🏭AI-Run Businesses · Step-by-step guide

Two bots find customers and handle the replies: a 'scout and desk' sales team

A plumbing business owner built two Grok Bots: a 'scout' that finds restaurants needing grease-trap pumping and sends the first message, and a 'desk' that takes over when someone replies and books the job. Anything unusual goes to the owner. He then copied the same pair to sell to property managers.

⏱️ About 2 hours to set up, then a week of checking🎯 Medium💵 Your Grok Bot plan; no extra tools needed to start📋 8 steps
🤖 Grok Bot
🎯 What you'll have at the endYou'll have two Grok Bots working as a small sales team: one finds and contacts likely customers, the other answers their replies and books them in, and both pass anything tricky to you.

⚡ One-click install

Checked install pages (app stores, official sites and template pages): tap to get it straight away.

🧰 Before you start

⏱️ Time neededAbout 2 hours to set up, then a week of checking
💵 Rough costYour Grok Bot plan; no extra tools needed to start

🪜 Step by step

🐣 Beginner mode: showing the 7 essential steps only. Extra steps are hidden; tap 🚀 Advanced at the top to see all 8.
✅ 0 of 8 steps done 📄 Printable page
  1. 1
    ☐

    Pick one repeat service

    Choose a service customers need again and again, like the grease-trap pumping in the source. Repeat work turns each new customer into monthly income.

  2. 2
    ☐

    Write a one-page 'playbook'

    In a Google Doc, write who you sell to, your area, your prices, your answers to common questions, and what must always come to you (discounts, complaints, anything legal).

  3. 3
    ☐

    Create the 'Scout' bot

    In Grok Bot, create a new bot and name it e.g. 'Scout'. Paste the Scout prompt below and share your playbook with it.

  4. 4
    ☐

    Create the 'Desk' bot

    Create a second bot called e.g. 'Desk'. Paste the Desk prompt. Its job starts the moment a customer replies.

  5. 5
    ☐

    Give them a shared 'war room'

    Put both bots and yourself in one group chat (a shared conversation). The Scout hands over each reply there, and both flag anything that needs a human.

  6. 6
    ☐

    Start with drafts only

    For the first week, tell both bots to leave every email as a draft for you to approve. Only let standard replies go out on their own once you trust them.

  7. 7
    ☐

    Track every lead in one sheet

    Ask the Desk to keep a Google Sheet: business, contact, status (contacted, replied, quoted, booked), next step and date.

  8. 8
    ☐

    Optional: clone the playbook for a new market

    Once it works, copy both bots for a second customer type. The source owner did this for property managers.

    ➕ Extra step: hidden in 🐣 Beginner mode

💬 Copy-paste prompts

Tap Copy prompt, paste it into your AI (Grok, ChatGPT, Claude or Gemini), then replace the [yellow bits] with your own details.

💬 Scout bot
You are Scout, my prospecting bot for [business name], which sells [service] in [area].
Every weekday morning:
1. Find [5] new [type of customer, e.g. restaurants with commercial kitchens / property management companies] in [area] that are not already in my lead sheet [link].
2. For each, note the business name, website, decision maker if public, and one specific reason they may need [service].
3. Write a short, friendly first email (under 120 words, British English) that mentions that reason and offers [offer, e.g. a free first inspection].
4. Save each email as a DRAFT and add the lead to the sheet with status 'drafted'.
Never invent facts or contact details. If you cannot find a real contact, write [NEEDS INPUT]. Post a one-line summary in our war room when you finish.
💬 Desk bot
You are Desk, my customer desk for [business name]. Read my playbook [link] before every reply.
When a customer replies to one of Scout's emails:
1. Answer their questions using ONLY the playbook. Prices, dates and claims must come from it.
2. Aim to book them: offer two time slots from [calendar / my available days].
3. Update the lead sheet status and next step.
4. Standard answers may be [saved as drafts / sent], but ALWAYS stop and ask me in the war room before: giving a discount, agreeing a contract, handling a complaint, or anything not in the playbook.
Each evening, post a summary: new replies, bookings, and what is waiting for me.

⚠️ Tips & common mistakes

🌟 Why it's worth it

💡 Why it mattersHe reports about USD 10,000 a month in recurring restaurant work and about USD 100,000 in property-manager contracts, with no sales reps or call centre (his own figures).
🏷️ Real example@rununmanned on X: 'No sales reps and no call center. Just agents with clear jobs and a human who says yes.'
🔌 Connects to:EmailWeb searchGoogle SheetsShared chat between bots
📰 Found via X (Twitter): X post by @rununmanned: 'Here's how I actually use AI to make money' ↗

🔗 Helpful links

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