People aren’t easily fooled.
It’s very obvious when an email is an auto response, or a customer service advisor is a chatbot. Trying to dress these things up as a personalised human service may not be as clever an idea as you think…
Automation ISN’T a way to trick your clients
In the last ten years, automation has undergone huge changes. There was a time (not so long ago) when the best approach was thought to be concealing the automation altogether, such as pretending that evergreen webinars were live webinars, or pretending that chatbots were human.
It may have worked at the start, but not anymore.
Businesses were bitten by this, and it has been proven time and time again that authenticity and human connection are some of the most powerful tools a business can wield. Automation should be designed to free up the time, space and resources so that we can build relationships that reward both our businesses and our clients.
This may sound strange coming from a business owner who specialises in building business automations, but it’s true!
Automation helps get the low value tasks done
In a world that is noisier than ever, businesses are also busier than ever. Automating tasks that don’t need to be done manually can be immensely helpful in quieting some of that noise. For example, answering FAQs, sending out order confirmations, keeping up to date with reminders, or scheduling meetings.
We don’t need to be spending our valuable time resources on these tasks when automation can do it for us!
In order to stand out to clients and prospects, our interactions have to resonate: the way we engage with our audience has to be authentic. There are times when a chatbot or automated email simply doesn’t cut it – we’re very unlikely to close a lead on a high ticket item without warming them up first, and this requires building a relationship and getting to know them on a personal, human level.
How are changes in technology going to affect automation?
ChatGPT is certainly a popular topic of conversation these days. It’s imperative that we consider how an increasing reliance on AI to replicate the human experience is going to affect how we automate business processes.
This kind of technology serves a very important purpose, in our personal lives and in the business world, and it’s undeniable that it is going to enhance our lives in a multitude of ways. There are all sorts of ways we can leveraging this technology to our advantage, but what’s most crucial is that we maintain the human element of our businesses.
Humans are social people. We are storytellers who thrive in communities – this is, after all, the secret to our evolutionary success. Still today, this is at the core of who we are as a species, and those needs must still be met in our customers.
Augmented reality and AI should be used as a means of fostering more human connection, not as a replacement for it.
Should automations include disclaimers?
Technology is moving at a rate so fast that it’s almost impossible to know the full impact of new developments such as AI on society and culture until they’re actually in use.
Let’s consider chatbots. The world’s first chatbot was actually invented in 1966 in the Artificial Intelligence laboratory at MIT. Since then they’ve come a long way, and as it becomes easier to replicate – not replace – human emotions, voices, and cadences, it becomes more important than ever for businesses to show their authenticity.
Evidencing our authenticity comes from being transparent and providing clarity. Automation isn’t an attempt to fool clients and prospects into thinking they’re interacting with a human. Doing so won’t gain us much favour, and underestimating our customers in such a way may cause real problems for our businesses.
There is a time and a place for automations, and identifying where they’d be beneficial and where a human experience is needed is vital for avoiding the pitfalls. If you’d like some help identifying where automations can add value to your business, consult the experts! Hop on a free discovery call with us today – we’d love to show you how we can help.
