Write Email Report in 3-Steps with AI and Zapier

Create hands free email reports with Zapier and AI

Compound Leverage

Issue #011

Wisdom of the Day

“The first rule of any technology used in a business is that automation applied to an efficient operation will magnify the efficiency.

The second is that automation applied to an inefficient operation will magnify the inefficiency."

- Bill Gates

The other week, I was working with a Doubling Program client, MeasureMax360. They have a portfolio management platform for commercial real estate building managers.

Their old lead qualification process involved the following:

  • Having in-person or phone meetings

  • Asking leads questions about their building portfolio

  • Sending out a report template to qualified leads

I showed them how to:

  1. Turn phone and in-person meetings into a survey

  2. Use AI to review and score responses

  3. Write a custom portfolio analysis report

  4. Auto-send the report to book meetings for onsite assessments

  5. Sync the survey lead data with their CRM and enter leads into nurturing sequences

The result? Better reports, automated lead nurturing, and a new hands-off lead magnet.

If you are like MeasureMax360, you may have an internal or external process that requires evaluation and report writing.

This is where AI can assist you.

I want to walk you through how to:

  1. Create a survey to find needs and get info

  2. Tell AI how to use the answers and make reports

  3. Send reports to recipients

All without lifting a finger.

Let’s get started on how to put this together.

Step 1: Build the Survey using Typeform or Google Forms

Create a survey using Typeform, Google Forms, or your preferred survey tool. As you build the survey, keep these tips in mind:

Keep it short and sweet

- Aim for 5-7 questions max

  • Only ask what's essential for the AI to create a valuable report

  • Avoid asking for info you can get from other sources (e.g., your CRM)

Use predefined answers

  1. Provide multiple-choice or checkbox options when possible

  2. This makes it easier for the AI to analyze and score responses

  3. Use open-text fields sparingly, only when necessary

Focus on what's relevant

  • Each question should contribute to the AI's ability to generate meaningful insights and recommendations

  • If a question doesn't directly support the report's goals, cut it

Sample survey questions:

1. How many properties are in your portfolio?

a) 1-5

b) 6-10

c) 11-20

d) 21+

2. What types of properties do you manage? (select all that apply)

a) Office

b) Retail

c) Industrial

d) Multifamily

e) Other

Gather enough data to generate a valuable report.

Once you've built the survey, you can set up your automation.

Step 2: Setup the automation with Zapier

Now that your survey is ready, it's time to connect it to the AI using Zapier. If you don't have a Zapier account yet, sign up for one (they have a free plan). Then, follow these steps:

Create a new Zap

  1. Click "Create Zap" in the top right corner of your Zapier dashboard

  2. Name your Zap something clear and descriptive (e.g., "Survey to AI Report Generator")

Choose your trigger app

  1. In the "Trigger" step, search for "Google Forms" or "Typeform" (depending on what you used for your survey)

  2. Select "New Response" as the trigger event

  3. Click "Continue"

Connect your survey app

  1. If prompted, click "Sign in" to connect your Google Forms or Typeform account to Zapier

  2. Follow the authentication steps to grant Zapier access to your account

  3. Once connected, click "Continue"

Customize your trigger

  1. Select your survey from the dropdown menu

  2. If needed, click "Test trigger" to make sure Zapier can successfully pull in a sample response

  3. If the test is successful, click "Continue"

Add AI action step

  1. Click "Add a Step" and choose "Action/Search"

  2. Search for "Anthropic Claude" (or your preferred AI app) in the search bar

    • If using Claude, you must provide your Claude API key to connect Zapier to Claude. You can get one by signing up for an Anthropic Console account.

    • If you prefer ChatGPT, the steps are similar - search for "ChatGPT" instead.

  3. Select "Send Response" Action from the list of available actions.

  4. Connect your Claude account to Zapier.

  5. Go to the user message section and type “Read these survey responses.” Then, list the responses you want analyzed.

  6. Add System instruction for prompt context. (Use Claude or ChatGPT to build the instruction prompt)

  7. Select model.

  8. Click "Continue"

Step 3: Add the email action step

  1. Click "Add a Step" and choose "Action/Search" again

  2. Connect your email account and grant Zapier access

  3. Search for "Gmail" or "Outlook" (depending on your email provider)

  4. Select "Send Email" as the action event

  5. In the "Customize Send Email" step, use the output from the AI action step to populate the email fields (To, Subject, Body, etc.)

  6. Select Response Content from Claude as the email body.

  7. Click "Continue"

  8. Publish Zap

Test and publish your Zap

  1. Run survey submission tests to verify Zap runs

  2. Verify that the report output is what you expect and gives consistent results

  3. If everything looks good, the Zap is ready, and report automation can begin

The Zap will run whenever someone submits a response to your survey.

The next step is configuring the AI action to analyze the response and generate a custom report.

If you want to see this in action, you can see how it works by filling out our THINK with AI Survey here.

Talk to you on Tuesday!

Marvin

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  1. AI Strategy Session: For $200, Book a one-hour coaching session to identify quick wins, set goals, and AI integration tips for a strategic goal.

  2. Reach a Strategic Goal Faster with an AI Agent: Use AI to Reach A Strategic Goal Faster in our Doubling Program. Schedule a complimentary assessment here.

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