Practical MCP Configuration Exercise¶

Build Your First AI-Powered Business Workflow¶

Overview: What You'll Accomplish¶

In this hands-on exercise, you'll create a complete end-to-end workflow that transforms how you handle one of the most common business tasks: lead follow-up and client communication. By the end, you'll have Claude automatically processing leads, drafting personalized responses, and organizing everything for your review.

Time Required: 45-60 minutes Difficulty Level: Beginner-Intermediate Prerequisites: Completed Section 4.5 (Claude Desktop Configuration)

The Business Scenario¶

You're Sarah, a marketing consultant. Every week you receive: - 10-15 new potential client inquiries via email - Contact form submissions from your website (saved to Google Sheets) - Follow-up requests from existing clients - Project status requests

Current Pain Points: - Spend 2-3 hours every Monday processing these manually - Risk losing leads due to slow response times - Inconsistent follow-up messaging - Difficulty tracking who you've responded to

Target Outcome: Reduce processing time to 30 minutes while improving response quality and consistency.

Phase 1: Setting Up Your Data Sources (15 minutes)¶

Step 1: Create Your Lead Tracking Spreadsheet¶

Let's start by creating a realistic dataset to work with:

1. Open Google Sheets and create a new spreadsheet called "Lead Tracker - MCP Exercise"

2. Set up your columns:

   A: Date Submitted
   B: Company Name
   C: Contact Name
   D: Email Address
   E: Phone Number
   F: Service Interest
   G: Urgency Level
   H: Source
   I: Status
   J: Notes
   

3. Add sample data (use these examples or create similar):

   Row 2: 11/14/2024, Acme Corp, John Smith, john@acme.com, 555-0123, Website Design, High, Website Form, New, Need new site for product launch
   Row 3: 11/13/2024, TechStart, Maria Garcia, maria@techstart.io, 555-0456, Marketing Strategy, Medium, Email Inquiry, New, Looking for Q1 campaign planning
   Row 4: 11/13/2024, Local Bistro, David Chen, david@localbistro.com, 555-0789, Social Media, Low, Referral, New, Want to increase Instagram presence
   Row 5: 11/12/2024, Green Solutions, Lisa Wong, lisa@greensol.com, 555-0321, SEO Services, High, Google Ad, New, Urgent - competitor outranking them
   Row 6: 11/11/2024, Family Law Firm, Robert Taylor, robert@familylaw.net, 555-0654, Content Marketing, Medium, LinkedIn, New, Need blog content for client education
   

4. Share the sheet with yourself (important for testing MCP access)

Step 2: Set Up Sample Emails¶

1. Send yourself 3-4 emails with different inquiry types:

Email 1 - Website Inquiry:

Subject: Website Design Services Inquiry
From: john.smith.demo@gmail.com (use your own email)

Hi Sarah,

I'm the marketing director at Acme Corp and we're launching a new product line in Q1. We need a complete website redesign to support this launch.

Timeline is tight - we'd love to start in December if possible. Can we schedule a call this week to discuss scope and pricing?

Best regards,
John Smith
Marketing Director
Acme Corporation

Email 2 - Follow-up Request:

Subject: Following up on our marketing strategy discussion
From: maria.garcia.demo@gmail.com (use your own email)

Hi Sarah,

Thanks for the great call last week. As discussed, we're moving forward with the Q1 marketing strategy project.

Can you send over the proposal and timeline we discussed? Also, what information do you need from us to get started?

Looking forward to working together!

Maria Garcia
TechStart Inc.

Email 3 - Pricing Inquiry:

Subject: SEO Services - Urgent Request
From: lisa.wong.demo@gmail.com (use your own email)

Sarah,

We're getting killed by our competitor in search rankings and need help ASAP. Can you provide:
- SEO audit pricing
- Timeline to see results
- Monthly ongoing costs

We need to act fast. Available for a call today or tomorrow?

Lisa Wong
Green Solutions

Phase 2: MCP Server Configuration (15 minutes)¶

Step 1: Configure Google Sheets MCP¶

1. Open Claude Desktop → Settings → MCP Configuration

2. Add Google Workspace MCP Server:

3. Select "Google Sheets" integration
4. Authorize with the same Google account containing your Lead Tracker spreadsheet

5. Permissions:

   • ✅ Read sheet data
   • ✅ Write to existing sheets
   • ✅ Create new sheets
   • ❌ Delete sheets (safety first)

6. Test the connection: Ask Claude: "Can you see my 'Lead Tracker - MCP Exercise' spreadsheet? Show me the first 3 rows of data."

Step 2: Configure Gmail MCP¶

1. Add Gmail MCP Server:
2. Select "Gmail" integration
3. Authorize with your Gmail account

4. Permissions for this exercise:

   • ✅ Read emails
   • ✅ Compose drafts
   • ❌ Send emails automatically (we'll review first)
   • ❌ Delete emails

5. Test the connection: Ask Claude: "Show me my 5 most recent emails and identify which ones are business inquiries."

Step 3: Configure File System MCP¶

1. Add File System MCP:
2. Create a folder called "MCP Exercise Output" in your Documents
3. Grant Claude read/write access to this specific folder

4. Permissions:

   • ✅ Read files
   • ✅ Create new files
   • ✅ Edit existing files
   • ❌ Delete files

5. Test the connection: Ask Claude: "Create a test file in my MCP Exercise Output folder called 'MCP Test' with today's date."

Phase 3: Building Your Automated Workflow (20 minutes)¶

Step 1: Lead Analysis and Categorization¶

Now let's create your first automated workflow:

Prompt to Claude:

I want to create an automated lead processing workflow. Here's what I need you to do:

1. Read my "Lead Tracker - MCP Exercise" spreadsheet
2. Analyze each new lead (Status = "New")
3. Categorize each by:
   - Service type
   - Urgency level (High/Medium/Low)
   - Potential revenue (estimate based on service type)
   - Recommended response timeline

4. Create a prioritized action plan for me
5. Save this analysis to a document in my MCP Exercise Output folder

Can you start with this analysis?

Expected Outcome: Claude should read your spreadsheet, analyze the leads, and create a comprehensive analysis document.

Step 2: Email Analysis and Response Planning¶

Prompt to Claude:

Now analyze my recent emails and:

1. Identify any emails that correspond to leads in my spreadsheet
2. Find any NEW inquiries not yet in the spreadsheet
3. For each business inquiry email:
   - Summarize the client's needs
   - Assess urgency based on language and timeline mentioned
   - Suggest response strategy
   - Draft an appropriate response (save as draft, don't send)

4. Update my spreadsheet with any new leads found in emails
5. Create an email response plan document

Please start with email analysis.

Expected Outcome: Claude identifies business emails, matches them to spreadsheet data, finds new leads, and creates response drafts.

Step 3: Creating Templates and Standardization¶

Prompt to Claude:

Based on the types of inquiries I receive, create standardized response templates for:

1. **Website Design Inquiries**
   - Acknowledge their timeline
   - Outline next steps (discovery call, proposal)
   - Provide general timeline and process overview

2. **Marketing Strategy Requests**
   - Ask relevant qualifying questions
   - Suggest initial consultation
   - Provide case study example

3. **SEO Service Inquiries**
   - Address urgency appropriately
   - Offer quick audit option
   - Outline SEO process and timelines

4. **Follow-up Responses**
   - Confirm next steps
   - Provide requested information
   - Set clear expectations

Save these templates to separate files in my MCP Exercise Output folder, and create a "Response Template Guide" document that explains when to use each template.

Expected Outcome: Claude creates professional, customizable templates for different inquiry types.

Phase 4: Workflow Automation and Testing (15 minutes)¶

Step 1: Create Your Monday Morning Routine¶

Prompt to Claude:

Now let's create my "Monday Morning Lead Processing" routine. When I run this, I want you to:

1. **Email Triage**:
   - Check emails from the past 3 days
   - Identify new business inquiries
   - Flag urgent requests (based on keywords like "urgent", "ASAP", "today")

2. **Spreadsheet Updates**:
   - Add any new leads to my spreadsheet
   - Update status of existing leads based on email responses
   - Calculate total potential revenue from active leads

3. **Response Generation**:
   - Draft personalized responses for each new inquiry using appropriate templates
   - Prioritize drafts by urgency and potential value
   - Create a summary of all drafts ready for my review

4. **Weekly Summary**:
   - Create a document summarizing:
     - New leads this week
     - Total potential revenue
     - Response statistics
     - Recommended priority actions

Can you create this routine and test it with my current data?

Step 2: Test Your Complete Workflow¶

Prompt to Claude:

Let's do a complete test run. Pretend it's Monday morning and run my complete lead processing routine with all current data.

I want to see:
1. How long this would take me now vs. manual processing
2. What the quality of responses looks like
3. How well the system captures and organizes information
4. Any improvements we could make

Please run the complete workflow and give me a summary of results.

Step 3: Workflow Optimization¶

Based on the test results, iterate and improve:

Prompt to Claude:

Based on our test run, let's optimize the workflow. Please suggest and implement improvements for:

1. **Response Quality**: Are the email drafts professional and personalized enough?
2. **Efficiency**: What steps could be streamlined or automated further?
3. **Data Management**: How can we better organize and track lead information?
4. **Error Prevention**: What safeguards should we add to prevent mistakes?

Create an "Optimized Workflow V2" document with your recommendations and updated process.

Phase 5: Documentation and Handoff¶

Step 1: Create Your Workflow Documentation¶

Prompt to Claude:

Create a complete documentation package for this workflow that includes:

1. **Quick Start Guide** - Step-by-step instructions for running the Monday routine
2. **Troubleshooting Guide** - Common issues and solutions
3. **Template Library** - All response templates with usage instructions
4. **Process Flow Chart** - Visual representation of the entire workflow
5. **Metrics Tracking** - How to measure workflow effectiveness

Format these as professional documents I could share with a team member or virtual assistant.

Step 2: Evaluate Your Results¶

Answer these reflection questions:

Time Savings: - How long did the manual process take before? ______ - How long does the automated process take now? ______ - Time saved per week: ______

Quality Improvements: - Are responses more consistent? ______ - Are you missing fewer leads? ______ - Is follow-up more timely? ______

Areas for Further Development: - What additional tools could be integrated? - What other business processes could benefit from similar automation? - What skills do you need to develop further?

Success Criteria¶

✅ You've successfully completed this exercise if you can:

1. Claude reads and analyzes your spreadsheet data accurately
2. Claude identifies and categorizes business emails correctly
3. Claude creates professional, personalized response drafts
4. Claude updates your spreadsheet with new information
5. Claude generates useful summary reports
6. The entire workflow can be executed with 2-3 simple prompts
7. You've reduced processing time by at least 70%

Common Issues and Solutions¶

Issue: Claude Can't Access Spreadsheet¶

Symptoms: "I can't find your spreadsheet" or permission errors Solutions: 1. Verify the spreadsheet is shared with the Google account you authorized MCP with 2. Check that the sheet name matches exactly (spaces matter) 3. Restart Claude Desktop and try again 4. Re-authorize the Google Sheets MCP server

Issue: Email Responses Are Too Generic¶

Symptoms: Drafts don't feel personalized or relevant Solutions: 1. Provide Claude with more context about your business and typical clients 2. Give specific examples of your preferred communication style 3. Ask Claude to reference specific details from each client's inquiry 4. Create more detailed response templates

Issue: Workflow Takes Too Long¶

Symptoms: Processing still takes 30+ minutes Solutions: 1. Limit the number of emails Claude analyzes (e.g., "last 2 days" instead of "last week") 2. Pre-filter emails by moving obvious non-business emails to other folders 3. Use simpler spreadsheet formulas 4. Break the workflow into smaller, focused tasks

Issue: Data Not Updating Correctly¶

Symptoms: Spreadsheet changes aren't saving or are incorrect Solutions: 1. Check MCP permissions include "write" access 2. Verify you're working with the correct spreadsheet 3. Ask Claude to confirm changes before making them 4. Create a backup of your spreadsheet before testing

Next Steps: Expanding Your MCP Skills¶

Immediate Opportunities (This Week)¶

1. Apply this workflow to your actual business leads
2. Create similar workflows for other repetitive tasks:
3. Invoice follow-up
4. Project status reporting
5. Client onboarding
6. Add more sophisticated data analysis:
7. Lead conversion tracking
8. Response time analytics
9. Revenue forecasting

Advanced Development (Next Month)¶

1. Integrate additional tools:
2. Calendar scheduling (Google Calendar MCP)
3. CRM systems (Salesforce MCP)
4. Project management (Asana/Trello MCP)
5. Create cross-tool workflows:
6. Lead → Calendar → Email → CRM update
7. Project completion → Invoice creation → Client notification
8. Build team workflows:
9. Shared lead assignment
10. Collaborative response review
11. Team performance tracking

Mastery Level (Next Quarter)¶

1. Design multi-agent workflows where different AI agents handle different aspects
2. Create self-improving systems that learn from your feedback
3. Build comprehensive business dashboards with real-time AI analysis
4. Develop custom MCP servers for specialized business tools

Reflection and Knowledge Check¶

What You've Learned¶

• ✅ How to configure multiple MCP servers to work together
• ✅ How to design automated workflows for complex business processes
• ✅ How to balance automation with human oversight
• ✅ How to iterate and improve AI-powered systems
• ✅ How to document workflows for repeatability and team use

Knowledge Check Questions¶

1. What are the three key components of an effective MCP workflow?
2. Data sources (spreadsheets, emails, files)
3. Processing logic (analysis, categorization, response generation)

4. Output management (drafts, updates, reports)

5. Why do we save email drafts instead of sending automatically?

6. Maintains human oversight and control
7. Allows for personalization and quality control
8. Prevents errors in client communication

9. Builds trust in the AI system gradually

10. What's the most important factor in workflow reliability?

11. Consistent data formatting and organization
12. Clear, specific prompts to Claude
13. Regular testing and iteration

14. Proper MCP server permissions

15. How do you know if your workflow is truly successful?

16. Measurable time savings (aim for 70%+ reduction)
17. Improved response quality and consistency
18. Better lead tracking and follow-up
19. Reduced manual errors and missed opportunities

Your MCP Journey Continues¶

Congratulations! You've built a sophisticated AI-powered business workflow that demonstrates the true power of MCP. This foundation prepares you for Module 5, where we'll explore even more advanced automation possibilities.

Next recommended learning: - Business Tool Integration Case Studies - See how other professionals use MCP - Module 5: Agent Architecture - Learn to design multi-step AI processes - Module 6: Workflow Automation - Explore tools like n8n for even more sophisticated automation

You're now equipped to transform almost any repetitive business process into an AI-powered workflow. The key is starting small, testing thoroughly, and expanding gradually as you build confidence and expertise.