitless possibilities of automating customer communication. While it’s important not to get overwhelmed, starting with small automation tasks can yield significant time-saving benefits and pave the way for further automation in your customer journey.
Example of Appointment Scheduling Automation
Appointment scheduling can be made more efficient and convenient through automation. In Keep, for example, you can set up an appointment automation sequence that automatically schedules reminders for appointments. When someone books a time on your calendar, the automation system can schedule two reminders to be sent – one 24 to 48 hours before the appointment and another one hour before the appointment. This ensures that your clients receive reminders without the need for manual follow-up.
Furthermore, if at any time the meeting is canceled, business automation will remove these reminders automatically. This eliminates the need for manual updates and ensures that the client is not inconvenienced by unnecessary reminders.
This example showcases how automating appointment scheduling can save you time and improve the overall client experience by streamlining the process and eliminating manual communication.
Advantages of Automating Onboarding
Automating both customer onboarding and employee onboarding offers numerous advantages for businesses. When it comes to customer onboarding, automation helps you make a positive first impression on new customers. By delivering welcome emails, instructional videos, and other resources automatically, you can create a seamless and personalized onboarding experience. This gives new customers peace of mind and sets the stage for a successful partnership.
Automating customer onboarding also saves time and resources. Instead of manually managing the onboarding process, automation takes care of delivering the necessary information and tasks, freeing up your team’s time for other important activities. This efficiency not only benefits your business but also enhances the client experience by ensuring a consistent and organized onboarding process.
Moreover, automating customer onboarding can turn customers into raving fans. By providing exceptional service from the beginning, you can build strong relationships with your customers that result in repeat business and greater referral traffic over time. Automation plays a key role in creating a positive and memorable onboarding experience that establishes trust and loyalty.
In the case of employee onboarding, automation streamlines the process and ensures clear communication. New hires receive all the necessary information and tasks before they start, allowing them to feel prepared and excited for their first day. By automating each step of the onboarding process, you can save time, eliminate confusion, and create a welcoming environment for new employees.
Conclusion
In conclusion, automating customer communication, appointment scheduling, onboarding processes, and task management can greatly contribute to your business’s growth and time-saving efforts. By automating these key aspects of your business, you can ensure that the right messages reach your contacts at the right time, provide a seamless experience for your customers, save time for you and your team, and create a consistent and positive first impression.
These five automations have been identified as crucial for businesses looking to achieve their growth goals. Automating customer communication, appointment scheduling, onboarding processes (both for customers and employees), and task management can streamline your operations and free up valuable time for strategic activities that drive growth.
If you want more insights into what other businesses are doing to succeed, we encourage you to download the 2024 State of Business Growth Trends report from the link provided. With the right automation tools and strategies in place, you’ll be well-equipped to hit your growth goals and save time in the process.
