Can I be honest for a moment? Before I started my business, I once cringed at the mere thought of email automation. The idea of implementing a systematic approach to communication with my clients—both prospective and booked—triggered my anxiety. Why would I want to remove myself from the equation of the client experience? Wouldn’t it seem unauthentic to my brand?
The more I thought about it, the more I was convinced that automation was not how I envisioned running my small creative business. So, I made the premature decision that email automation wasn’t for me. However, that all changed when I finally figured out the BEST way to go about it.
The truth is, there is power in automation when executed correctly. It’s all about uncovering what’s most effective and efficient. Here are a few steps that have helped me put a system in place to maximize my time and profit:
1. Be powerfully you
Automation does not have to be synonymous with “robotic”, nor does it have to desensitize your client experience. Put any thought of 800-numbers and pesky automated prompts out of your mind right now. Remember: you are a powerful brand, and a powerful brand can deliver powerful messaging. The thing that will make your automated messages resonate with others is how you inject your personality. Besides believing in your services or products, most of your clients are drawn to you from your blog posts, IG captions, podcast interviews and so on, and you need to make sure that same charisma runs through your emails, too. Adding oomph that is authentic to you to your messages can make all the difference in winning potential clients over.
2. Include questions (in moderation)
If you want to be more intentional with your messages, don’t be afraid to ask questions in your automated email sequences. It may seem relatively trivial or even tedious, but questions breed connection. If your readers feel a genuine interest from you, your messages will be much more effective. People love to talk about themselves and their business, so you want to use this to your advantage. From there, you can use those answers as conversation starters in your consultations and virtual coffee dates. However, I caution you not to inundate your messages with so many questions as to overwhelm you reader. Instead, try to insert one or two questions in each email. Be strategic and focus on open-ended questions that allow you to get to know the person on the other end.
3. Stick to a plan
Lastly, I strongly urge you to have an automated email sequence that makes sense. While it’s nice to have your templated messages ready for deployment at the drop of a hat, it’s even better if you can incorporate them into an automated sequence so you barely have to lift a finger. Honeybook is an awesome CRM that lets you set up an automated workflow that can eliminate the constant scramble to figure out what message to send and when. It’s a major win when you can book a client or follow up without taking time from your already busy schedule. And for me, that’s business utopia.
