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If you’re an online service provider, you can’t go too long without hearing about AI or automations. But is automating everything the silver bullet you need in your business?
Not necessarily.
When I was working in ministry operations, I wanted to make everything as efficient as possible - it was like a game for me! If I could make a process work automatically, with as little effort as possible? Well, I considered that WINNING.
My manager and director had to kindly remind me that being in ministry meant taking time to actually build relationships and take time for PEOPLE. (imagine that!) Eventually, our value of PEOPLE OVER PROCESS became my favorite value. It stretched me in new ways, helping me understand what should be automated to decrease busy work, and what parts should still have that personal touch. I was able to put PEOPLE over the PROCESSES I was creating and implementing for our team. This is where my philosophy on systems and automations was fostered.
So, let's automate the necessary things we HAVE to do that save us time, but for the love of all that is good, let's not go overboard and create a human-less experience. Let's be freed up to do the things that are most important to us and that only we can do.
Early on in my business, leveraging the native automations in Honeybook allowed me to truly focus on networking, getting my name out there, and connecting with potential clients.
Ready?! Let’s dig into what exactly you can automate, specifically in your New Client process, and even more specifically, in Honeybook! Not a Honeybook user yet? That's okay - use my Honeybook promo code CassiePremierOps or click here to get 50% off your first year's subscription!
If you haven’t already checked out my “10 Things your Client System Should Automate to Save you Time”, click here to get it!
What is an Automation?
Simply put, an automation allows your business to keep running without you. Every Automation has two parts: a trigger and an action. You can think of the trigger as the CAUSE and the action as the EFFECT.
Automation = Trigger + Action
Automations can help us flow from one step in our process to the next without delay or manual work. They ensure we provide a consistent, excellent experience to every single client.
And the best part about Honeybook Automations? If you’re really nervous about automations, you can use their “Approval Required” feature to stop an automation from occurring until you’re ready!
Honeybook Automations: the Foundation
Before we talk about building automations in Honeybook, we need to understand HOW automations begin. After working with so many clients, I've learned this is the most misunderstood part of automations.
In Honeybook, an automation is triggered one of two ways:
When a lead fills out a Contact Form that is assigned a specific PROJECT TYPE, or chooses a Project Type from a drop-down on that form, OR
When a Lead or Client fills out a Lead Form.
When I first started using Honeybook, I was up late many, many nights trying to get the automations to work properly. I misunderstood how the Automations were triggered. In order to begin working, an Automation HAS to have a specific Project Type assigned.
This high time commitment early on is the case with ANY new tool you’re using, by the way. When I started using Flodesk for Email management, it took me a while to understand how to trigger their automations - which are based on a segment (like a tag) being applied to a subscriber, not whether someone clicks or fills out a form, etc.
In Honeybook specifically, that means understanding what your project types should be so they align with the workflows you want to happen. If you're not sure, try the "begin with the end in mind" exercise. Most of the time your Project Types will correspond with your different offers.
Your Project Types can be accessed and managed in the Company Settings. Learn more in this video.
Hopefully this helps you avoid all those late nights metaphorically ripping your hair out!
Honeybook Automation Triggers and Actions
Actions that can trigger an automation in Honeybook are:
Automation is applied
Previous step is completed
Client Schedules a session
Session begins or ends
Time before or after a Project Date
Client makes a payment
Client signs a contract
Project moved to complete
In Honeybook, the actions that can be taken are:
Send an Email
Send a SmartFile (link to blog post)
Create a task
Move Pipeline Stage
Tasks to Automate in Honeybook
Here are a few different steps or tasks you can automate through Honeybook.
Responding to Inquiries on your Contact Form
Did you know? 86% of people will hire the company that responds to them FIRST. That means having an automated email response to reassure your leads that they are contacting a real, live, still-in-business business. When working with clients, we always tweak this email to fit their personality and voice so it doesn’t feel robotic, but ensuring this email sends shows your clients you are professional, and helps them move people along.
If you use a discovery or sales call as part of your process, we always recommend sending a scheduling link in this first email. This ensures that the client can take the next action necessary without you having to do anything! (WINNING!)
I LOVE that my leads can fill out my contact form, get an email, book a call, and receive a couple nurture emails without me having to do ANYTHING!
Follow Up Emails
When I first began using Honeybook, I remember receiving emails from potential clients that said, “Thank you for sending over a reminder! I’ll pay and sign this today.” I didn’t even realize Honeybook had sent a follow-up email… but those emails helped me close sales those first few months!! I didn’t even have to think about those follow-ups, never mind agonize over them like we can do sometimes.
Honestly? It was awesome. Systems are always good for holding boundaries and for helping eliminate the need for awkward conversations!
These emails may also include payment reminders if a client invoice is coming due or is past due. Again: we customize the texts in these emails, but a regular old system email is still very effective!
Honeybook comes preloaded with at least a dozen of these types of emails. All you have to do is toggle them on :)
Customizing your Automations
Improved Smart Fields is one of the updates Honeybook implemented earlier this year (2024). These smart fields automatically update based on information gathered from other places, like a Contact Form or Questionnaire. For example, a smart field for client first name can be set to populate with the name entered in the contact form.
Now, you can add Smart Fields to emails and to Smart Files! For example:
Client Name
Project Date
Project Location
Project Type
Client contact information
This can be SUPER helpful if you need to confirm details of a project, or send confirmation of what you’ve received from a client.
They’re also VERY valuable because they add a personal touch to Proposals. My FAVORITE way to leverage these, though, is in Contracts. More on that in my SmartFile post here.
Sending Files (Proposals, Questionnaires, etc.)
You can automate sending your Brochure or Service Guide, Proposal (including Invoice & Contract, if applicable), Onboarding Questionnaire, and Feedback form. Once again, automating these necessary steps saves you a TON of time and allows you to focus your mental energy on much more important things.
Click here to view a sample All-in-One SmartFile. This file includes a Welcome page, Services page, Invoice, Contract, and Payment page - and is designed for service providers whose contracts include recurring invoices.
Moving a Client to the Next Stage in the Pipeline
The top goals of having a neat, tidy, and strategic pipeline are to…
Allow you to log in and see at a glance how many people are in each stage of your pipeline
Allow you to click into each stage and send personal notes or check-ins to help move them to the next stage of working with you
Allow you to complete the same tasks for every person in a particular stage in the pipeline - ensuring you don’t drop any balls, and your clients get an excellent, consistent experience every time.
Honeybook Automation Examples
My FREE Guide to Honeybook Automations is almost complete! Sign up HERE to be the first to get it.
Currently, it includes examples for
Project work (like for web designers, systems experts, etc.)
Retainer work (like for Social Media Managers, Copywriters, Virtual Assistants, OBMs, etc.)
Consultants / Coaches
Help with your Honeybook Automations
Understanding the foundations of your Honeybook account (like Project types, Contact Forms, and Company Settings) in Honeybook play a crucial role in automating workflows, determining deliverables, and ensuring consistency throughout your projects. By understanding how project types are connected to various features, you can effectively manage and customize your client experiences.
If you still want someone to get this set up for you, we have Done for You Honeybook services available! We'll get everything set up seamlessly for you.
Click here to learn more!
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