I have a confession: I have helped hundreds of businesses implement Keap, and I didn’t realize I was needlessly complicating things for them.
Keap is an insanely versatile and robust piece of software. The creativity and customizability made possible by Keap’s Automation Builder are nearly limitless. I shake my head when I consider that no one has copied our no-guardrails approach to automation. Name a CRM or automation solution, and I will explain why our Automation Builder is better. That’s why I fell in love with Keap when I worked here the first time, and it’s also why I came back to Keap after several years of building a business as a Keap user.
But the lack of guardrails in Keap’s automation builder causes two problems, one of which is rather predictable, and another I didn’t fully appreciate until I took The Keap Way course in Keap Academy.
Problem #1:
It can be difficult to get started in Keap’s automation builder because it is literally a blank canvas. When you can do practically anything, where do you start? We solve this problem with pre-built solutions, the best ecosystem of partners in the industry, and our stellar Keap Pro Services. If you need help, it’s always right at your fingertips.
Problem #2:
When you set out to solve a problem with Keap, multiple potential solution paths often exist. This is awesome, but it also can be a problem because you have to decide on a path before you move forward. For example, if you have a sales team that makes a bunch of phone calls, it makes sense to set up “Left Voicemail” automation. Below are a few ways you could do this:
- Set up note templates for sales reps to use from within the contact record. Use these templates to provide a pre-written note indicating a voicemail was left, and trigger follow-up automation including an email and/or text message. Often this kind of automation needs several versions, so you might end up with a list of “LVM” note templates, such as “New Lead LVM-1,” “New Lead LVM-2,” and so on. This has long been my go-to method, and it works very well. However, it also results in dozens of note templates. You’ll end up with a list of templates for each type of lead: New leads, trade show leads, cold leads, etc. Plus, you might have a unique list of LVM templates for sales development representatives, sales reps, and account managers. That gives each employee a lot of opportunities to accidentally click the wrong thing.
- Another strategy involves applying tags to the contact. This is simpler for the employee, but it doesn’t allow them to customize the contents of the note that is applied by the resulting automation. With option #1, as long as you begin with the correct template, you can change the note to say whatever you want. In other words, tags are simpler but lack the human touch your contact notes ought to include. Plus, the number of tags will match the number of note templates from option #1. Although tag categories do make the list more organized, decreasing potential misclicks.
- Do it the right way: The Keap Way. Create an internal form for each area of your business, and you can put as many sections, fields, and checkboxes as you want on the form. Checkboxes can apply tags, a text area field can provide a location for customized notes, and you can clear the form after the appropriate automation has begun so it can be reused endlessly. Plus, as your business grows, you can change the form without changing employee workflows.
Here’s the deal. Keap made a shift from “Sales & Marketing Automation” to “Small Business Automation,” and I want every Keap user to understand the business automation power that is available because you use Keap. To put it simply, business automation is the power to solve business problems.
What is the biggest problem in your current business processes?
Do you have a backlog of customer service requests?
Are you spending too much time chasing down unpaid invoices?
Do you need more touchpoints with your customers to aid retention?
Are your sales or onboarding processes time-intensive or clunky?
Do people constantly ask you questions about how to use Keap?
Chances are you can identify at least one area where your processes could be a bit less convoluted, and it’s also possible that, like me until recently, you haven’t yet considered one simple way to improve processes in every part of your business, forever.
That’s why the play of the month is to create an internal form for each area of your business.
The example in the video below is a sales form, but I think by the end of the video you’ll understand how a similar internal form could be created for HR, customer service or any other operational area of the business.
You have two action items from here:
- Watch the video below (14 minutes)
- Take The Keap Way course (1 hour)
Take it from a guy who built a company from zero revenue into the millions in three years: I wish I’d known what you can learn right now by investing 74 minutes.
Keep going, keep serving, keep growing. We are rooting so hard for you!
