5 workflow automations that are actually awesome productivity hacks

Psst… ever wondered why sales CRMs don’t let you automate more tasks so you can focus on engaging with customers?

That’s because a whole bunch is still stuck doing CRM the old way.

So it’s not really surprising when research says that salespeople only spend 35.9% of their time selling. Where does that massive 64% disappear?

Into a maze of mundane sales activities.

The 21st century is discovering bots and AI to eliminate mundane tasks across industries; automation is here to stay. The only way CRMs can keep up with the world is to evolve with it.

Which is why workflow automations are must-haves in your sales CRM.

At Freshsales, we first introduced workflow automations a month ago. And now we’re back, with stronger, more intuitive and intelligent workflows that want to do one thing: make you more productive.

Here are 5 use cases that changed the way our own sales team functioned at Freshworks. To see the full list of workflows, check out our product update blog.

1. Automatically send a welcome email to a new lead, from the sales CRM

How it works: Greet your new leads the instant they sign up, using a personalized welcome email. Create a template using the custom placeholders in Freshsales, and your email is ready to welcome your latest leads. You can also track your email’s open rate and click-through rate, using the in-built email tracking feature in Freshsales. Want to keep your dialogue one-on-one? Send the email as a lead owner. You can also send from your organization’s sales email address.

How it improves your productivity: The salesperson doesn’t have to spend time writing the same email again and again.

 

2. Automatically set follow-up task for the salesperson when customer’s subscription is up for renewal

How it works: It’s easy to forget a customer’s subscription renewal date when you’re constantly trying to get new subscriptions for your business, especially in SaaS. That’s why this workflow is a major stress-buster. It lets you set a follow-up task for yourself, reminding you 24 or 48 hours before the subscription lapses. You can also take this workflow a step further and directly send an email to your customer from the sales CRM.

How it improves your productivity: You gently remind your customer to renew their subscription, without forcing yourself to remember dates. You also end up doing your bit to stem the churn rate, managing your deals better in the process.

 

 3. Automatically sync up with your accounting tool (using webhooks) to generate an invoice

How it works: When you change the deal stage in the CRM to “Closed/Won”, this workflow triggers a webhook to team up with third-party accounting tools like FreshBooks or QuickBooks. The webhook notifies a URL (usually the invoicing URL) and carries a module (ideally deal/won), with all the deal parameters like deal value, mode of payment, and customer name. It requests the invoicing tool to generate the invoice, which is then sent to your customer, with appropriate authentication. This workflow represents the changing face of the modern sales CRM—enabling end-to-end integrations with third-party apps in real time.

How it improves your productivity: You don’t have to log into your accounting tool every time you want to generate an invoice; your CRM will send it for you.

 

4. Automatically sync up with your helpdesk (using webhooks) to route clients to customer support

How it works: If you’re integrating a helpdesk like Freshdesk with Freshsales, you want your customers to have a seamless experience across support and sales. This workflow helps you provide that experience. When you close a high-value deal, the workflow triggers a webhook to mark the customer as “Elite” in Freshdesk. Freshdesk has its own set of workflows to assign elite customers to high-priority support teams. So right after you’ve closed the deal, you can keep the engagement going by setting up instant, personalized support for your customers.

How it improves your productivity: You use the sales CRM to ensure a high-paying customer receives support on priority.

 

5. Automatically update lead status based on activity

How it works: You’ve just sent an email to your new lead. You moved on to a different activity—perhaps you’re in a call. Right in the middle of your call, you receive a reply to your email. Reminding yourself to update the lead’s status in the CRM can be tricky; there’s always a chance you could forget. Instead, just set up a workflow, using Last Contacted fields, to change the lead’s status to “Lead Responded.” It’s the easier option, it’s one more task off your back, and you get to manage your leads automatically 🙂

How it improves your productivity: You don’t have to remember every tiny detail; let your sales CRM keep your lead profiles updated.

To start creating workflows, here’s a video that’ll help:

 

If you’d like to use workflows right away, here’s a bunch of articles to help you set up tasks, modify records, send emails and use webhooks to connect with other apps.

Looking for more insights on workflows? We’re hosting a webinar on 19th September, where we’ll be diving deep into everything workflows can do for your business. You can head over here to register.


If you haven’t tried Freshsales yet, give it a spin. What’s in it for you?

✓ Free trial of the sales CRM

✓ Across 30 days

✓ With all features

There’s nothing to lose, really 🙂