Scaling a service-based business is like juggling while riding a unicycle—you’ve got to keep your eye on growth without dropping the quality that made your business special in the first place. So, how do you expand without turning into that impersonal “marketing company” everyone tries to avoid? Let’s see how to get this done…
1. Master the Art of Personal Messaging
In a world overloaded with generic emails and automated responses (like the one below), messaging is the backbone of scaling your business without losing that personal touch. People want to feel like they’re communicating with a real person, not a faceless marketing machine. This is where carefully crafted messaging comes in.
•Be Authentic: Write like a human, not a bot. Use contractions, ask questions, and inject your personality into each message. The more natural it feels, the more likely people are to engage. And the difference between a shitty text and a great one is millions of dollars.
•Use Their Name, but NOT in A Weird Way: Nobody writes: “Hi Jane…” No no. It should be like: “Been a while, but check this out Jane. Did you see this? We recently added these services and wanted to let you know. Anything we can help out with?
Use open-ended questions when possible to stay away from yeses or no’s.
But here’s where things get really interesting: build suspense and a natural cadence into your messaging, just like a great Stephen King novel. Each message should leave your prospects wanting more, drawing them deeper into the funnel with curiosity and anticipation.
•Create Continuity: Make sure every text leads into an email, every email into a voicemail drop, and so on. It’s like the chapters of a book—each one should flow seamlessly into the next, maintaining engagement.
•Build Suspense: Your follow-ups should feel like cliffhangers. Tease upcoming offers, leave questions open, or hint at more valuable content. Keep them intrigued, so they can’t wait for the next message.
•Set the Right Cadence: Don’t overwhelm them, but don’t let them forget you either. Like a well-timed thriller, your messaging should have a balanced rhythm—planned follow-ups at just the right intervals to keep your business top of mind without being pushy.
Channel your inner Stephen King—create an engaging story through your communication funnel that builds curiosity and keeps your prospects hooked.
2. Leverage AI Wisely: The Human-AI Balance
Yes, AI is amazing, but it’s not a substitute for human connection. With proper prompt engineering, AI can handle routine conversations and pass the baton when a human touch is needed. But don’t try to remove humans totally. I mean, go for it, but you won’t make as much money.
•Define Clear Boundaries: Set guidelines for what AI should handle and when to involve a human. For instance, how would an AI know about the demo you just performed on someone’s roof or the HVAC system you presented. What if they have a specific question about a specific circumstance that happened in person. How would an AI know how to reply to that?
It wouldn’t.
Know where to turn the AI off.
•Train Your AI: Use language and responses that match your brand’s voice. If you’re in the South, use southern twang, but don’t overdo it. If you live in Texas don’t program the AI to speak like it’s from the Bayou in Louisiana. Dialect and cultural landmarks are important.
•Monitor Interactions: Regularly review AI conversations to ensure quality and relevance. We use a QA (quality assurance) team to make sure we can address problems as they arise.
Tip: AI should enhance, not replace, your customer service.
3. Automate What Matters—But Don’t Overdo It
Automation can save time, but over-automation can make your business feel cold and impersonal.
•Identify Repetitive Tasks: Automate scheduling, reminders, and basic inquiries.
•Keep Key Touchpoints Human: Personalized follow-ups and complex queries should involve a real person.
•Test Your Systems: Regularly check that your automation works smoothly and doesn’t feel robotic.
Less is more when it comes to automation. Use it to enhance efficiency, not eliminate human interaction.
4. Plan Your Follow-Ups to Remove Desperation
Manually following up can be time-consuming and emotionally draining. By planning your follow-up process ahead of time, you eliminate the guesswork and avoid coming across as desperate.
•Set a Cadence: Decide how often you’ll reach out and stick to it.
•Prepare for Objections: Anticipate common pushbacks and have responses ready.
•Stay Professional: Keep emotions out of it. Your goal is to inform and assist, not pressure.
Think of it as a dance—you lead confidently, but you’re attentive to your partner’s moves.
5. Create a Seamless Communication Funnel
Every interaction should naturally lead to the next, keeping clients engaged like a thrilling novel they can’t put down.
•Link Communication Channels: Let texts lead to emails, emails to voicemails, and voicemails back to texts.
•Maintain Continuity: Each message should build on the previous one.
•Build Suspense: Tease upcoming offers or valuable information to keep them interested.
Channel your inner Stephen King—keep them on the edge of their seats!
6. Ensure No One Falls Out of the Funnel
When clients slip through the cracks, not only do you risk losing business, but re-engaging becomes awkward and inefficient.
•Automate Re-Engagement: Set up triggers to follow up if someone hasn’t responded.
•Keep Messaging Consistent: So if someone re-enters the funnel, the conversation picks up naturally.
Consistency is key. A well-maintained funnel keeps things running smoothly and clients feeling valued.
Conclusion
Scaling your service-based business doesn’t mean sacrificing the personal touch that makes it unique. By mastering your messaging, using AI thoughtfully, automating wisely, planning your follow-ups, crafting engaging communication funnels, and keeping tabs on every client, you’re setting the stage for sustainable growth.
So go ahead, expand your horizons! With these strategies, you’ll scale up while keeping your clients feeling like they’re still your number one priority.
Oh, and if you want a team of experts to handle this for you from A to Z, you can schedule a demo below. Check out our FAQs and Pricing beforehand.
