181: Automation Magic: Turn Your Business into a Well-Oiled Machine
Are you tired of feeling like a hamster on a wheel, constantly juggling tasks and never quite catching up? It's time to work smarter, not harder! In our latest podcast episode, we're pulling back the curtain on the magic of business automation.
Join me as I chat with tech automation wizard Elizabeth Neumann, who shares:
The #1 mistake entrepreneurs make when setting up their tech (and how to avoid it)
3 key automations that can transform your business overnight
How to overcome tech fears and embrace the power of automation
Insider tips for choosing the right tech stack for YOUR unique business
Whether you're a tech novice or looking to level up your current systems, this episode is packed with actionable insights that can help you streamline your processes, boost your productivity, and create a better experience for your clients.
Ready to turn your business into a well-oiled machine? Don't miss this game-changing episode!
Key points with timestamps:
2:57 - The importance of strategy and planning before implementing tech tools
9:39 - Three key automations every online business owner should consider
13:44 - Elizabeth's recommended tech stack and popular tools in the industry
16:12 - Tips for prioritizing automation tasks in your business
18:56 - Where to find Elizabeth and her free tech migration checklist
Mentioned In This Episode:
Elizabeth's gift: Master Your Tech Migration Checklist
Creator's MBA Newsletter: Sign up here: https://destinicopp.leadpages.co/newsletter
Simplifying Your Online Business: A Guide to Tech Automation
As online entrepreneurs, we often find ourselves wearing multiple hats - from content creator to marketer to customer service representative. But one role that many of us struggle with is that of tech expert. The good news? You don't have to be a tech wizard to run a successful online business. In this post, we'll dive into the world of tech automation with insights from funnel strategist and tech automation specialist Elizabeth Neumann.
The Importance of Strategy First
Before you start implementing new tech tools or overhauling your current systems, Elizabeth emphasizes the crucial step of strategy and planning. "I always talk about doing their strategy first and their planning," she says. "It helps avoid more expenses and gives an overview of everything that's there."
This initial planning phase allows you to:
Identify your business goals
Assess your current tech tools
Spot potential overlaps or redundancies
Align your tech choices with your business objectives
By taking this strategic approach, you can avoid unnecessary expenses and ensure that your tech setup truly supports your business needs.
Overcoming Tech Fears
If the mere thought of dealing with tech makes you break out in a cold sweat, you're not alone. Elizabeth acknowledges that fear of tech is common among entrepreneurs. The key is to recognize that it's normal and that everyone has different strengths.
Remember, you don't need to be an expert in every aspect of your business. If tech isn't your strong suit, consider outsourcing or delegating these tasks. However, Elizabeth stresses the importance of maintaining a general understanding of your tech setup, even if you're not handling it directly.
The Power of Automation
Automation is at the heart of a smooth-running online business. As Elizabeth points out, "The more you can automate, the more it leaves space to do the parts that shouldn't or can't be automated, like interacting with your audience."
Here are three key automations that Elizabeth recommends for online businesses:
Automated appointment booking system: This allows clients to easily schedule calls based on your availability, integrating seamlessly with your calendar.
Automated sales process: Streamline your sales funnel with automated order forms, thank you pages, and follow-up emails.
Automated admin tasks: Set up systems to automatically store and organize things like Zoom recordings, saving you and your team valuable time.
By implementing these automations, you can create a better client experience while freeing up your time for more important tasks.
Choosing the Right Tech Stack
When it comes to selecting tech tools, there's no one-size-fits-all solution. Elizabeth works with a variety of platforms, including:
Email marketing: ConvertKit, ActiveCampaign
All-in-one platforms: Kajabi, HighLevel (and white-label versions like FG Funnels)
Course platforms: Thinkific, Teachable, Thrivecart Learn
Funnel builders: Thrivecart
The key is to choose tools that align with your business needs and integrate well with each other. Remember, constantly switching platforms can be time-consuming and inefficient, so make your choices thoughtfully.
Prioritizing Your Tech Needs
With so many possibilities for automation and tech improvements, it's easy to feel overwhelmed. Elizabeth advises, "It's important to prioritize the different things that you want to automate in your business. Look at what experience a client or customer is having with your business."
Focus on automations that will have the biggest impact on your client experience and your business efficiency. This might include:
Streamlining your onboarding process
Automating your content delivery
Setting up automated follow-ups and nurture sequences
Remember, you don't have to do everything at once. Start with the most critical areas and gradually expand your automations over time.
Conclusion: Embracing Tech for Business Growth
While tech can seem daunting, it's an essential part of running a successful online business. By approaching it strategically, focusing on key automations, and prioritizing your efforts, you can create a tech setup that supports your business growth without overwhelming you.
As Elizabeth reminds us, "Taking that step back and looking at it from a strategic planning perspective first, before jumping into the latest tool, is crucial." So take a deep breath, assess your needs, and start building a tech system that works for you - not against you.
Remember, the goal of tech automation is to simplify your business operations, enhance your client experience, and free up your time to focus on what you do best. With the right approach and tools, you can achieve just that.
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Transcript:
Dr. Destini Copp [00:00:02]:
And my special guest today is Elizabeth Neumann. Elizabeth is a funnel strategist and tech automation specialist, and she supports driven coaches and course creators with their tech and automation strategy and setup so they can move their business forward, avoid tech fails, and focus on serving their audience and clients. And, Elizabeth, I am super excited to jump into this topic with you. I'm a little bit you know, tech is, one of my favorite subjects to kinda dig into. And I know that you're an expert here, so I have a ton of questions for you. But before we get into all of those, can you tell the good audience just a little bit more about you and how you help people?
Elizabeth Neumann [00:00:46]:
Sure. And thank you so much for having me on your podcast. I'm excited to be here and and talk about tech and automation and all the things that go into that when it comes to online businesses. So as you mentioned, I'm a funnel strategist and tech automation specialist. I've been online since 2016, when I left my full time job and kinda did almost everything related to online business at some point or another. And then over time, I always had the tech and automation piece, and then just narrowed down to that area, which is an area that I really love. And I find that it's an area that comes easier to me, and it's almost like that zone of genius that I finally figured out, right, from the the book, right, of, the, I forget the name of it right now. The big leap.
Dr. Destini Copp [00:01:32]:
So The big leap. Well, we're gonna put that link in the show notes, so everybody can check it out.
Elizabeth Neumann [00:01:37]:
Yeah. For sure. And so I am located in Canada. I'm right outside Toronto in Ontario, and I mostly do end up working with clients in the US. It's been what has mostly happened. So it's been really cool to to see and understand and travel more to the states and and learn about all the different states where they're located and things. And most of the, tech and automation that I do work with, tends to be more around marketing and sales. I do sometimes touch upon a bit of, like, administrative or operations within that, but that does tend to be more around funnels and just making sure that everything is set up and automated as best as possible so that it's working as efficiently as possible and and having that great experience for my clients' clients.
Dr. Destini Copp [00:02:23]:
Well, Elizabeth, you're definitely in the right place because I know a lot of people who are listening to this podcast, they, are all about tech. Right? They need to set it up for maybe their tripwires or their evergreen sales funnels or set it up for a launch that they're doing. But let me ask you this. Before people start kinda picking their tech tools or mapping all of this out or trying to figure out how how the heck do I even go about doing this, what is one of the first things that you recommend that they do before they get started?
Elizabeth Neumann [00:02:57]:
So, I mean, everyone's in a different spot. Right? Like, I some people are are beginning with their tech. Others are a bit more advanced, and they're migrating to new tech tools. What I always regardless of where anyone is at with their business or any of their tech and automation setup, I always talk about doing their strategy first and their planning. So whenever I work with clients, that's my first stop, like my first step, I should say. And so, we start off with doing that because it helps, avoid more expenses because I have found through client work and talking with lots of different entrepreneurs over the years that, sometimes there may even be, like, a duplicate of the same tool, just because one had, like, a feature that the other one didn't. And then but now there's, like, a change to that tool. And so there's, like, always changes happening, and I just find that it's better to do an overview of everything that's there, what it is that the goals of the business, or what it is that they want with their tech and automation, and start off with, like, the mapping of it and planning.
Elizabeth Neumann [00:04:04]:
Then once that's clear and how it supports the business, then it's good to move forward with the actual build or implementation of that. So I always, think it's better to do strategy first and then, do the build of the tech.
Dr. Destini Copp [00:04:19]:
And I love that. I love that. So kinda looking at and figuring out, you know, what do they wanna accomplish, what tools do they have today, trying to figure out where there may be overlap. I think that's a really good strategy. Let me ask you this. I know a lot of people out there you know, the tech is just not their zone of genius like it is yours. Right? You definitely have found kinda your niche and what you're really good at. But for a lot of us out there, it is, like, on the other spectrum, if you would.
Dr. Destini Copp [00:04:51]:
Mhmm. Can you walk us through when clients come to you and they just have this kinda mindset block, if you would, about tech, and they're like, oh, I just can't. I don't know what to do. I just get so confused. What do you generally say to them?
Elizabeth Neumann [00:05:06]:
Well, I do find that that's a very common feeling. And because tech is tech and things can happen, there is, sometimes, like, a bit of that fear, that, like, tech is scary or that they can't figure it out or they have it set up and then something has gone wrong with it, and they've had like, there's tons of launch stories and all these things that have happened. And so I just always acknowledge and recognize that that's normal. I find that's very common among a lot of people. And the important thing is that if they are having someone, take care of the tech for them, then that takes that load off them. And it's more about having that conversation to always make sure I find that it's important to always make sure that someone is knowing what is going on in general with their tech. It doesn't mean they have to know all the details. But just an idea of what's happening with it is always good.
Elizabeth Neumann [00:06:00]:
And so when I work with clients, I wanna empower them to have that understanding and work through it and be able to take questions from them, and being able to do that so that they're able to understand what's happening in their business a bit more. And I it's again open conversation, and I just find that having those kinds of feelings towards tech is normal. And that's really what I want people to know, that it's okay. It's, we're we're good, and we all have different, like, strengths and gifts and everything like that. And, like, copywriting for me is not a gift. And so I always admire people that can do copywriting. Right? So I may have the tech side of it. Other people have other parts.
Elizabeth Neumann [00:06:42]:
So we all have something, and so that's just the way I feel about that and other things too.
Dr. Destini Copp [00:06:47]:
And I and I know when people come to you, they're, you know, wanting to either set things up or make things more simple. But really, truly, they're also interested in automating their business. And I know that you're all about making your, you know, making your tech very simple to set up, make in your business set up, having everything automated. Can you walk us through what exactly do we mean by that when we say, you know, I want an automated business in you know, I know there might be some connotations or people out there. I'm like, I don't wanna automate because I wanna have that personal connection. But we can still automate and still have that personal connection. But can you walk us through what your philosophy is on that?
Elizabeth Neumann [00:07:34]:
Yeah. And definitely, I do feel that it's important to automate as much as you can because it does save that time, and it also can save money in the end if you're having your team then be able to work on other parts that can't be automated or maybe you don't prefer to automate certain areas. So that's where I feel is important to always know, where the client is coming from from that perspective. I also think that automating is, having, like, a step by step process that's, like, working automatically in the background so that, things are happening when the client or the team may be sleeping, for example. So that automation allows someone from a different time zone or someone that's awake in the middle of the night to make a purchase or to sign up for a freebie or a lead magnet or something. And so that's where the automation helps to have a a better client journey, for that client that's coming and and interacting with your business. And I always find too that the more you can automate, then it does leave that space to, do the parts that shouldn't or can't be automated, like interacting with your audience, being able to do Zoom calls, getting out there and doing marketing activities or going to live events or things like that. And so knowing that these other parts are being automated and working in the background, I think, just helps, give that bit of mental freedom, to know that your business can be running as you're doing other things.
Elizabeth Neumann [00:09:08]:
And then you can focus on reaching out, whether it's a DM or anything like that that you may wanna do manually, with someone and being able to keep those connections alive with your audience or clients.
Dr. Destini Copp [00:09:21]:
So let me ask you this. What are, let's just say, 3 automations? If we are interested in, you know, exploring this and we wanna set these up in our business, what are the 3 main automations that you would suggest that an online business owner has set up in their business?
Elizabeth Neumann [00:09:39]:
So, obviously, that can depend on the business and where someone is at. But right when you said that there's, like, 3 that come to mind. One I would say is to have an automated, appointment booking system so that it's a lot easier to be able to, have that set up and you give someone the link. They, like, find a time based on your availability that you put into the system, for them to book a call with you for any reason, whether it's a coffee chat so you can get to know other entrepreneurs online, or it might be a sales call, or whatever those calls may look like for your business. There's usually some kind of need for a call, and I just find that that works a lot better. And then you can also have it appearing, integrated with your, like, your Google Calendar if you wish, and then it just keeps things more organized. And then you know that, it's available for someone to come book a call with you for all those different reasons. So that would be the first one that comes to mind.
Elizabeth Neumann [00:10:35]:
The second one that comes to mind is around your sales process. Being able to obviously make it as easy as possible for someone to purchase something from you, especially when it comes to an online course or online digital product or anything like that. And then being able to have an order form. If you don't have a a sales page, that's fine for now. Right? Because you sometimes, like, people think of the sales pages and they get caught, and they don't end up actually automating a lot of that. And it's better just to go with an order form, have their thank you, and then get the emails going out to them automated when they purchase. And then you can always add on the sales page, afterwards, if that's what the case. Or you can start with the sales page.
Elizabeth Neumann [00:11:15]:
It just depends because I always try to think of, like, how can we make it so that you get these pieces in place that you can always be expanding on later. And so that would be, like, the second one, just having an automated way for someone to purchase whatever it might be that you're selling. And the third one that comes to mind is actually more of an admin, a task, actually, but it's one that I find helps a ton to have this automated. It's being able to get your, like, Zoom recordings to automatically be added into Vimeo or be added into Google Drive or wherever it is that you may store them. That just saves a lot of time, from your team or yourself from having to, like, download onto your computer then upload it. It's better for it just to appear in your Vimeo or wherever. So that way, you can then, get it out to your course, like, clients, for example, or course members as a replay or put it into their portal a lot easier. So it's just these little things that can save time, or it can also, like, just I don't know.
Elizabeth Neumann [00:12:17]:
People's minds can then be used, to do other things instead. So those are, like, the first three that really came to mind when you asked that. So, just kinda hitting on different spots of the business, but being able to just make things easier for yourself, the team, and, of course, clients that come in.
Dr. Destini Copp [00:12:35]:
And I just said 3. But if you have others you wanna let us know about, go ahead. As as you are going through that list, I'm like, okay. I'd like to hear more about that. Yeah.
Elizabeth Neumann [00:12:46]:
Yeah. There's always a ton more. Right? It's it's I find it fascinating all the things that can be done, and I've sometimes you know, the client may be asking that they want this to be done, and there's sometimes ways around things, right, to make it happen. And, I really like Zapier, right, as a third party tool that can connect, a tool with another. So, yeah, it's just about also keeping up to date with all the different tools that are out there and seeing what they can always do, because there's, like, updates happening on a regular basis. And so that's always something too when it comes to all the tech and automation.
Dr. Destini Copp [00:13:20]:
And that really just kinda brings me to the next question because I always like to kinda go behind other people's businesses. Right? But I think we're all a little bit nosy. And I'm just curious as to either what software you use personally in your business or the main kind of tech stack, if you would, that you generally recommend for people.
Elizabeth Neumann [00:13:44]:
Yeah. And this obviously can be like, when it comes to recommendations, I usually talk with the business owner and see what they have, what they're looking for, what's working, what's not. Like so it's like bit of more of an audit in that case. But so I do wanna say that this is personalized to each business. I I work with a lot of different tools and, like, platforms, and what I've actually been noticing in the last, maybe, year and a bit is that people are moving, I find, a little bit more towards, like, high level or one of, like, the white label versions of high level, which actually works pretty well for me because I've actually been using FG Funnels, which is a white label version of HighLevel, since almost the beginning when they create it, which I can't remember if it was 2020 or 2021. And over time, I do say that there is a learning curve with it for sure, but I'm very impressed with all the different things that you can do with that. So I've used that and continue to use that in my business. So it is an all in one, and I know there's different feelings around that.
Elizabeth Neumann [00:14:46]:
But I do keep up my knowledge when it comes to other, places to host, courses or to do, like, funnels or to do email marketing, because I think it's important to do that because of the variety of different tools out there. The most common ones I work with and have come across when it comes to email marketing would be ConvertKit, ActiveCampaign. I would say those are the most common. And then for, like, another all in one, Kajabi is one that comes up quite a lot too. And then when it comes to course platforms, I would say Thinkific, Teachable, and then there's Thrivecart as well, right, for funnels. And some people use it for their courses as well, and I've been seeing that kinda grow as well. And so I don't I like all of them in their own way, but I've been really enjoying, the high level platform and everything that they're always coming up with and different things to be able to eliminate other tools by using theirs.
Dr. Destini Copp [00:15:47]:
And thank you for that because I was definitely being a little little bit nosy there because I'm always interested in what other people are using. I use Thrivecart and ConvertKit, move into kit and lead pages. I used to use Joby and then moved everything over to ThriveCart and ThriveCart learn.
Elizabeth Neumann [00:16:04]:
Mhmm.
Dr. Destini Copp [00:16:05]:
So, Elizabeth, before we wrap it up here, any last minute tips for the audience?
Elizabeth Neumann [00:16:12]:
I mainly would think that it's important to prioritize the different things that you want to automate in your business because I find that usually when I'm working with clients, they have a long list of different tech or automation steps that they want to do. But out of those, there there are some that are bit more priority because I always look at what is the experience that a client or customer is having with your business, as they're coming in to sign up for something or purchase something. And we wanna make that as seamless pause seamless as possible and also, the best experience possible for them so that when they sign up for something or they purchase something, they're getting what it is that they're expecting, whether it's the emails or access to something, and they're getting it in a timely manner. And so I tend to prioritize those over some other things that are maybe a bit more, like, important, but not as important. So I think it's always good to keep that in mind. Also, I find I do a lot of migrations, from tools to tools as people are are looking at different things to to do in their business. And I think that's also good to keep in mind when you're looking at prioritizing and what's really important because switching platforms constantly is not the best thing, I think, when it comes to time and efficiency, and then having to get set up everywhere again. But I do believe it is important at times to do some of those migrations.
Elizabeth Neumann [00:17:41]:
It's just that sometimes I find it's a bit of that shiny object syndrome, of wanting to switch platforms constantly. And so those are just it's almost like, again, like, what I was saying at the beginning, like, taking that step back and looking at it from, like, a strategic planning, perspective first, before jumping into, like, the latest tool or what may be the case. I've had clients sometimes where they went and did a a different tool. Like, they moved or they bought another tool and then not realizing that the one they had actually did something similar already just because there's, like, a lot of updates happening. And so, I'm always conscious of looking at keeping those expenses as as low as possible, but still having everything there that's needed for that business to to keep growing.
Dr. Destini Copp [00:18:25]:
And I think that's so smart kinda looking at, you know, the the process that it would take to, like, migrate because I know when we did the Kajabi migration a few years ago, I mean, we migrated over 10,000, maybe 12,000 students during that process. And that was a huge deal. And I really don't quite frankly wanna do that again. So Yeah. For sure. Definitely hear what you're saying there. Now, Elizabeth, can you let folks know where they can find you? And I think you have a free gift for them also.
Elizabeth Neumann [00:18:56]:
Yes. And exactly. And talking about tech migration, I do have a master your tech migration checklist, and it's about touching upon these points exactly as, how to create that plan ahead of time so that you're doing the migration in the proper order. Because I've also have had people explain how they do things, and then there's, like, some emails going out the wrong way, and students aren't in the courses, whatever may be the case. So whenever I do migrations, I always go through this planning and checklist myself and make sure that everything is set up and doing it in the right order. And so that is is in I know it's in the show notes. So that would be a checklist, that you can always download if you're looking at doing a migration just to help you, with that part as you're planning for it. And then I connect quite often on LinkedIn, and so you can always, I'm always happy to connect with anyone over there too.
Dr. Destini Copp [00:19:55]:
And we will definitely make sure that all of those links are in the show notes. And, Elizabeth, thank you so much for joining me today and walking us through all the, you know, tech things that we need to consider in our online business.
Elizabeth Neumann [00:20:09]:
Yes. For sure. It was great being here, and thanks again for having me.