Let the robots do the work — and let your people be humans

In 2019, nobody should be underestimating the power of technology. Yet, countless companies we work with don't have a proper strategy for utilizing automation in their PR, marketing and sales processes.

Here are some simple tips to make the most out of your automation tools.

Most MA tools will play nice with your CRM and sales pipelines, but are those native integrations? Do you need to buy another tier of service? Do you have to rely on third-party data sources? Determine the absolute must-haves and then work backward to your starting point. One recent example: If your greatest salesperson insists on using the old email platform, consider if mail sync is an option.

Make use of the data you have

Are your advertising dollars reaching the right people? Do those people convert into customers? Are your marketing efforts more effective? How do these both flow into the sales pipeline? Are they clearly segmented? Can you get as granular as when which person visited what page? Can your current system automatically reach out to that lead, or at least notify a sales person the lead is hot? This data is being created by every one of your visitors, and there's no way to optimize if you're not already tracking it.

Don't treat your highest performers like robots

Culture is no longer just a buzzword, and nothing can be more demoralizing than the threat of automating people out of their livelihood. Marketing automation should be presented to your team as a tool to make their lives better, more streamlined and more effective. The time savings alone should help your bottom line to make a rising tide that lifts all ships.

Treat your robots like your highest performers

Like any good employee, your automation software needs on-boarding, training and clear goals. Unlike any good employee, properly utilized automation software gets better over time, doesn't call in sick and will never cry in your office. Prioritize the automation process at every step until your automation platform feels like another team member. Just please don't take your laptop out for after-work drinks.

Let the robots do the work

Humans weren't put on this planet to update spreadsheets. The boring data stuff that could be automated should be automated. Free yourself and your employees to focus on the human tasks of building your culture, your actual human sales interactions and your company. If that also lets you leave early to catch an afternoon tee time, everyone is happier.

Overwhelmed?

Don't be. Most marketing automation platforms in 2019 are incredibly user-friendly. You'll wonder how you ever got anything done without it.