Streamline Client Interactions: Real-World AI Applications in the Cabinet Design Business

Hello & welcome to Elevated, the podcast helping you build a better Kitchen & Bath Design business. I’m your host, Brandy Lawson, and in this episode we’re getting into the nitty-gritty of using AI for client communications. In our last episode, we talked about how AI can be your wingman in crafting clear, effective messages. Now, let’s explore some real-world examples of putting that into practice.

How AI in Client Communications Helps You Ask Better Questions and Avoid Wasted Email Responses

First up, how about those email responses from clients that are essentially a waste of internet bandwidth. You know the ones – where they ask for something but don’t give you all the details you need to actually deliver. It’s like they expect you to read their mind! Well, AI can help you channel your inner telepath. Feed the client’s email to AI and ask it to generate a list of specific questions based on the project type or the information that’s typically needed. Sometimes you just need the cheat sheet for asking better questions to get the clarity you need to answer their question.

Using AI in Client Communications to Trim Long Emails and Keep Clients Engaged

Next, what about those times when you’ve written an update email to a client, but it’s longer than a CVS receipt. Obviously they are never going to read something that long, but you finally got all the information in there, it seems impossible to remove any now. Use AI as your objective editor. Put in your draft and ask it to shorten it by focusing on key points and removing unnecessary details. It might take a few iterations, but worth it to get something the client will actually read rather than another ignored email.

Leveraging AI in Client Communications: Delivering Tough News and Creating Consistent Templates with Ease

Now for those awkward moments when you have to deliver not-so-great news to a client. Maybe the cabinet hardware they were in love with is no longer available, and you need to schedule another meeting to choose an alternative. Crafting that message is a bit of a tightrope – you want to be informative, empathetic, but also persuasive enough to get them to take action. AI can help you strike that balance. Have it create a first draft that clearly explains the situation and encourages the client to schedule a meeting. You may decide that a phone call is the right first move, but then you can follow up with the email.

Finally, let’s talk about those regular client communications that your team sends out all the time – project updates, order confirmations, installation status reports, the list goes on. Consistency is key, but crafting templates for each of these use cases from scratch can feel like a daunting task, and you already have too much to do. That’s where AI comes in. Have it generate templates for each type of communication, ensuring that all the necessary information is included and the tone aligns with your brand voice. Bonus points if you first use AI to create a brand voice document so that team members can use it and any new AI session can be trained using that document. With AI you’ve got a template fairy who sprinkles consistency and professionalism across all your client touchpoints.

How to Use AI Without Losing Your Personal Touch

Now, as I’ve mentioned in pretty much every episode this season, AI is a tool, not a replacement for your human touch. Always review and customize any AI-generated communications to ensure they fit the specific needs of your client and project. The goal is to use AI to make your life easier, not to turn you into a robot.

You know I’m about action, so here’s your Homework: pick one type of client communication that you struggle with and try using AI to help you craft a better message. Whether it’s asking clarifying questions, shortening a long email, delivering tough news, or creating templates, give AI a shot and see how it can help bring more ease and better quality to your communications.

In the next episode, using AI for client communications gets even more specific as I’ll share the story of how we created and use templates for client communication here at FieryFX.

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