How to Build your AI agent in three easy steps. This takes all the gues work out of building automation into your business
Post by Peter Hanley coachhanley.com
To build a truly effective AI agent, you shouldn’t just automate for the sake of automation. You want to automate for ROI.
Below is a “Workflow Selection Map” designed to help you and your clients identify the low-hanging fruit—the tasks that are costing you the most time and money right now.
Part 1: The “R.R.R.” Suitability Test
Before you build, run any business task through this 3-step filter. If a task hits all three, it is a perfect candidate for an Autonomous Agent.
- Repeatable: Does this task happen at least 5–10 times a day? (e.g., answering “Where is my order?” or “How much do you charge?”)
- Research-Based: Does the answer live in a document, a website, or a calendar? (e.g., technical specs, price lists, or availability.)
- Resolution-Oriented: Can the task be “closed” without a human? (e.g., booking the call, sending the link, or qualifying the lead.)
Part 2: The High-Value Workflow Map
Here are the three most successful workflows currently being deployed by the 40,000+ agents on our platform.
1. The “24/7 Sales Hunter” (Lead Gen)
- The Trigger: A visitor lands on your site at 9:00 PM.
- The AI Action: Greets them, asks about their specific problem, checks if they are in your service area, and asks for their budget.
- The Resolution: The AI sends a calendar link to the qualified lead and pings your phone with a “Hot Lead” alert.
- Value: Stops “Lead Leakage” and eliminates time spent on “tyre-kickers.”
2. The “Digital Librarian” (Internal/Support)
- The Trigger: A customer or employee needs a specific answer from a 200-page technical manual.
- The AI Action: The agent “reads” the manual in milliseconds and provides a summarized answer with the page reference.
- The Resolution: The user gets the answer instantly instead of waiting for a senior staff member to respond.
- Value: Drastically reduces internal “slack time” and improves customer satisfaction.
3. The “Service Dispatcher” (Operations)
- The Trigger: A customer wants to book a service appointment.
- The AI Action: The agent checks your real-time availability (via Google Calendar/Outlook) and offers three slots.
- The Resolution: The agent books the slot, sends the invite, and updates your CRM.
- Value: Your calendar stays full without you ever picking up the phone.
Part 3: Identifying YOUR First Move
Use this table to audit your current “Time Thieves.”
| Department | Task | AI Potential | Your Next Step |
| Sales | Responding to “how much?” | High | Upload your Price List PDF |
| Support | Resetting passwords/Track orders | High | Connect your Help Docs URL |
| Marketing | Qualifying website visitors | Extreme | Set your “Lead Criteria” instructions |
| Operations | Managing your calendar | Extreme | Connect your Live Calendar |
| Strategic | High-level contract negotiation | Low | Keep this human (Peter’s specialty!) |
The Peter Hanley Bottom Line
Don’t try to automate your whole business in a day. Pick one repeatable task that annoys you or your staff the most.
Go to Custom.ai, upload the data related to that one task, and watch your first AI Employee go to work. Once you see the first “Midnight Sale” come through while you’re asleep, you’ll understand why this is the most exciting time to be in business in 50 years.
reading:Beyond the chat Bot