New year, new you. That’s not just a cliche for personal improvement. It’s a mission statement for every business come January 2. (We’ll give you a pass for not jumping back on the job New Year’s Day.)

If you’re like us, you’ve been reading up on what’s trending for the new year. We’ve noticed a few interesting items we wanted to share with you, and it all starts with the hot topic that had Hollywood and dozens of other industries buzzing in 2023.

Rise of the Machines

Okay, okay, let’s calm down. The machines are not here to conquer us. At least, that’s what they’re telling us. 

The good news for those who fear the rise of SkyNet is that Artificial Intelligence is, at least to this point, only as smart as the individual feeding it data. There’s good evidence that the more the general public feeds data into AI, the less likely AI is to become our robot overlord. As long as people are keeping AI busy drawing pictures of salmon in the river, we should be safe from nuclear annihilation. 

The good news for marketers is that AI gives us a new tool to use in generating content. You can ask ChatGPT to give you five reasons to buy steel buildings, or write an email to your customers, or write about the advantages of using cold formed steel for a horse barn. 

That doesn’t mean you will use AI’s work as your final draft. Robot writing reads more awkwardly than a text thread between two junior high students in “like.” What AI can do is leapfrog you past the blank page, giving you a solid first draft you customize to your brand while providing a human touch. 

Which leads to a second goal for 2024: 

Return of the Humans

We recently posted a blog suggesting that customers do not want to talk to you. Certainly, in the early, exploration phase of the sales cycle, customers don’t want to know you or see photos of your family behind your desk. But with a big ticket item like a steel building, the human touch becomes essential.  

Advanced marketing platforms can help us fake that humanity – to an extent. Today’s email marketing rooks can personalize emails far beyond just slapping a customer’s first name in the subject line. But as we have already said, the machines can only do so much. Sooner or later your customer will figure out if you care as much about their dream garage and their vintage collection of Camaros as they do! 

Selling the best product and providing the best service used to be the goal. Now, quality service and products are must-haves so we can reach the new goal: putting a smile on the client’s face. Smiles mean repeat business. They lead to that oh-so-rare positive online review. To stand out in the age of high tech and artificial intelligence, you have to become the most human. 

The Pursuit of Easy

We’d be remiss if we failed to share how Easy Building Designer takes advantage of high tech while also allowing you to provide that human touch. 

Easy Building Designer gives your customers a 3D platform they can use to design their building on their time and at their convenience. The customer doesn’t need to wait for a time when you’re available, which not only makes it more convenient for them but allows them to take as much time as they like creating their design. 

Our studies show the more time someone spends on EBD, the more invested they are in the building – and in you. After all, you gave them the chance to visualize their building, to see it come to life on screen. To add doors and a mezzanine and even see how their sports cars will look inside. It’s far more engaging than an all text form with no pictures. 

Once their design is complete, and submitted, it’s your turn to provide that human touch. It’s not enough to give them the best price. You need to give the client your full attention. 

• Where is this building going to go? 

• What’s going inside? 

• How will you use it? 

• How often will you use it? 

Your goal should be to get a complete picture in your head of how this building will look in three years. See the building through the client’s eyes. Know what’s going to make them happy. And make it your mission not to make the sale, but to help them achieve that happiness. 

You may have noticed that we share Andy’s contact info at every step of our sales process. We want you to know there’s a real live human on our end listening to your goals, visualizing your business, and advocating with our developers to make Easy Building Designer even easier. Andy is our human, and his ultimate goal is to make you happy. 

Smiles are the new goal. 

Robots can help, but humans are still essential. 

Easy Building Designer makes reaching that goal a little bit easier.