Balancing Automation and the Human Touch in Business Communication

Chamber Amplified

About The Guest(s): Eric McNair is the owner of McNair Media, a business that helps small businesses navigate the internet and improve their online presence. McNair Media specializes in website development, social media marketing, advertising, and app development.

Summary: In this episode of Chamber Amplified from the Findlay-Hancock County Chamber of Commerce, Doug Jenkins and Eric McNair discuss the balance between automation and the human touch in business communication. They explore how small businesses can take advantage of AI tools and automation to improve their operations and better serve their customers. Eric and Doug emphasize the importance of setting up a proper email system, such as Google Workspace or Microsoft 365, to enable automation features and ensure data security. They also discuss best practices for using automation in client communication, including automating routine emails and using generative AI to draft initial responses. Eric highlights the time-saving benefits of automation and how it can enable small businesses to be more productive with limited resources.

Key Takeaways:

• Setting up a proper email system, such as Google Workspace or Microsoft 365, is crucial for enabling automation features and ensuring data security.
• Routine emails, such as invoices or notifications, can be automated to save time and improve efficiency.
• Generative AI tools can help draft initial email responses, providing a starting point that can be personalized and refined.
• Automation allows small businesses to be more productive and handle workload without the need for additional staff.

Important Topics:
| [0:01:06] | Importance of balancing automation and human touch
| [0:03:00] | Considerations for choosing the right email system
| [0:05:35] | Automation features in Google Workspace and Microsoft 365
| [0:07:26] | Challenges of using personal Gmail accounts for business
| [0:09:20] | Importance of a secure email foundation for automation
| [0:11:13] | Step one: Get email house in order; step two: Advance to CRM automation
| [0:12:27] | Determining when to automate and when to personalize client communication
| [0:12:56] | Automating client relations emails
| [0:14:17] | Using generative AI to automate email responses
| [0:16:32] | Starting emails with generative AI framework
| [0:17:28] | Using generative AI to write professional, emotionless emails
| [0:19:17] | Cutting down email response time with generative AI
| [0:20:46] | Generative AI benefits small to mid-sized businesses
| [0:21:51] | Automation tools enable existing employees to do more
| [0:24:05] | Automation helps with file management and accounts payable
Music and sound effects obtained from https://www.zapsplat.com

Music and sound effects obtained from https://www.zapsplat.com