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Automation: Friend or Foe? Why We Should Embrace Automation

Melissa

Battista

December 23, 2020

Automation has come a long way since assembly line work was introduced in the early 1900s by Henry Ford. Up until recently, automation was thought of more commonly as the use of largely automatic equipment in a system of manufacturing or another production process.

But now, automation is used widely in many different industries including sales and marketing. We can thank software companies (big and small) for bringing automation into our everyday lives and making our work more efficient, scalable, and accurate.

Why automation is important in sales & marketing

It’s simple really. For anyone who is working in sales or marketing and sitting in front of a computer to complete work, settling up automation will help to do those repetitive tasks which otherwise would take a lot of time. Automation can help to give valuable time back, create consistency, and deliver customer journeys that are replicable across all channels and experiences.  

Remember, automation saves time, and time is money! Paying a small fee for a monthly software subscription is most likely going to be less expensive than adding more headcount to complete mundane or technical tasks. Not to mention, probably more accurate when you’re reporting on specific KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) as they eliminate the possibility of human error.

Automation is easy to set up

Implementing automation systems is also simple to understand. Many SaaS and software companies have been preaching the “No Code Movement” for years, but recently it’s really starting to hit the everyday sales and marketing professional.

Most of the software tools you’re currently using probably have built-in automation you’ve been using consistently without even taking notice. Tasks such as updating CRM records, gathering data on leads, or filling in tedious admin files are all ways your current workflows are probably using automation.

The good news is anyone can now build, monitor, and optimize their own automation, on top of the basics you’re probably already using. You can check out some of our favorite tech stacks that use automation here, but in the meantime, a great one to start is using Zapier. They are by far the market leader in hooking up thousands of automated flows between your different applications and tools.

Automation doesn't kill personalization

As a LinkedIn automation company, we’re constantly asked about this. It might seem counterintuitive but we promise, just because you’re using an automation tool doesn’t mean you have to miss out on personalization.

Personalization is easy when you have the tools to support it. We help our customers build out their messages so that they are personal to not only the prospect, but also to your own services. Check out more messaging tips to make things personal here. Snippets of information such as using someone's name, profession or industry are also a really easy and foolproof ways to bring in a personal touch to a message, and these are common built in tool in the software you’re probably already familiar with.

And don't worry, automation won't take your job

One of the largest and maybe worst misconceptions about automation is that it will “steal” the jobs of able-bodied people. Sure, this might have been a worry in the Henry Ford era, but when it comes to sales and marketing professionals, you can be pretty confident your job will be safe.

It’s true, automation or software and robots might have changed your profession drastically in the last 25 years, which can sound scary, but it comes with a lot of opportunities to improve your output. Learning how to best use automation will not only make your life easier but it will also make you better at your job, and therefore harder to replace.

Remember, automation can’t build itself. It takes strategy and planning (by humans) to set up programs for success.

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