TLDR ➡️ This free automation tool will save me hours and massively increase my s
By George Barnett Reid 👀 · August 26, 2022 · Curated by George's Blog
TLDR ➡️ This free automation tool will save me hours and massively increase my sales conversions. Also removes lots of other paid apps I needed.
It's 5:43 am
Mild jetlag meant I glazed over on the sofa at 8:30 whilst the Mrs chewed down Drive to Survive.
The 8 am cycle seems distant.
My mind fizzing. Ideas of how I can utilise my new tool today. Next week. The rest of this year.
Subtly congratulated me on what a remarkable discovery it was by me.
It's been months since I've really slogged away at a work problem properly.
Often not able to get into deep work. Unless I'm drinking and journaling.
So, last week I was delighted to reap the rewards of this consciousness.
Let's start with THE PROBLEM.
Leads weren't moving through the pipeline. Audits were requested but access was never granted. Or half granted.
Proposals were sent, but never followed up after the initial "did you have any further thoughts on this?"
THE SOLUTION
Power Automate (PA).
(my neck is clicking like a MF this morning. I swear they're getting louder.)
Microsoft actually has a shit load of apps. Mostly unused.
Google Forms used to collect audit requests. Leads. But the completion page didn't allow me to instruct the user to grant us permissions. Drop-offs.
Google Sheets collected the responses. But I'd spent months f*cking around trying to make a CRM out of it that I liked the UI of.
Then a brain wave. Microsoft must have something for a CRM thingy.
Punching away into Google and YouTube until I discovered LISTS.
I won't deep dive. It's lots of things, I'm using it as a CRM. It has Kanban as a view option.
I'd recently discovered Microsoft BOOKINGS too. A free replacement to my annual Calendly subscription. Which allowed me to add shit loads of text/instructions on the completion page. No drop-offs.
This is where it got sexy.
Power Automate is basically Zapier for Microsoft. It's free (with my Office subscription - check yours).
BOOKINGS fly into LISTS. Through PA. Then...
Active Campaign, prior email management thing which bounced and was clunky af, would typically send out an email.
NOW...Power Automate kicks in, again. It uses my Outlook to email. As if I'd typed it myself. Rather than via some sub-domain thing.
It's instant, not delayed, and it's much more likely to hit the inbox.
NOW...PA creates a task in my Microsoft To Do list. And in another team members list. Due for 2-days time.
IF we get a response on the account access. It registers that automatically in LIST. And changes the lead stage.
IF we get no response, it sends a follow-up on days 2, 3, and 10.
Other tools can do auto follow-ups BUT this is free, monitors my inbox, and updates my CRM (LISTS).
BONUS: I save 3 hours on every automation development and it costs me $1. See first comment.
#itsalwaysdayone