Automation is incredibly tempting.
“Set it and forget it,” right?
A world where leads nurture themselves, customers find all the answers on their own, and you’re free to focus on more “important” tasks sounds ideal. But here’s the hard truth:
Scaling bad automation doesn’t solve problems; it just annoys more people, faster.
What we need to focus on instead is mindful automation—automation that enhances your customer relationships, not erodes them. Let’s dive into five simple steps to get this right.
Step 1: Audit Your Automation
Start by mapping out every single automated touchpoint in your customer journey. Review these interactions critically.
Ask yourself: If this was a face-to-face conversation, would it feel natural?
If the answer is no, it’s time to rethink and adjust that automation. Your customer should never feel like they’re talking to a robot—they should feel valued, even in automated exchanges.
Step 2: Inject Human Oversight
Automation doesn’t mean you remove human touch altogether. You need to build in human checkpoints throughout your automated workflows.
Regularly check samples of automated interactions to ensure they’re still delivering value. Automation works best when it supports—not replaces—human oversight.
Step 3: Prioritise Value Over Volume
It’s easy to get caught up in numbers—how many automated touches you can send, how quickly you can follow up, and how often you engage. But quantity isn’t the goal.
Instead, focus on the quality of the interactions, whether automated or not. Are your automations actually helping your customers, or are they just adding noise to their inboxes?
Step 4: Create “Surprise and Delight” Moments
Automation doesn’t have to be predictable. In fact, some of the most effective strategies involve building moments of surprise and delight into your workflows.
Use automation to alert your team when there’s a special opportunity for a personal touch—a handwritten note, a custom offer, or a quick phone call. It’s these moments that create lasting connections.
Step 5: Continuous Optimisation
Your automation isn’t a “set it and forget it” tool. As your audience evolves, so should your automation.
Test, learn, and refine regularly. Don’t be afraid to kill off automations that no longer serve your audience or are out of sync with their needs. The goal is to keep improving, not to stay stuck in routines that don’t work anymore.