How to automate your CRM workflow: benefits, use cases & best practices

Ever feel like managing customer relationships is more of a chore than it should be?

Constantly juggling tasks like data entry, follow-ups, and keeping the sales pipeline on track can bog your team down.

Now, imagine a world where all those repetitive tasks are automated — freeing up your team to focus on what really matters: building relationships and closing deals.

Sounds like a dream, right?

That’s where CRM workflow automation comes in. It simplifies the everyday processes that keep your business running. But where do you start? How do you make sure automation actually helps your team rather than creating new problems?

In this blog post, we’ll guide you through everything you need to know about CRM workflow automation, from understanding the basics to implementing it effectively in 2024.

But first, let’s get to the core of what CRM workflows really are.

What is a CRM workflow?

A CRM workflow is a series of automated actions triggered by specific events or conditions, like making a purchase or submitting a form, within your customer relationship management system.

They take repetitive, time-consuming tasks off your plate, allowing you and your team to focus on what really matters — building meaningful relationships with your customers and growing your business.

A few such tasks are as follows:

1. Customer onboarding

Many companies use CRM workflows to onboard their customers. With a well-crafted workflow, you can automate the entire process from the moment a new customer signs up.
Welcome emails? Sent automatically. Introductory calls? Scheduled without lifting a finger. Training materials? Dispatched at just the right moment.

With your workflow in place, every new customer gets off to a fantastic start.

2. Lead nurturing

CRM workflows can automatically segment your leads based on behavior or characteristics, sending tailored content at the perfect times. It’s like having a mind-reading marketer who knows exactly what each lead needs to hear and when they need to hear it.

As leads engage with your content, the workflow tracks their responses and adjusts its approach, guiding them seamlessly through your sales funnel.

3. Sales follow-ups

It’s not a secret; sales follow-ups is a critical yet time-consuming task.

You can use CRM workflows to schedule follow-up calls or emails, remind your sales team about pending tasks, and even automate entire follow-up sequences based on how prospects respond.

Now, you have a tireless sales assistant who never forgets a follow-up and always knows the right moment to reach out.

This is just the tip of the iceberg. CRM workflows can automate a long list of repetitive tasks for you. For example:

Tracking customer interactions so that your company has access to customer histories, making it easier to personalize their journey.

Sending reminders for upcoming appointments, renewals, or payments, timed precisely based on the customer's history or preferences.

Automating customer segmentation based on their purchasing behavior or demographics for more targeted marketing.

What is CRM workflow automation?

CRM workflow automation is the process of using technology to automate routine customer management processes like capturing leads, sending follow-ups, and analyzing feedback.

The mechanism of each workflow is controlled by the following key elements:

Triggers: Events that kick off a workflow. These can be actions your customers take, like submitting a form, or internal events like a deal hitting a specific stage. Think of them as the starting line for your automated processes.

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Actions: Tasks your workflow completes automatically once triggered. These could include sending an email, updating a record, or notifying team members. They’re the "doers" in your workflow, handling the core tasks without manual input.

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Conditions: The logic behind your workflow. They decide whether or not an action should happen based on specific criteria, making your workflow more dynamic. For example, you might only want to send an email if a lead's score is above a certain threshold. Conditions let you fine-tune your automation by easily adapting to various situations using:
- Branching logic: It allows workflows to split and follow different paths based on certain conditions.
- Decision-making: It evaluates customer data to decide the next steps in the workflow.
Delays and wait steps: Sometimes, you don’t want an action to happen immediately. This element lets you introduce timing into your workflow. For example, you could wait three days before sending a follow-up email to avoid overwhelming your leads.
Integration points: Many workflows don’t just stay within your CRM. Integration points let your workflows connect with other tools or systems, sending or receiving data between platforms to keep everything in sync.
Reporting and analytics: Although not directly involved in executing workflows, most CRM automation tools offer features that allow you to track and analyze workflow performance.

But how does this make your work life easier?

Let’s start by listing down some repetitive tasks — data entry, sending follow-up emails, updating records.

Normally, you would spend at least an hour everyday to get these tasks sorted. CRM workflow automation takes care of these for you by:

automatically logging interactions,
refreshing contact info, and
scoring leads based on behavior.

This allows your team to focus on what they do best: building relationships, solving problems, and closing deals.

However, the advantages go beyond just saving time.

CRM automation boosts productivity by making sure your processes run consistently.Every lead gets timely follow-ups, each inquiry is routed to the right team, and no opportunity slips through the cracks.

It’s no surprise that 82% of organizations have already adopted CRM systems for sales reporting and process automation.

The Benefits of CRM workflow automation

What happens when all your boring tasks are automated? You get to reap the following benefits:

1. Time saving

With all the repetitive manual tasks out of the way, your team gets their valuable time back.

Instead of wasting hours on things like data entry, sending follow-up emails, or updating customer records, your employees can focus on interacting with customers, driving sales, and closing deals. This shift improves your overall efficiency and productivity.

2. Improved accuracy

Automation significantly reduces human errors. Unlike people, automated systems don’t get tired or distracted, ensuring customer information is captured accurately and messages are sent without mistakes.

This level of accuracy means better decision-making and more reliable data.

3. Consistency

Being consistent with your customers builds trust and automation guarantees that every lead and customer gets the same level of care.

Whether it’s follow-up emails, onboarding, or support responses, automated workflows make sure no steps are missed, and every interaction follows your best practices.

4. Scalability

As your business grows, your automated CRM workflow makes it easy to handle more clients without increasing the admin workload.

Automated processes can scale easily with your business, allowing you to maintain quality service even during periods of rapid growth.

5. Enhanced customer experience

Regular, timely communication creates a smooth and satisfying customer journey. Automated workflows speed up responses and maintain consistent communication.

From welcome emails to support ticket confirmations, they make sure customers feel heard and valued.

How to create CRM workflows in 4 simple steps

Now that you know how beneficial CRM automation can be for your business, let’s see how you can implement one in 4 easy steps.

Step 1: Decide what to automate

Your CRM system has the potential to manage a variety of processes, but it can’t manage everything on its own. So, the key question is: what tasks can it take off your plate?

The answer depends on what your specific CRM system can tackle. For example, an affordable solution like Softr can handle a large range of processes from managing leads to analyzing reports.

Once you have a clear understanding of what’s feasible, focus on identifying which CRM processes truly need workflow automation. Take a close look at the most time-consuming and repetitive tasks within your workflow.

This discussion will help you pinpoint the areas where automation can make the biggest impact, allowing you to plan your ideal workflow moving forward.

Step 2: Build and customize your workflow

The next step is to build a workflow that is customized for the best results. This can vary from business to business, so it’s important to assess your specific needs.

Let’s say you want to automate your sales pipeline. Begin by taking a close look at each stage of the pipeline, from lead generation all the way to the final sale. This is where you identify which areas could benefit from automation and where a personal touch is essential.

For example, you might find that automating lead generation works really well, while the final sales stage might require more hands-on interaction to close deals effectively.

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Design dynamic, no-code workflows using Softr’s customization and logic options

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Once you've mapped out your sales pipeline, choose a CRM tool that makes it easy to create your workflow. To keep things simple, look for a no-code platform like Softr, which lets you customize your processes without needing any special skills.

Step 3: Set up your workflow automation

Now that your CRM tool and workflow are ready, it’s time to set up your automation.

Start by identifying the tasks you want to automate, such as email sequences, reminders, and lead assignments, and configure them in your CRM. It’s helpful to document this process in a guide for future reference.

Softr lets you set up your CRM automation easily with its drag-and-drop editor and templates

Softr makes this step incredibly simple with its drag-and-drop interface, so there’s no need for complex coding or advanced technical skills.

Anyone on your team can easily set it up. And if you’re short on time, you can always get a headstart with Softr’s Sales CRM template.

Automate tasks where it makes sense, but leave room for personal interactions where they’re most effective. This way, you can streamline your processes while still keeping that important human touch.

Step 4: Test your workflows and optimize

The final step is to test your workflows before fully rolling them out. This step is crucial to avoid any hiccups or confusion once they’re live.

Start by running a few test scenarios to check if your workflows are working as expected. This will help you catch any issues early, whether it's an email not being sent, a task not being assigned, or customer data not updating correctly. Testing makes sure that everything runs smoothly and accurately, preventing chaos down the line.

After testing, you need to monitor the performance of your workflows. Keep track of key metrics like lead conversions, response times, and task completions to see if everything is functioning as intended.

If something’s not hitting the mark, don’t hesitate to tweak it — this is all part of making sure your automation works the way you want it to.

Remember, optimization is an ongoing process. It’s vital to regularly review your workflows to identify any areas that could be improved.

Perhaps a task that was initially automated would benefit from a more personal touch, or maybe you’ll find new areas that could use automation as your business grows.

CRM workflow best practices to keep in mind

Before you start implementing one into your business today, remember the following best practices for a successful automation:

Start small, then scale up: Start by automating simple, high-impact tasks like sending follow-up emails or assigning leads. Once these run smoothly, you can slowly add more complex workflows. This way, your team won’t feel overwhelmed, and you can make adjustments as needed.
Personalization is key: Just because you're automating tasks doesn’t mean they have to feel robotic. Use CRM automation to personalize communication based on customer behavior. For example, you can send personalized emails after specific interactions like downloading a resource or attending a demo, making the customer feel more engaged and valued.
Regularly audit and optimize workflows: Automation isn’t a set-it-and-forget-it solution. Make it a habit to periodically review your workflows to ensure they’re still meeting your business goals. Check for any inefficiencies, such as tasks that can be further streamlined or new processes that could be automated, and fine-tune them for better performance.
Involve your team in workflow planning: Work with your sales, marketing, and customer support teams when setting up workflows. They can share useful ideas on what should be automated and how it affects daily tasks. This way, your workflows will be effective and help the whole business.
Ensure data privacy and compliance: As you automate, make sure you're handling customer data responsibly. Set up privacy controls that comply with data protection regulations like GDPR. This keeps customer information secure and ensures your business remains compliant with relevant laws.

Wrapping up

As we conclude this guide, one thing is clear: CRM workflow automation is no longer just a nice-to-have for big corporations. Today, it’s an essential tool for businesses of all sizes looking to conquer a competitive world.

By automating the repetitive tasks that take up so much of your team’s time, you’re freeing them up to focus on establishing a connection with your customers.

It’s not about working harder, it’s about working smarter. And the benefits are clear: improved efficiency, fewer mistakes, and the ability to grow your business without losing that personal touch with your customers.

But here’s the best part: you don’t need an IT department or a big budget to get started with CRM automation. With tools like Softr, anyone can dive into it, no tech skills required.

Known for its focus on businesses of all sizes, Softr’s affordable plans can fit all kinds of budgets. You won’t need to overspend to get high-quality automation tools.

Plus, when you go with Softr, you're not just getting a tool — you’re joining a community. Their support team is always available to help you make the most out of your automation journey, and the active user base is there to share tips, advice, and real-world experiences.

So, why wait? Start exploring CRM workflow automation today and see how it can transform your business. Sign up for Softr’s free trial and start building stronger, lasting relationships with your customers!

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Aanchal Parmar