Is it the age of AI? In the past several months we’ve seen AI tools for business absolutely explode across the internet.
It’s been a huge source of conversation in my own small circles – as small business owners and entrepreneurs alike have a simple question:
“How can I use AI for my small business?”
People have no doubt seen content posts one after another on some of the incredible things being achieved with popular platforms like ChatGPT.
In fact, looking at Google trends data, we can see how searches around both chatgpt and ai have grown in the past year.
I think it’s a no brainer to say that we are seeing an industry grow before our eyes.
But is AI good for business?
Should I be using AI for my business?
It’d be bad advice to tell you no. It’d be worse advice to imply there’s something intrinsically unethical or cheap about using AI tools for your small business, too.
I personally keep having this conversation with people and I think sometimes I come across too black and white on the topic.
In fact, back in April I posted an episode on the podcast on this called “Is ChatGPT Good for Business?”.
I’ll be honest that the premise of this episode was the sheer number of fellow entrepreneurs I had come across who were using ChatGPT for the entirety of their business.
A few weeks later, my friend Damon Burton shared a post that I think helped me see it a little bit better.
I couldn’t find the post for this article but effectively Damon explained that AI wasn’t good or bad – but that it elevates the values you already apply for your business.
It reminded me of another great line from Marvel before Steve Rodgers becomes Captain America.
Steve Rodgers was always brave. The serum allowed him the opportunity to act on that bravery in a way he wasn’t able to before.
I think the same thing is true for our businesses.
Whatever our approach to business – AI will allow us to do more of that.
And for the good things that are in your customers best interest – you should do more of that.
For those not so good things… I think this is why I wrote this article today.
It’s been 5 years since Google AI was unveiled showing a bot making a hair appointment. This was incredible and it was five years ago.
You know how fast technology moves.
Today, businesses are now using AI for customer service. What this means is that businesses are now using software to answer the phone when a customer calls.
Whether you love or hate it, AI is here to stay. And better yet, it gives you an incredibly simple opportunity to stand out.
If AI generated answer lines become the norm… think of how much you stand out by being a real, breathing human who answers the phone?
This is no different from the business world we already work in.
Automatically generated emails are great for scale. I use them whenever I book guests on the Good Advice Podcast.
But those mass-spammed DMs in your inbox are downright exhausting.
It’s why I love doing things that don’t scale… because simply being human communicates so much intentionality and value to your individual customer, even when doing these things mean more time and energy out of your day.
So should you be using AI tools for your business? Probably. There’s likely much of the busywork that you can optimize and process to be more efficient.
Meanwhile, keep investing in the personal connection you have with your customers. It’s the easiest way to build your Raving Fans.
And if you need some simple ways to build your tribe of repeat customers without spending a dime, I’d be happy to share some ideas with you.