Don’t Automate These Things

Here’s a list of 5 things you may think are pointless distractions in business, worth eliminating or automating away.

And reasons why you shouldn’t:

#1 Quick replies

You may not think it’s useful.

It is. People just want to feel heard.

You don’t need all the answers right away. Just let them know you see them.

#2 Warm welcomes

A hotel lobby with no welcome isn’t welcoming, regardless of decor.

Paying a coach without prompt acknowledgment or gratitude doesn’t feel good, no matter how good they are.

#3 Pointless check-ins

Calls without a point aren’t pointless. They show you cared enough to see how they’re doing.

If you only called your mother when you needed something, that’s not much of a relationship. Same with your clients.

#4 Hand-written notes

True: They’re inefficient, expensive, slow. Also true: They’re personal, intimate, caring.

That’s why mass-printed hand-written notes don’t work as well as personal ones.

#5 Better thank yous

One way to say thank you is to send a confirmation message. Or to say “thanks”.

Other ways: Call them. Send a gift. Retweet them. Publicly thank them on Facebook.

The list goes on. So does the ROI.