How the top 1% of businesses use AI

When it comes to AI, you don’t need to use every tool.
But you do need a system.

The companies winning right now are aggressive about experimenting, integrating, and optimizing.
They aren’t waiting for a playbook—they’re building one. And you can too by following these steps.

Step 1: Speed up Engineering
Use tools like Cursor or Cloud Code to draft and review code faster.
Fewer bottlenecks = more tickets shipped per sprint.
Velocity compounds.

Step 2: Personalize Outreach (at scale)
Use Clay to find your ICPs, then auto-draft the first personalized line of your emails.
Connect that workflow to Smartlead or another smart sender.
The key: Review drafts before sending. Don’t lose trust chasing scale.

Step 3: Sync Your Stack
Use ChatSheet connectors to sync tools like HubSpot, your calendar, and email.
Then look at your funnel:

• Where are leads dropping off?

• What's your no-show rate?

• How long is your sales cycle?

Fix your biggest leak first. Always.

Step 4: Set Up Coaching Agents
Use AI agents like Lindy to analyze calls, give post-call feedback, and help your team prioritize high-leverage tasks.
You just scaled coaching without hiring another manager.

Step 5: Write Better, Faster Copy
Use multiple tools like ChatGPT, Kapooty, Claude, and Grok to generate competing versions.
Let them fight it out. Keep the version with the highest CTR.
This is what the smartest performance teams are already doing.

To moving fast (without breaking trust),
Eric Siu

P.S.

1 - We’re hiring AI-forward performance ad creative strategists, AI-forward SEOs and paid media people, AI short form creators, AI automation interns, and more.. If you’re interested, apply at our Careers page.
2 - We launched ClickFlow to help automate and scale SEO. We’re giving away 25,000 words for free - sign up for the waitlist at the link.
3 - Interested in creating 1:1 personalized LinkedIn ads in minutes instead of weeks? Sign up for the Karrot.ai waitlist.
4 - If you want to grow faster using the power of AI, my agency Single Grain is offering free marketing plans to Leveling Up newsletter subscribers, check it out here.
5 - For more in-depth marketing content, check out my Leveling Up YouTube channel
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7 - Constant Contact is offering Leveling Up subscribers a free 30 day trial. If you’re interested in an all-in-one platform to manage marketing campaigns across email, text, social, and more check it out at the link.