Wouldn’t it be great if you could just sit back and watch the sales come in and calendar appointments line up, all without lifting a finger?
Well they can… kind of.
When you automate your sales process, you can be *mostly* hands off, while still allowing your systems to market and sell for you.
Let’s take a look at 5 different elements of the sales process that can be automated, ways to do it, and some tools to use.
Your website
Your website is where people come to check you out. Where they come to find information from you and about you. So if you’re not utilizing this space to your advantage, you could be missing out on some sales!
Here are some ways to automate your website to get more sales:
- Add opt in forms. Even if you’re not selling anything yet, it pays to collect email addresses. Use a tool like LeadPages to help you create forms, landing pages and funnels.
- Add a shopping cart. If you have multiple products for sale, you could set up an online store right on your website. Use SamCart to easily sell digital products (such as courses and ebooks) or services (like coaching or consulting).
Your email list is like gold! It’s the people who have said yes to something you offered, whether it was free or paid, and want to continue hearing from you. It’s the perfect place to sell your products and services, and do it out autopilot!
Here are some ways to use your email to make sales:
- Create an email nurture sequence. When someone first signs up for your list is the BEST time for them to get to know you and your offers. Create a nurture sequence that tells them more about you, more about your business and more about what you have for sale. Use a tool like Aweber to help you set up a nurture sequence that automatically gets delivered as soon as someone gets on your list.
- Create a launch sequence. Do you have an offer you’re debuting? Creating a launch sequence that gives your subscribers all the information they need to buy, including links to your cart or checkout page to make the process hands off. Best part? You can reuse the sequence the next time you launch the same offer!
Social Media
Before people can come to your website, before they get on your list, they must find you somehow. And social media is likely where they do that!
Luckily, social media doesn’t have to be a chore! Automate it by:
- Using a social media scheduler. Create your content ahead of time, and then schedule it in advance. This is especially useful if you’re selling something; it means you don’t have to be “on” 24/7, but you still get to share promotional info daily. Use a tool like Tailwind to schedule Pinterest, Instagram and Facebook way in advance.
Appointment Scheduling
Are you selling coaching or consulting and still scheduling your client appointments manually? While it doesn’t seem like it takes a whole lot of time, there’s a much easier, faster and totally hands off alternative!
Here’s the best way to automate your client calls and meetings:
- Use an appointment scheduler. This allows your clients to schedule their own calls, set up recurring appointments, even pay online… all without you having to do a thing. All you have to do is set your working hours, create appointment types, and hand out your link. You can even use it to automatically book discovery calls for prospective clients. Use Acuity or Calendly to set up an easy-to-use appointment calendar.
Customer Relationship Management
The sales process doesn’t end once the sale is made. I know that you want to stay in touch with your customers and make sure they’re completely satisfied. This is where a Customer Relationship Management, or CRM, software comes into play. Use it to manage your contact info, leads, paid customers and more.
Use a CRM to automate your sales by:
- Create automatic follow up for leads. Use a tool like Ontraport to manage who is buying your offers and more. Create automations that send out introduction emails, follow up emails, create sequences, workflows and more, all while organizing the customer information for you.
As a solopreneur, sales could get overwhelming… or you could automate a lot of it and make your life easier! While you’re never going to be completely taken out of the sales process (and really, would you want to?) you can automate some key elements that will save you hours a week!
xoxo
