But technology has a tendency to amplify the systems that already exist.
The first thing any business should do before investing in new software, automations or AI, is to take a step back and map and truly understand the way their business operates. This means going beyond just your standard operating procedures, or the way you’d like things to be, but taking the time to confront the possibly uncomfortable reality of how things really work.
The information that’s stored in people’s heads and desk drawers, the unspoken “know-how” and workarounds, the reality of where your best customers come from, and what makes them stick around, or not.
If you’re not doing this first then – chances are – you’re relying on the promises of one software vendor or another, or the “shiny new thing” appeal of AI.
Gaining clarity on your systems first puts you back in charge of the decision. It means you can see and understand where and how the right technology solution fits, and how it will work with or enhance your existing system.
Without this, too often solutions are platform first, which almost always results in disappointment. The new system doesn’t get the results you were expecting, and staff don’t use it the way they are supposed to.
Or more dramatically with AI, it will take your incomplete data and amplify it in a professional, convincing, but not quite right way. And your team will start to act on this persuasive but misleading information, actually making problems worse.
If a lot of your customers come through referrals, through well-connected and long-serving sales reps, or word of mouth, then no AI platform working with your web traffic data alone can improve your marketing.
A slick looking new dashboard, with AI pulling the information directly from your CRM, is only as good as the data in there in the first place.
The first thing to do – before upgrading your CRM, or introducing a new marketing automation or attribution platform, or trying to automate or add AI to your company – is to map and understand your reality.
Many platforms have improved their capabilities and integrations in recent times, meaning a lot of companies have duplicated and overlapping systems. Often, the answer is not even to add more at first, it can be to take something away, or to use something you already have better – but it’s a rare software sales rep that is going to tell you that.
