Welcome to Operations Mastery - the 3-minute email that teaches you how to scale your business, increase your profit margins, and save time by optimizing your internal operations.
Brought to you by Ed Axe, Founder & CEO of Axe Automation.
If you're not using AI in your business processes, you're already falling behind.
While AI has numerous applications, one of the most requested processes we get asked about is - lead qualification.
Many companies still have SDRs or AEs spending countless hours weekly qualifying leads manually.
Here's the thing:
You can easily automate this process using AI, potentially saving your team 10 to 50 hours per week.
Here’s how I automated this process for a client using AI:
(You can read the text below or watch the video here)
1️⃣ Set up a spreadsheet with columns for lead info and call transcripts
First, I created a simple Google Sheet with the following columns:
- First Name
- Last Name
- Phone Number
- Call Transcript
- Qualified Lead (Yes/No)
This spreadsheet serves as the central hub for all lead information. Here’s what it looks like:
The “Qualified Lead” column is where the magic happens – it’s automatically filled based on AI analysis of the call transcript.
2️⃣ Created an automation to trigger when new rows are added
Using Make (formerly Integromat), I set up a scenario that watches for new rows in the spreadsheet. When a new lead is added, it kicks off the automation process.
Here’s a snapshot of the Make scenario:
This ensures that every new lead is instantly processed without any manual intervention.
3️⃣ Used OpenAI to analyze transcripts for specific criteria (e.g. address mentioned)
This is where AI comes into play. I connected OpenAI’s API to my Make scenario and created a simple prompt:
“Is there an address mentioned in the following call transcript? Reply with only ‘yes’ or ‘no’:”
The AI analyzes the transcript and provides a straightforward yes/no response. This step alone eliminates the need for manual review, saving countless hours.
4️⃣ Added a router to handle qualified vs unqualified leads differently
Based on the AI’s response, I use a router in Make to direct the lead down different paths:
- If the AI responds “yes” (address mentioned), the lead is marked as qualified.
- If the AI responds “no” (no address mentioned), the lead is marked as unqualified.
Here’s how the router looks in Make:
5️⃣ Automated updates to the spreadsheet and CRM based on AI analysis
Finally, I set up actions to:
- Update the “Qualified Lead” column in the spreadsheet with “Yes” or “No”
- For qualified leads, create a new deal in my CRM (in this case, Pipedrive)
Here’s a glimpse of the Pipedrive integration:
This ensures that qualified leads are immediately actioned upon, while unqualified leads are properly categorized for future follow-up.
The result?
✅ Instant lead qualification
✅ Eliminated manual review time
✅ Improved accuracy and consistency
✅ Seamless integration with existing CRM
This simple automation saved our client 10+ hours per week on lead qualification.
The best part?
You can apply this concept to countless other processes.
For example:
- Analyzing customer support tickets for urgency
- Categorizing incoming emails based on content
- Screening job applications for specific skills or experience
Combining AI with automation doesn’t just save time - it makes your entire workflow smarter.
Want to see how this could work for your business?
Watch the video below:
---
One more thing - We have helped 60+ businesses save $1m+ in labor costs & over 50,000 hours using Automation & AI.
If you’re looking to:
- Save 100+ hours per month
- Increase profit margins by 20%
- Remove yourself from daily operations
Book your 30-minute consultation here to learn more about how we can help: https://www.axeautomation.co/
Here are some other articles you might find useful:
See you next week!
Best,
Ed Axe