Productivity - EPIC IT Automations

How to Automate Your Sales Funnel and Win More Business

Posted on September 6, 2023 by Epic IT Automations

Your sales cycle is one of the most important functions in your business so it’s vital that it is efficient so that you can convert more sales and win more business.

We have already covered how to automate your marketing tasks so this article concentrates on pushing these leads through the sales funnel to turn them into paying customers.

Why should you automate your sales processes?

The reasons for automating sales processes are the same as the reasons for automating all the other departments in your business.

Firstly, automation will save time and reduce errors. No matter how efficient your team is, they will make a mistake every so often from mis-keying data when copying it from one system into another, or someone will forget to follow up a lead, or reply to an enquiry. Automation removes that risk, and also speeds up processes because computers work so much quicker than humans!

Secondly, it makes your staff happier! People find repetitive manual tasks boring, so if you can free them up to do the more exciting stuff then they will be more contented in their work. They will also get time to be more creative, and concentrate on tasks which need a human touch.

Finally, you’ll make more money! Automation brings better customer service, so your retention rates will improve. You’ll cut costs which means your pricing can stay competitive, and being more efficient means you’ll be able to process more business in less time.

Which sales processes can be automated?

Using Zapier you can connect many different tools (over 6,000 currently!) so the chances are that you’ll be able to automate many of the apps you use on a daily basis.

Examples of sales processes which can be automated are:

Collecting data using webforms.
Booking appointments and scheduling meetings.
Managing leads.
Production of documents such as contracts and proposals, and collecting digital signatures.
Processing e-commerce sales.

Learning how to automate your sales funnel and making these processes more streamlined will save so much time, making sure nothing is forgotten, so you’ll win more business.

How to automate data collection using webforms

When a potential customer first contacts you, the chances are they’ll use a webform to enter some information, such as Gravity Forms, Google Forms or Typeform. There are many different form builders available and once the information has been collected they will then notify you via email that a new form entry is available. Webforms can be used for surveys too, or to collect email addresses to sign up for a newsletter.

Receiving an email notification for a new form entry is great but then the next step often involves copying that data into another system to then work on the lead. This can be time-consuming and carries a high risk of human error.

By automating data collection you can link your webform app to others, for example, to notify you and your team when a new entry has been submitted using apps such as Slack and SMS by Zapier.

You can automatically save the entry on a Google Drive or in Dropbox, or add it to your CRM such as Salesforce or Pipedrive. You can add it as a new row in a Google Sheet and add a task to your project management app such as Jira, Clickup or Trello.

You can visit Zapier to see the full list of form apps they connect with, and each one includes popular integrations if you’re looking for inspiration.

How to automate appointment bookings and scheduling processes

Most businesses book meetings or appointments with potential customers, for that vital first chat with someone looking to spend some money with you. It could be a free ‘discovery call’ or an appointment with an in-person business such as a dog walker or massage therapist.

The traditional way of doing this involves an email conversation about availability and then setting up a video conference meeting. This involves a lot of human effort which can be avoided if you use one of the dedicated scheduling or appointment booking apps such as Acuity Scheduling or Calendly. Your CRM might also offer this functionality, if you use Pipedrive, Zoho CRM or HubSpot for example.

If it’s a virtual appointment then the apps above will likely connect with your video conference provider such as Zoom or Google Meet. This is brilliant as it will set up the conferencing details and you can then trigger reminders to attendees the day before. You can also integrate it with your calendar such as Google Calendar or Microsoft Outlook.

Here is the full list of scheduling apps supported by Zapier.

How to automate lead management

If you use a CRM such as Salesforce or Pipedrive then your customer data will be held in one central place and you will be able to create ‘leads’ or ‘opportunities’. These can then be followed up and taken through your sales funnel via contact by email, phone or other means.

The activities in your sales cycle can be automated by sending emails, connecting with your calendar or managing support tickets.

You can automatically create invoices in apps such as QuickBooks Online or Xero, or add the contact to your email platform, for example, Active Campaign or Mailchimp.

If you don’t use a CRM then you can still manage customers centrally by setting them up in apps such as Airtable or even a simple Google Sheet.

Here is the full list of CRM apps that Zapier connects.

How to automate contract and proposal production

Most businesses have some kind of document that they send customers before they can do business with them. This often involves creating a document in a word processing app, saving it as a PDF, and emailing it to the prospective customer. They then need to physically sign it and then send it back. These steps can be time-consuming and prone to delay. You might even lose the deal at this point because the process is so onerous to your potential customer. You can speed it all up brilliantly using automation, to save time and win more business.

There are specialist apps which make document creation and signing really easy, and you can create bespoke contracts, proposals and quotes quickly. Using e-signature functionality means that customers save time too, and hassle, so it’s a win-win!

Examples of apps which do this type of document processing include PandaDoc, HelloSign and DocuSign.

Automations allow you to create a draft document, send it to the recipient and then mark it as complete once it’s signed. Once this has been done you can trigger further workflows to connect with invoicing apps to send an invoice, and notify your team via Slack or SMS by Zapier. You can store the final document in Google Drive or Dropbox.

Here is the full list of e-signature apps that Zapier connects.

How to automate e-commerce sales

If you sell physical or digital products online then there’s a good chance your sales processes are pretty slick already, thanks to the array of e-commerce apps available.

If that’s the case then don’t rest on your laurels because there could still be some manual tasks in your sales process which could be streamlined using automation.

Apps such as WooCommerce, Shopify, ThriveCart and SamCart offer e-commerce store and sales cart functionality. There are online course platforms such as Kajabi and Thinkific and platforms like eBay and Gumroad which can be automated using Zapier. You can link them to spreadsheets, invoice apps and email platforms to send the data automatically and update them.

For example, adding new sales contacts to Active Campaign or Mailchimp, creating invoices in QuickBooks Online or Xero, and add rows to Airtable or Google Sheets.

Here is the full list of e-commerce apps that Zapier connects.

If you are ready to automate your sales funnel, give Epic IT Automations a call at 608-496-8660! We’ll help you identify which sales processes within your business can be automated and how to get started.

Source: Solvaa

What Is Business Consulting and What Advantages Does It Provide?

Posted on August 31, 2023 by Epic IT Automations

Consulting is notorious for being one of those jobs your friends don’t understand. If you’ve ever been interested in consulting but too afraid to ask what it entails, we’ve got you.

What Is a Business Consultant?

‌A business consultant is an individual who works closely with business owners and managers who want to improve operations and efficiency, grow their businesses or maintain existing positive trends.

Business consultants act as partners in identifying and overcoming the obstacles that arise along a company’s path to meet its goals.

What Does a Business Consultant Do?

There are consultants who specialize in specific industries, while others take a more general approach. Specific services vary by consulting firm, but here are some of the most common responsibilities of a consultant:

Identify obstacles preventing growth or efficiency
‌Pinpoint opportunities for change and help implement changes
Provide training and resources to staff and management
Bring out-of-the-box ideas to refresh processes or establish workflows
Assist in business planning and creating new businesses
Assess, hire and fire staff as necessary
Implement new programs
Analyze a company’s budget, suggest adjustments and implement suggestions
Locate vendors and partners

What Kinds of Businesses Need a Consultant?

Nearly any business can benefit from hiring a business consultant. Here are a few examples of scenarios in which a consultant might assist in various stages of growth or facing a range of challenges.

Startups can complete the planning phase and get a strong initial boost using third-party data analysis.
Growth-stage businesses can access a fresh perspective as they advance and try out new strategies.
‌Organizations that are not meeting their financial goals can dig deeply into their accounting history and practices.
‌Companies adding a new department can get support with setup and staffing.

What Are the Advantages of Business Consultants?

Having gathered insights and expertise from many clients and industries, consultants often have more and different resources than internal employees. Their “bird’s eye view” can complement the experience of seasoned business managers and owners. An outsider is often better at pinpointing strengths or weaknesses than someone entrenched in a business.

There are some cases in which consultants can also make processes much faster. Especially when a team is building a new campaign or business plan, a consultant can come in with clear steps and assignments right away. Many also have a strong network of service providers and external resources.

Whether the focus is a budget adjustment, a sales revamp or a marketing initiative, business consultants tend to generate a wealth of creative solutions.

What Tools Do Business Consultants Use?

‌Being a business consultant requires a lot of planning, researching and organizing. The right tools can help consultants perform at their best. Below are five of the most important categories of tech in consulting.

1. CRM Software

‌CRM software is for more than keeping track of client information and interactions, sharing files and tracking lead progress. With accurate data attached to a client record, it should ultimately help develop strong relationships and support accurate internal and external communication.

2. Proposal Software

‌Consultants send business proposals regularly, so using a platform that provides templates can save hours. Proposal software also maintains consistency in branding and style.

3. Project Management Tools

‌Most business consultants manage several different clients at a time — and multiple projects for each client. Ideally, they need project management tools built to support client-based businesses. ‌

4. Time-Tracking Tool

‌A business consultant typically charges by the hour, so keeping up with billable hours is a foundational aspect of consulting. Moreover, these hours need to be tracked per client and per project.

5. Cloud Automation Software

‌Automated work management software like Accelo can streamline your workflow and simplify your days. By integrating current apps into a single platform, business consultants can easily manage sales, projects and more — no matter where they are.

If you think you can benefit from hiring a business consultant, give Epic IT Automations a call! We’ll help you identify obstacles preventing your business growth or efficiency and help you pinpoint opportunities for change and help implement changes.

Source: Accelo

7 Reasons to Invest in Your Employees Learning Automation

Posted on August 7, 2023 by Epic IT Automations

In today’s increasingly competitive market, businesses should be looking at ways to keep employees engaged as well as maximize profit. One way of achieving both these goals is by investing in your employees learning automation. Not only does it upskill your staff but introducing automated processes makes the business more efficient, saves money, and increases profits. It’s a win-win!

According to a recent McKinsey report, “over the next ten to 15 years, the adoption of automation and AI technologies will transform the workplace…”. They also say that “these technologies will bring numerous benefits in the form of higher productivity, GDP growth, improved corporate performance and new prosperity…”. And finally, “to harness the new technologies to their full effect, companies will need to retool their corporate structures and their approaches to work. That change will require redesigned business processes and a new focus on the talent they have – and the talent they need…”.

So here are our top seven reasons why you should invest in your employees learning automation:

1. You don’t need a highly skilled IT team for automation

The first reason to invest in your employees learning automation is that it will save money as you won’t need to hire an expensive development team. Modern digital tools like Zapier are no-code applications that don’t require highly-skilled programmers to deliver streamlined, integrated systems. The employees who are doing the day-to-day tasks are the ones who are best placed to automate them. They will know better than anyone where efficiencies can be made, which systems are being used, and how to optimize their processes.

2. Increased productivity

If you invest in your employees learning automation then they will achieve higher productivity. Removing manual effort means they have more time to focus on being creative and supporting your business goals. This has many benefits, from lower costs and happier customers to increased profits.

3. Better data

If employees are fluent in automation then they will be able to spot opportunities for tracking data, and it won’t take any extra time to capture it once it has been set up. With Zapier it’s easy to configure triggers to count activities, sales, visitors, transactions, expenses, just about anything! Once you have the data then you can also use Zapier to help with analysis by triggering information to be sent to spreadsheets and databases, or even retrieving data from Google Analytics. Reports can be delivered seamlessly to the right people and monitored on an ongoing basis.

4. Scale your business

If employees are bogged down with manual tasks then it’s hard to scale without increasing the size of the team. Recruiting extra people is expensive and is not a great long-term strategy for growing a business unless the tasks can only be done by a human. A better idea is to invest in automation training, then systematize repetitive manual tasks so that staff can concentrate on business growth.

5. Improve efficiency

If your employees are confident automating processes then it makes everything run more smoothly, more efficiently. If you have invested in automation training then it will open their minds about new opportunities for streamlining the business. Things like work allocation, approvals, reviews, managing project tasks and marketing activities are just some of the day-to-day tasks which could benefit from automation. Zapier is so flexible and connects over 6,000 apps which are used in businesses every day, so the chances are there are many of the systems in your own business included. Automation will help you compete in a global marketplace and will help achieve an improvement in overall corporate performance.

6. Better culture

Investing in any training has the benefit of improving your overall business culture. Having an ongoing learning program improves overall employee performance and job satisfaction as well as making staff more competent and confident.

Continuous training increases loyalty too as people can see that you’re investing in them, and also improves agility. Having a multiskilled, agile team will create a more flexible workforce.

7. Improve communication

Investing in your employees learning automation improves communication, both internal and external. Tools like Zapier integrate with many email, messaging, and other communication platforms that it is simple to automate notifications to anybody.

Internal apps such as Slack can be used to notify members of staff when key business milestones have been reached, when sales are made when a customer has contacted you – almost anything you can think of. If employees are aware of the power of Zapier then they will think of new ways of keeping everyone in the loop. External marketing activities can be automated, you can create a sales cadence for new business prospects, you can thank customers for paying invoices, and manage calendars and appointment setting.

If you are ready to introduce automation to your employees and daily business processes but don’t know where to start or what technology is best, give us a call at 608-496-8660 to talk with one of our experienced consultants. We’re happy to get you on the right track!

Source: Solvaa

Not sure when to automate a task? Start here.

Posted on July 26, 2023 by Epic IT Automations

Chances are you’ve automated something without even realizing it.

Do you get an automatic email before calendar events start? That’s automation. Do you get a text alert when it’s almost time to renew a prescription or to remind you about an upcoming appointment? Automation again!

But if you aren’t used to building automated workflows on your own, it can be daunting to think about how you might use automation to save time for yourself, either for your personal life or your business processes. How do you decide what to automate? What can you do better by not doing it yourself? Where do you even start?

We asked Zapier superusers and employees about how they know when to automate a task. Here’s what they had to say:

What is task automation?

Before we tell you when you should automate a task, it might be helpful to explain exactly what we mean when we talk about task automation. Task automation (also called workflow automation) is the act of streamlining and automating a series of tasks within the apps you use.

Automation boils down to a simple command: WHEN and DO. “When this happens, do that.” With a task automation tool like Zapier, even the most complex automation can be broken down into this simple command.

For example, if you want to automate some of your lead management tasks, you might set up a Zap—Zapier’s automated workflows—that follows this command: When you get a new email from a lead, then notify my sales team via a text. That’s task automation!

It’s a task you have to do frequently or on a schedule

When you’re trying to decide which aspects of your work you should automate, a great first question to ask is: What tasks do you perform the most frequently?

Tasks that need to be done often or on a set schedule are perfect for automation because the benefits are immediate. You’ll spend less time every day on repetitive tasks, which can quickly become burdensome or annoying.

“If it’s something I have to do three times, the odds are that I’ll have to do it a fourth and a fifth,” says Kristie Wirth, who works at Zapier as a data scientist. “When I’m tempted to add something as a recurring task in my to-do app, I know it’s probably a good fit for automation. Even if it’s just an annual thing, I’ll still take a stab at automating it.”

Similarly, front-end engineer Caleb Peterson says that he tries to identify the parts of his daily work that are repetitive but also frustrating to do manually.

“I’ll look at automating a task when it’s a part of my daily workflow that’s repetitive or obnoxious,” he says. “A great example is digging the meeting link or location out of my Google Calendar. I’ve got a Zap that drops the location of Google Calendar events into Slack, so I can just grab it right there—instead of having to hunt for it for every meeting I have in a day.”

It involves moving information between apps

Let’s be honest: copy-and-pasting is time-consuming and dreadfully dull. So are other manual ways of moving data, like exporting CSV files from one app and then importing them into another. And if you have to repeat the process multiple times over the course of a day or week, it quickly becomes unmanageable.

“When I’m deciding whether a task is a good fit for automation, I ask: Does it use software/SaaS products from start to finish?” explains Bryan Golkhajeh, a Zapier expert with Workload.

Tasks that involve moving data between apps are perfect for automation. For example, you can create new leads in your CRM whenever someone fills out a form on your website or subscribes to an email marketing campaign.

It’s boring and doesn’t require higher-order thinking

Another key thing to consider is whether a task truly needs a distinctly human touch. Does it require creativity, problem-solving skills, or emotional intelligence? If so, you might not want to automate it. But if it’s a boring, simple task that doesn’t require complex thinking, it could be easily handled by an automation tool like Zapier.

Andrew Davison, a Zapier expert at Luhhu, suggests identifying the tasks that you wish you didn’t have to do.

“Simply put, I ask:

Is this a task I do more than once per month?
Does it involve the same steps every time?
Do I wish I could be doing anything but this?”

It takes you away from what you really want to be doing

And that, ultimately, is the answer for most people: They automate tasks that keep them away from what they wish they would be doing.

Sometimes, those tradeoffs are business-critical functions.

“I consider how much time a task is taking away from core business functions, such as sales or talking to customers,” Golkhajeh says. “If the answer is more than 15 to 20 minutes a day, and it’s a rules-based process that uses software from start to finish, I’m already thinking of automating the heck out of it.”

He explains that, for him, automation isn’t just about saving a few minutes here and there. It’s about how that time adds up over the long term.

“All those little time blocks add up over the course of a year,” he says. “Just do that math: 15 minutes saved per workday, over 252 average workdays in a year, equals about 3,000 minutes saved. That’s more than 60 hours.”

If you are ready to start adding automation to your daily business processes but don’t know where to start or what technology is best, give us a call at 608-496-8660 to talk with one of our experienced consultants. We’re happy to get you on the right track!

Source: Zapier

How To Use Time Inventory To Increase Productivity

Posted on May 26, 2023 by Epic IT Automations

If you ask most people, chances are, they’d say they’re pretty productive.

And while there’s no denying that there are definitely productivity powerhouses out there, the truth is, most people waste a lot of time. One study (outlined in a 2018 Inc. article) found that the average worker wastes a whopping 21.8 hours each week—including 3.9 hours on mindless online activities (like watching YouTube videos or checking social media), 3.4 hours managing low-value emails, and 1 hour sitting in non-productive meetings.

21.8 hours is a lot of time to waste. But the problem is, many people don’t have a full grasp on how they’re spending their time—or how they’re wasting it—which makes it hard to reclaim that time for more productive activities.

That’s where a time inventory comes in.

A time inventory is a time management strategy that helps you to gain clarity on where your time is going—and determine how you can get time back to focus on the tasks and activities that make you feel like your most productive self, both at work and at home.

But how, exactly, do you conduct a time inventory—and how do you use it to increase productivity?

Find The Right Time Tracking Tool

In order to successfully conduct a time inventory—and use it to increase productivity—you need a way to track your time.

And that means finding the right time tracking tool.

There are a ton of time tracking tools on the market (popular options include Toggl, TimeDoctor, Life Cycle, and Clockify); it’s just about finding the right time tracking app for you.

The “right” time tracking tool will depend on a variety of factors—including how you spend most of your time. For example, if you spend most of your day on your computer, a desktop time tracking app would likely make the most sense. If you’re more of an on-the-go person, you’d get the best data from a mobile time tracking app—and if you split your time between the two, an app with both desktop and mobile capabilities is probably your best bet.

When choosing a time tracking tool, you’ll also want to consider additional factors like price, ease of use, and reporting capabilities.

If you like to keep things simple, you might not even need an “official” time tracking tool—and instead, might prefer to manually track your time on a spreadsheet (or, if you’re a more tech-averse person, in a notebook!).

Track Your Time For A Week

Once you’ve got the right tool in place, it’s time to officially kick off your time inventory.

Keep track of how you’re spending your time each day. Categorize each block of time based on the activity you’re engaged in—whether it’s a personal task or work-related. When you move from one activity to another, mark it with your time tracking app.

And do this for at least a week. (In order to get a real sense of where your time is going—and see clear patterns emerge—you need to track your time for a significant stretch.)

The key to a successful time inventory is to track every second of every day—and to be as specific as possible when categorizing each time block.

For example, let’s say you spend 9am to 5pm working every day. In order to get the most out of your time inventory, you wouldn’t want to label that entire stretch of time with a broad category like “Work.” Instead, you’d want to get granular about how, exactly, you’re spending those work hours—which might look something like this:

9am to 9:30am: Email
9:30am to 9:40am: Snack break
9:40am to 11:15am: Project work
11:15am to 12pm: Conference call
12pm to 12:30pm: Lunch
12:30pm to 1:15pm: Exercise class
1:15pm to 2:15pm: Project work
2:15pm to 3:15pm: Team meeting
3:15pm to 3:45pm: Break/walk outside
3:45pm to 4:00pm: Email
4:00 to 4:15pm: Check social media
4:15pm to 4:30pm: Responding to Slack messages
4:30pm to 5pm: Project work

The more specific you are as you’re tracking your time, the easier it will be to identify the most—and least—productive parts of your day, which will help you better formulate a plan to ramp up your productivity.

Dig Into Your Data

Once you’ve tracked your time for a full week, it’s time to dig into the data and see where, exactly, your time is going.

Most time tracking apps will generate reports that allow you to easily see each of your time categories—and how much time you’re spending in each. (If you’re using a spreadsheet or notebook, you may want to consider a coding system to make your data easier to visualize—for example, coding different categories by color). This allows you to clearly see where your time is going each week—and can help you figure out if how you’re spending your time aligns with how you want to be spending your time.

Pay special attention to any categories that are taking up significantly more—or less—time than you thought they would. For example, are you spending eight hours each week on social media—when you thought you were clocking less than two hours? Or, on the flip side, are you spending five hours of time with your kids each week—when you figured that number was closer to 10 hours?

Leveraging the data to get a clear idea of where your time is going is a crucial part of using a time inventory to increase productivity, as it allows you to…

Eliminate Time Sucks And Reclaim Your Time

Once you have your data laid out in front of you, it’s time to identify “time sucks,” eliminate them from your schedule, and reorganize your time in a way that’s more aligned with your productivity goals—both at work or at home.

Time sucks can be defined as any tasks, activities, and/or categories that are preventing you from spending your time in the most productive way. This can include:

Tasks you don’t actually have to be doing
Tasks you don’t enjoy
Tasks you can delegate to someone else
Mindless tasks that don’t bring you enjoyment (for example, mindless phone scrolling or internet surfing)

For example, let’s say you’re spending five hours every week in meetings you don’t feel like you actually need to be a part of—and you’d rather spend those five hours focusing on project-related work. In that situation, you might connect with your boss and ask if there’s any way to opt out of those meetings to get more done.

Or let’s say you’re spending five hours every week doing laundry—and you’d much prefer to use those hours relaxing at home or engaging with one of your hobbies. In that scenario, you might consider hiring a service that will pick up, wash, fold, and return your laundry each week—and reclaim those hours for yourself.

Increase Productivity With Time Inventory

The point of a time inventory is to eliminate time-wasters, streamline how you’re spending your time, and reorganize your schedule in a way that supports your highest level of productivity—so make sure to leverage your inventory to do so. Give Epic IT Automations a call at 608-496-8660 to talk with one of our experienced consultants and see how we can help streamline your time and increase productivity.

Source: integrify