If you don't have these things automated in your business right now, you need them.
In the last episode we talked about why you need to automate your business, but today we will get into the nitty-gritty of what to automate for your business. I'm joined by Tamira Hamilton once more as we dive deeper into automation.
This is going to save you a ton of time and make you more money. Let's jump right in.
1. Lead Generation
So many entrepreneurs are suffering from lead poverty and don't have enough leads. Many others are manually generating leads which could cause problems with automation down the line because of compliance.
The more leads you have the longer you can stay in business.
This is arguably the most important and most profitable. You need to be getting people onto your mailing list. This is the first thing to master.
This is your lifeline and pipeline. You know the business is coming when you are generating leads.
2. Lead Nurturing
If you are generating leads, the next thing you need to be doing is nurturing. You will be amazed by how many people have a great lead magnet, but then it is crickets.
We talked about that in the last episode, if they don't hear from you, they may forget who you are and when they unsubscribe from your list they can actually complain, unintentionally. It also lowers your deliverability rates.
The number one mistake people make is to say they will send the emails as they go, instead of getting a follow-up in place. I recommend a 45-day follow up series, which could even be just one email a week.
Go here to get my 45-day follow up series that you can download.
3. Sales
An automated sales funnel is a beautiful thing to wake up to. In the last episode, we talked about being able to step away from your business, which can only happen if you have an automated sales system.
Even if you have an aversion to sales, you need a sales funnel. If you don't ask people to make a buying decision, they will not make a buying decision. You have to give them a compelling reason to buy it for you.
They've signed up and hung out in your nurture series because you've solved a problem for them. You should not feel bad at all about selling. If you can't help them get across the line, they're never going to have the transformation your product promises.
4. Customer Follow Up
The fortune is in the follow-up. The follow-up is where the sale is made. It allows you to get back in front of them so they remember they wanted to buy that. Even after the sale, you want to follow up. It helps with customer retention.
You're going to sell more than one product or service. If you do a good job at follow-up, your clients will buy from you again and again, instead of having to go through and find new customers.
For example, if you sold them lipstick, why not go back and talk to them about lip care? Reintroducing them to products they missed or complimentary products is key.
5. Product Delivery
It needs to be handled NOW. It needs to be delivered right away. Regardless of if you are a program or a product-based business, you need to have the product delivered automatically.
Who wants to deal with refunds and buyer's remorse because the delivery was not immediate?
If you can give them a great experience, not only are they going to come back, but they're going to refer you which keeps your customer acquisition cost on the lower side.
6. Testimonials
Something that I think a lot of people forget to do is to follow up on that testimonial. People are always really quick to criticize and they're going to leave bad reviews. They often forget to leave good reviews.
Automating that process to show good results is often overlooked but it is so incredibly powerful. I just added it to the 6-Figure Sales Funnels program.
You can ask really pointed questions to get great testimonials.
7. Cart Abandonment
A lot of the studies that they've done show that 3 simple cart abandonment emails can recover 30% of those lost sales.
One of the most powerful things that you can do is to add on a bonus. Instead of dropping the price, offer a bonus.
For example, if they end up purchasing with a different email address but are still receiving cart abandonment emails with a discount, they will come back and ask for a refund. Versus, if they are offered a bonus, it will be easier and at no loss for you to send them the bonus.
BONUS: Credit Card Declines
Especially if you have a recurring or payment plan, you have to automate this.
Credit cards expire and they get maxed out. You need to make sure you are not losing money on that. You have to have a process in place.
PLUS, I don't want to stress about someone else's financial situation. I make the emails impersonal.
This is your checklist of things that will make a big difference to your bottom line and the time you have available for other things.
Get to Know Tamira Hamilton
Tamira Hamilton is a 27-year veteran of sales and marketing and leadership. She has both a bachelor's and Masters's degree in marketing and finance in addition to leadership roles at several Fortune 100 companies.
In 2013 she became tired of the rat race as a single mother of two young ladies and decided to trade in her safety net for entrepreneurship.
Tamira developed a very successful online blog and business over the past five years along with a personal brand and a social media following of 50,000.
Tamira is a Certified Content Marketing Strategist and avid lover of all things social media. She built a successful personal brand online with her blogs and social media presence.