Why Automating Vendor Updates Is a Game-Changer

Sending clear, timely updates keeps sellers calm, builds trust, and shows you’re on the ball. Automating those messages with AI means every vendor hears from you at the perfect moment – without you typing a single line.

The End-to-End Workflow in Four Quick Dots

• Data in: Your CRM logs every inspection, enquiry, and price change.

• AI drafts: A language model turns raw notes into friendly plain-English (and SMS-length) updates.

• Rules trigger: When an action occurs—new buyer enquiry, ad price tweak, weekend wrap-up—a no-code automation fires.

• Multi-channel send: Emails and SMS go out together, and replies sync straight back into the CRM for follow-up.

Step-by-Step Setup

1. Choose a central CRM
   Your CRM stores property, buyer, and vendor data in one spot. It may include SMS alerts for open homes and activity reports. 

2. Map key “moments”
   List the events that matter to sellers—new enquiry, inspection booked, price feedback, weekly summary, contract stage. Each moment becomes an automation trigger.

3. Generate the copy with AI
   Use GPT-4o or similar to transform raw notes into short, polite messages that match your brand voice. 

4. Build automations

   • In Zapier or Make, set “New inspection note in CRM” → “Create draft” → “Send via ClickSend SMS and Twilio SendGrid email.”

   • Add filters (e.g., only active listings) and delays (e.g., send weekly summary every Monday 9 am).

5. Route through SMS & email gateways
   ClickSend handles fast local SMS; Twilio covers global SMS plus email via SendGrid for rich reports. 

6. Test the timing
   Send to your own phone first; check links, character limits, and that merge fields pull the right data.

7. Enable two-way replies
   Allow vendors to text back questions; CRM creates a task so nothing slips through.

8. Track & improve
   Review open rates, reply speed, and vendor satisfaction after each campaign; tweak wording or timing as needed.

Final Tip

Start with just one trigger – your weekly activity report – then layer in extra moments. You’ll gain trust, win referrals, and free up hours for face-to-face selling.

Author – Ken Hobson.