Last month, our MD Pip Duma, and CSM Megan Clark hopped on a flight to San Francisco, gearing up to represent Sequel at Notion’s first-ever in-person conference, ‘MAKE with Notion’. With our agency’s core workflows rooted in Notion, this was a fantastic opportunity to explore new features up close, connect with fellow Notion users, and see what’s next for one of our favourite digital tools.
Why Notion is Central to Sequel’s Success
At Sequel, Notion has become the backbone of our operations. It keeps our team organised, supports our client interactions, and centralises everything from SOPs and KPI tracking to client onboarding. This conference promised a first look at the upcoming features that would help us serve our clients even better.
Here’s a quick dive into the Notion highlights from MAKE that got us excited, and how we’ll be bringing these features into our daily work:
📨 Notion Mail: Reinventing Email (Yes, Really!)
Email may feel like a relic of digital days gone by, but Notion Mail is going to change that. With its AI-driven, personalised approach, Notion Mail lets users streamline their inbox with automated responses, meeting scheduling, and follow-ups. This feature, exclusive to event attendees, has us excited to roll it out across Sequel as soon as it’s available to the rest of the team. If email could use a fresh twist in your organisation too, we highly recommend joining the waitlist.
📋 Forms: Making Client Onboarding a Breeze
Our onboarding process is super important to us, but it just got a serious upgrade! Previously, we’d been relying on Google Forms for initial client insights, but Notion’s native forms now let us seamlessly collect important info directly within our workspace. Ideal for gathering feedback during project retrospectives as well, Notion’s unlimited forms functionality is set to streamline our onboarding process and improve how we collect insights.
🖼️ Layouts: Visually Transforming Our Workflows
One of the standout additions is the new layout customisations. From our project pages to task lists, these visual enhancements make our Notion workspaces both more intuitive and easier on the eyes. Watching the live demo even sparked inspiration to develop our own ticketing system within Notion! It’s safe to say we left feeling ready to reimagine how we structure projects and tasks for even greater client impact.
🤖 Formula Automation: Workflows Made Easy
For anyone who isn’t a developer, the new formula and automation tools are a game-changer. They simplify creating powerful workflows, so our operations team can manage these without having to call in ChatGPT or our devs.
And beyond these features, Notion announced some extra perks like custom URLs, emoji icons, a new template marketplace, and even offline mode, which is currently in alpha testing. There’s no shortage of innovation on the horizon, and we can’t wait to put these tools into action.
A Few Fun Moments from MAKE
As the only British women in attendance, the team shared some fun insights with their American counterparts and got to know the Notion team in person. Some bonus highlights that made the trip unforgettable:
- Each Notion employee sported matching jackets in different colours, so naturally, we had to ask why. Turns out, the colours represent their year of joining, not their department, as initially assumed! Although these jackets aren’t available for purchase (believe us, Megan tried), they were actually designed by Notion founder Ivan Zhao himself. Cool, right?
- The food served throughout the event was curated from Ivan’s own favourite snacks (talk about a personalised touch!), and it was genuinely some of the best conference catering our team has ever had. The all-day food and drinks made networking and sessions even more enjoyable.
- Notion employees, affectionately called *Notinos*, welcomed us warmly into the fold. We felt like honorary team members by the end of the day.
- Attending as two of only four Brits in the crowd was pretty special, and it felt incredible to connect with Notion fans from around the world who share our enthusiasm for the tool.
From the UK to the Bay: Putting AI into Practice
To make the most of our remaining time in San Fran, we turned to AI (thanks, ChatGPT!) to help map out the perfect itinerary. From must-see landmarks like the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz and The Palace of Fine Arts, to hidden gems like Mrs. Doubtfire’s house and Lombard Street, we managed to hit all the major hotspots with only a few minor detours along the way. And yes—ChatGPT even included a wine tour through Napa Valley and Sonoma! So, in the spirit of getting a good AI case study, we of course took one for the team! The winery tour took us through stunning vineyards, allowing for some wind down time between all the excitement.
Other than swapping out a dinner recommendation or two, we stuck pretty close to the itinerary – it was like having a friendly tour guide in our pockets!
Looking Ahead: Applying Our ‘MAKE with Notion’ Takeaways
Bringing back our insights and early access to Notion Mail, Sequel are more excited than ever to make a tangible impact on our client services. Each new feature we discovered will enhance our operations, from onboarding and communications to internal task management.
Attending MAKE was a brilliant experience for some of our team, and while it would have been great if the event spanned two days for even more in-depth learning, it was flawless in its execution. So here’s to new beginnings, exciting possibilities, and elevating the Sequel client experience.
And if you missed this event, don’t worry! Smaller Notion showcases will be held in Paris and London this November, 2024. It’s a great chance to connect and innovate alongside fellow Notion users. And don’t forget to give ChatGPT a whirl to help plan your trip – we highly recommend attending if you get the opportunity!