How To Get Clients with AI, Automation and Sales Funnels

Clients or customers are crucial to the survival of every business. But client acquisition doesn’t come easy. I’ve seen businesses struggle to balance finding new clients with serving the clients they already have. 

Fortunately, one of the ways to make things easier for you is to use systems like artificial intelligence (AI), automation, and a sales funnel.  

As a lead generation expert, I’ve used this combination in my business to get new clients. I’ve also used it to get more clients and appointments predictably and consistently (every month) for my clients. 

In this article, I’ll show you how it works so you get new clients and appointments with potential clients, even while sleeping.  

But before we proceed, I’d like to state here that using AI and automation doesn’t put things on 100% autopilot for you. Instead, it only saves you time and makes things easier. You still need to do a few things to keep the system running.  

Now, let’s get into it! 

Key Takeaways

In a hurry? Here are the steps involved in using AI and automation to get clients for your business: 

• Build an automated sales appointment funnel using Kartra–a funnel-building software. 
• Use AI to create the script for your video sales letter–a crucial step in your sales funnel. 
• Drive traffic to your funnel using a combination of organic content and paid advertising.
• Use AI writing tools to create your organic content–articles and YouTube video scripts.
• Create ad copy for your paid advertising on Facebook and TikTok with AI.
• Implement an automated email sequence with Kartra to nurture leads.
• Showcase proof and social proof to build credibility and trust. 

You’ll find a more detailed explanation and practical examples of how the system works in my free masterclass training. You can watch it here for free. 

Step-by-Step Guide to Get Clients with AI, Automation, and Sales Funnel

Here’s how to get the most out of AI, automation, and sales funnel for your business:

Step 1 – Build an Automated Appointment Funnel

The first automation use case we will discuss is the creation of a funnel. It’s coming first because it’s the foundation on which everything else is built. 

When it comes to funnels, there are a few options you can choose from. But if your goal is to acquire clients, I recommend opting for an automated appointment funnel. 

What is an appointment funnel?

It’s a series of web pages designed to capture leads and book appointments with potential clients. The key components of this funnel type include:

• Opt-In Page: This is the first page visitors will see when they click on your ads or content. The page should clearly communicate the specific problem you solve for your target audience. It should also include a simple form where visitors can enter their name and email address so they can learn more about your solution. 
• Video Sales Letter (VSL) Page: After opting in, visitors are taken to a page with a video sales letter. The video essentially educates your audience on the problem you solve and presents your solution in an engaging, persuasive way.

It’s also an avenue for you to make an offer for the next step, e.g., set up a discovery call. I recommend starting by talking about your solution and only making an offer towards the end of the video. Here’s an example. 

• Scheduling/Application Page: Once someone indicates interest by opting in, the next step is to have them schedule a call or fill out an application. This allows you to qualify leads before the appointment further.
• Confirmation Page: After someone schedules a call or submits an application, they’re taken to a confirmation page. This is where you can provide additional resources, like case studies or a link to your YouTube channel, to continue nurturing them before the appointment.

The key here is to create a smooth, automated process that guides potential clients from awareness to booking an appointment with you. But you don’t have to do all of that manually. 

This brings us to the first use of AI and automation:

Creating a Funnel 

You can use funnel-building software to automate the process. These tools can help you create the different pages of your funnel with minimal input from you. 

While there are hundreds of different funnel builders out there, I recommend using Kartra. You can learn more about how it works in this blog. To get started with Kartra, use this link.

TIP: You can get 30% off your first payment using the link above with the coupon code – “Skyline30.”

Creating a VSL

Instead of writing your video sales letter script from scratch, you can use AI writing tools like ChatGPT. For my clients, I use an AI tool that we’ve developed, which is trained on our data to create video sales letter scripts. 

Whichever AI tool you use, the key is to provide it with detailed prompts about your target audience, their pain points, your solution, and the key message points you want to convey. The AI can then generate an initial script that you can improve on. 

For example, as a financial advisor, include your experience, target audience (seniors, high networth clients), services (retirement planning, investment strategies), and unique selling points (personalized plans, transparent fees). 

You can check out ‘Step 2’ in my free training by clicking here to see how you can create a VSL for your funnel. 

You now have a funnel. But how do you actually get people into this funnel? This brings me to step 2. 

Step 2: Drive Traffic to Your Funnel

You need traffic to get people into your automated appointment funnel. There are two main ways to do this: organic content and paid advertising. 

Organic Content

Creating valuable content like blog posts and YouTube videos is a powerful way to attract your target audience and get them into your funnel. This content should focus on keywords that your ideal clients are searching for. 

TIP: I recommend focusing on long-tail keywords. They are less competitive and attract more quality leads.  

For example, instead of trying to rank for a broad term like “financial advisors,” you could target “financial advisors for retirement planning in NYC.” This is more specific and likely to attract prospects who are actively looking for your services.

When creating content, always include clear calls-to-action that send people to your automated funnel. Don’t just give away all your value for free–guide them towards the next step of booking a call.

Here are some best practices for organic content:

• Conduct keyword research to find the right topics and titles
• Optimize content for search (on-page SEO, internal linking, etc.)
• Promote content on social media and through email outreach
• Repurpose content into various formats (blog posts, videos, podcasts)
• Build backlinks through guest posting, partnerships, and outreach

The beauty of organic content is that it continues to drive traffic long after it’s been published, especially as you build up a collection of posts and videos over time. An easy way to do that will be to use AI. 

Here’s how AI can help in organic content creation for articles: 

• Content/Keyword Research: AI tools will help you with keyword research, giving you keyword ideas that will optimize content for higher rankings. 
• Content Writing: AI writing assistants like ChatGPT can draft articles based on provided keywords and outlines, ensuring SEO optimization.
• Editing and Proofreading: AI tools like Grammarly can help refine the content by checking grammar, style, and readability.
• Plagiarism Checking: AI tools can ensure the content is original by scanning for plagiarism.

I covered some of the best AI SEO tools here. I recommend checking it out. 

For YouTube Videos:

• Script Writing: AI tools like ChatGPT can generate engaging video scripts based on your input, including key points and desired tone.
• Video Generation: You can use AI Avatar Video Generators (text-to-video tools) to make lifelike videos faster and cheaper out of these scripts. These tools can also repurpose existing video content for other uses. 

TIP: Always review the AI-generated content thoroughly and make any necessary edits to ensure it aligns with your brand voice and messaging. The goal is to use AI as a tool to save time and increase efficiency, not as a replacement for human judgment and creativity.

In my free Masterclass training, I go through how to get faster results with SEO using AI and other lead-generation strategies. Watch it here for free. 

Paid Advertising

Running paid ads on platforms like TikTok and Facebook can deliver faster results than organic content. But this depends on the quality of your TikTok ads or Facebook ads. 

That’s why I recommend creating ads that clearly communicate the specific problem you are solving and the outcome you can provide.

Again, being specific with your messaging is important. Don’t just say, “Get More Clients.” Instead,  say something like, “Get 10-30 Appointments Every Month for Your Financial Planning Business with Our Done-for-You Facebook Ads Service.”

When it comes to ad platforms, I generally recommend TikTok ads these days. The costs are often lower than Facebook ads, and the algorithm is excellent at finding your ideal clients.

Here are some tips for effective paid advertising:

• Conduct thorough audience research to define your targeting parameters
• A/B test different ad creatives, offers, and landing pages
• Continuously optimize based on performance data
• Leverage AI tools for ad copy generation and creative ideation
• Integrate your paid campaigns with your organic content promotion

The right mix of organic and paid traffic will depend on your budget, resources, and audience. Some of my clients find success by using paid ads to get leads quickly while building up their organic presence over time.

Here’s how AI can help in paid advertising: 

You can use AI writing tools to create attention-grabbing ad copy for your TikTok ads. Again, tools like ChatGPT or our ad assistant can provide a starting point that you can further optimize.

I explained paid advertising strategies extensively in my free masterclass training. You can watch it for free here. 

Step 3: Set up Automated Email Sequences

Even with a well-designed funnel and effective traffic generation, your work isn’t done. The final piece of the puzzle is an automated email sequence to nurture your leads and turn them into clients.

You need a multi-touch email campaign that provides value, builds trust, and keeps your business top-of-mind. This could include things like:

• Educational content (blog posts, videos, etc.)
• Client case studies and success stories
• Offers for a discovery call or other next steps

A benefit of having an automated email sequence is that it can continue working for you 24/7, even while you’re sleeping or focusing on other parts of your business.

I recommend setting up a sequence that spans at least a year, with emails going out on a weekly or bi-weekly basis. This allows you to stay connected with leads over the long term, as some may not be ready to work with you right away.

Here are some best practices for effective email nurturing:

• Segment Your List: Create different email sequences for different lead segments (e.g., top-of-funnel vs. sales-qualified leads) to provide more personalized and relevant content.
• Personalize Your Outreach: Use merge fields and dynamic content to make your emails feel more personal and tailored to each recipient.
• Provide Value Upfront: Focus on educating, informing, and helping your leads rather than just making sales pitches. Build trust and rapport first.
• Leverage Automation: Set up your sequence to run automatically, with triggers and workflows to ensure the right messages go to the right people at the right time.
• Test and Optimize: Continuously experiment with different subject lines, content formats, CTAs, and send times to improve open rates, click-throughs, and conversions.

By implementing a strategic, automated email sequence, you can turn your funnel into a predictable, scalable client acquisition engine.

You can do these with email automation tools. There are quite a few of them out there, but I also prefer to use Kartra for my business and my clients. As an email automation tool, Kartra has features like:  

• Video hosting
• Advanced analytics
• Landing page builder
• Online payment processing
• Split testing

Check out this free video training to see how automated email sequences work for following up on leads. 

Step 4: Incorporate Proof in Your Funnel

While the funnel, traffic, and email sequence are the core components, there are a few additional elements that can help accelerate your results:

Proof Pages

Create a dedicated page on your website showcasing client results, testimonials, and case studies. This helps build trust and credibility with new leads.

When presenting your proof, focus on tangible, measurable outcomes (e.g., “Set Up Your Complete Retirement Plan in 6 months”) rather than just generic praise. You want to demonstrate the real-world impact you can have. 

Here’s an example of a page on my website that shows client results:

Social Proof

Add social proof elements throughout your funnel, like customer logos, testimonials, and engagement metrics. This signals to new visitors that others have found success with your offerings.

Here are some effective ways to use social proof:

• Feature logos of prominent clients or partners on your home page and landing pages
• Include pull quotes or video testimonials on your VSL and confirmation pages
• Showcase social media followers, email list size, or other community metrics

Video Testimonials

Recording short video testimonials from happy clients can be incredibly useful. Seeing and hearing real success stories from others like them can be a major trust trigger for new prospects.

When filming testimonials, make sure to get a mix of client types, backgrounds, and results. This helps prospects see themselves in the success stories you share. 

Here’s an example of a client video testimonial on my website: 

By weaving proof and social proof throughout your funnel, you can increase lead conversion rates and make it easier for prospects to see the real value you provide.

Conclusion

Getting a consistent flow of high-quality leads and appointments without the constant hustle of traditional sales and marketing is great to have. 

By following the steps in this article, you can create a predictable, scalable client acquisition system that runs on autopilot. It does take some initial effort to set up. But the payoff is well worth it. 

If you’d like to know more about any of these strategies, be sure to check out my free masterclass training video. It has all the information you need. Alternatively, if you’d like for us to handle the entire process for you, go ahead and schedule a free call.