If you’re in sales, you know the deal doesn’t close itself. The real work starts after the first call—chasing prospects, nudging them (without being a pest), and making sure nothing falls through the cracks. If you’re tired of sticky notes, calendar pings, and endless spreadsheets, this guide is for you. We’re walking through how to use Recapped to automate follow up reminders, so you spend less time nagging and more time closing.
Why follow ups matter (and why most people drop the ball)
Let’s get real: most deals stall out because someone forgets to follow up. It’s not rocket science—people are busy, and memory is unreliable. Even the best CRM can’t force you to send that reminder email. And if you’re juggling 20+ deals, you’re bound to let a few slip.
What actually moves a deal forward? Consistency. The right nudge, at the right time. That’s where automating reminders comes in. It’s not about being robotic; it’s about making sure you never forget the next step.
What Recapped does (and what it doesn’t)
Recapped pitches itself as a collaborative deal management workspace. That’s marketing speak for: it helps sales teams and buyers stay on the same page, track next steps, and (here’s the key) automate some of the boring stuff—like reminders.
Here’s what Recapped is good at:
- Laying out a shared action plan for you and your prospect
- Assigning tasks to both sides (not just you)
- Setting due dates and deadlines
- Automating reminders for overdue or upcoming tasks
But here’s what it won’t do:
- It won’t magically “make” your prospects reply. (Sorry.)
- It won’t replace real relationship-building.
- It won’t write your emails for you (unless you integrate with other tools).
Bottom line: Recapped helps you not forget, but you’ve still got to do the work.
Step-by-step: Automating follow up reminders in Recapped
1. Map out your sales process (don’t skip this)
Before you automate anything, get your process straight. If you don’t know what your follow ups should be—or when—you’ll just automate chaos. Spend an hour mapping out the typical steps for your deals. Think:
- Demo scheduled
- Proposal sent
- Legal review
- Contract signed
For each step, jot down: - Who’s responsible (you, them, both) - What needs to happen - Usual timing
Pro tip: If your process is a mess, fix that first. Automation won’t save a broken system.
2. Set up your deal workspace in Recapped
Once you’ve got your steps, set up a workspace for your deal in Recapped. Here’s what to focus on:
- Create a new deal: Give it a clear name.
- Add all stakeholders: Include your team and your buyer’s team. No more “who was supposed to do what?”
- Outline the action plan: Lay out the steps you mapped earlier—each as a task or milestone.
Don’t overcomplicate it. Start simple. You can tweak as you go.
3. Assign tasks and due dates (this is where reminders come from)
This is the key part: for every step, assign it to the right person and add a due date. Recapped will use these dates to trigger reminders.
- Assign anything the buyer needs to do to them (e.g., “Review proposal”).
- Assign your own tasks to yourself (e.g., “Send onboarding deck”).
- Set realistic deadlines—don’t just pick “tomorrow” for everything.
What works: Clear tasks with specific owners and dates.
What doesn’t: Vague steps like “Follow up with client” or “Touch base.” Be concrete.
4. Enable and customize reminders
By default, Recapped sends reminders when tasks are due or overdue, both to you and your buyer (if they’re in the workspace). Here’s how to make the most of it:
- Double-check notification settings: Make sure notifications are turned on in your account and your buyer’s.
- Customize reminder timing: Depending on your sales cycle, you might want reminders a day before, day of, or after a missed deadline.
- Automate internal vs. external nudges: You might want to remind your team more frequently than your buyers. Don’t annoy your prospects with daily nags.
Pro tip: If your buyers ignore automated reminders, try a manual nudge. Automation helps, but a personal note still goes further.
5. Integrate with your calendar and CRM (if it actually helps)
Recapped can connect with tools like Google Calendar, Outlook, and some CRMs. This is useful if you’re actually using those tools to track meetings and next steps.
- Sync tasks to your calendar: Good for keeping your day organized.
- Push deal updates to your CRM: Prevents double entry.
- But: Don’t set up integrations just because you can. If you’re not going to use them, skip it.
6. Review, tweak, and don’t set-and-forget
Automation is only as good as the process behind it. Check in every week:
- Are tasks getting done on time?
- Are buyers responding to reminders?
- Are you or your team ignoring notifications?
If reminders are getting ignored, dial back the frequency or rewrite your task descriptions. Sometimes, less is more.
What to ignore: Fancy automation recipes that add more noise than value. You want fewer reminders, not more.
Honest pros and cons of automating follow ups in Recapped
What works well:
- Keeps both you and your buyers accountable
- Reduces mental load (no more “Did I remember to…?”)
- Makes your process repeatable, especially for teams
What’s just OK:
- Automated reminders can blend into background noise if everyone’s overwhelmed
- Some buyers will ignore the emails no matter what
What doesn’t work:
- Using automation as a substitute for actual selling
- Spamming buyers with too many reminders—it’ll just annoy them
When to automate—and when not to
Automate: - Repetitive, predictable follow ups (e.g., “Please review attached doc by Friday”) - Internal handoffs (“Legal, please review contract”) - Anything that tends to slip through the cracks
Don’t automate: - Sensitive, high-stakes nudges (“Hey, are you still interested?”) - End-of-quarter desperation emails (don’t do it) - Tasks that require context or a personal touch
Pro tips for actually closing more deals (not just sending reminders)
- Use reminders as a safety net, not a crutch. The best salespeople still check in personally.
- Keep your action plans short and clear. Five clear steps beat fifteen vague ones.
- Check your reminders before sending. Would you respond to this, or would you ignore it?
- Iterate. If buyers aren’t responding, try fewer reminders, or move to a different channel (phone, LinkedIn, etc.).
- Don’t automate everything. Some deals need a human touch.
Wrap up: Keep it simple, keep it moving
Automating follow up reminders with Recapped isn’t magic, but it does keep you organized and accountable—if you actually use it right. Start with a clean process, automate the boring stuff, and don’t let reminders replace real selling.
Keep it simple. Start small, see what works, and tweak as you go. The goal isn’t more reminders—it’s more closed deals.