If you’re managing a sales team, you already know: keeping up with follow-ups is a slog. Forgetting to check in with a prospect means lost deals and wasted effort. The good news? You can automate a lot of this. If you’re using Salesforge, this guide will walk you through setting up follow-up reminders that actually work, not just more noise in your inbox.
This is for sales managers, reps, and anyone who’s sick of sticky notes and endless spreadsheets. Let’s get right into it.
Why Bother Automating Follow-Up Reminders?
- Humans forget. Even the best reps miss a task now and then.
- Follow-ups close deals. Most sales don’t happen on the first try.
- Reminders cut the mental clutter. Less stuff to track in your head, more focus for real conversations.
But let’s be real: badly-set reminders just add digital clutter. The trick is to automate useful nudges, not just spam yourself with “follow up?” every morning.
Step 1: Map Out Your Follow-Up Process First
Before you click anything in Salesforge, stop and sketch out your current follow-up approach. Automation only helps if you know what you’re automating.
Ask yourself (or your team):
- How soon after first contact should a rep follow up?
- How many times do you follow up before moving on?
- Are there “hot” leads that need faster touchpoints?
- What’s your preferred channel—email, call, LinkedIn, something else?
Pro tip: Write this down. Even a napkin sketch beats keeping it all in your head. If you automate a bad process, you’ll just make mistakes faster.
Step 2: Decide What to Automate (and What to Ignore)
Not every follow-up needs a reminder. Some things still need a human touch, and too many notifications will get ignored.
What’s worth automating: - First follow-up after initial outreach - Second/third nudges for unanswered emails - Reminders to check in after a demo or meeting - Re-engagement after a prospect goes cold
What to skip: - Super high-value deals (these need white-glove treatment) - Tasks with no clear next step (“just checking in” is weak) - Anything your team already never forgets
If you’re not sure, start simple. You can always add more rules later.
Step 3: Set Up Automated Reminders in Salesforge
Time to get your hands dirty. Salesforge has a few ways to set up reminders; we’ll focus on the built-in automation tools most teams use.
3.1: Use Workflow Automation (Sequences)
Salesforge lets you build “Sequences” (sometimes called workflows or cadences) that combine automated emails, call tasks, and reminders.
How to do it:
- Go to the Sequences tab in Salesforge.
- Create a new sequence and give it a clear name (like “Standard Follow-Up After Demo”).
- Add steps:
- Step 1: Automated email (e.g., “Thanks for your time, here’s the deck”)
- Step 2: Wait X days
- Step 3: Task—“Call prospect to follow up” (this will generate a reminder)
- Step 4: Wait Y days
- Step 5: Automated email nudge
- Assign your sequence to leads as they reach the right stage.
Pro tip: Don’t go overboard with steps. Three to five is plenty for most sales cycles.
3.2: Set Up Manual Task Reminders
Some follow-ups aren’t one-size-fits-all. When you need to remember something unique (like “call Jim after his vacation”), set a manual task.
How to do it:
- In the lead or deal view, click “Add Task.”
- Set the type (call, email, custom) and due date.
- Write a clear note (“Jim back from holiday—call to discuss pricing”).
- Salesforge will remind you (and/or your rep) when it’s time.
What works: Using specific notes and dates. What doesn’t: Vague tasks like “circle back?”—nobody follows through on those.
3.3: Use Triggers for “No Response” Follow-Ups
Salesforge can auto-create reminders if a prospect hasn’t replied in X days.
How to do it:
- In Sequence settings, choose “Add Trigger.”
- Set “If no response after [number] days, create task/reminder.”
- Assign it to the owner of the deal.
This is handy for making sure leads don’t slip through the cracks.
Step 4: Tune Your Reminders (So They Don’t Get Ignored)
Here’s where most teams mess up: they set up reminders, get flooded, and start ignoring them.
Keep it useful: - Don’t set reminders for every single step—just the ones that matter. - Combine tasks where you can (“Review all cold leads every Friday” instead of 30 individual reminders). - Use time blocks. For example, dedicate 30 minutes daily to follow-ups prompted by Salesforge rather than interrupting yourself every time a task pings.
Pro tip: If your team starts snoozing or deleting reminders, that’s a red flag. Less is more.
Step 5: Test, Review, and Adjust
Don’t set it and forget it. Watch how your reminders actually work once live.
- Are important follow-ups happening on time?
- Are reps overwhelmed or underwhelmed with notifications?
- Are deals moving faster, or just getting more reminders?
Get feedback from your team. Kill off reminders that nobody finds useful. Tighten up your sequences based on what actually gets results.
What works: Iterating every few weeks, not once a year.
What doesn’t: Assuming what works for you will work for everyone else.
Step 6: Integrate with Your Calendar and Email (Optional, but Helpful)
Salesforge can sync with your calendar and email. If you want reminders to show up where you actually live (your inbox or calendar), set this up.
- Calendar sync: Tasks appear as events or reminders in Google or Outlook.
- Email reminders: Get a daily summary of tasks, not just in-app popups.
This keeps reminders from getting lost in yet another tool.
Step 7: Train Your Team—And Yourself
Automation only works if people actually use it. Don’t just email everyone a new process and hope for the best.
- Walk through the setup in a team meeting.
- Show real examples of good (and bad) reminders.
- Encourage people to flag when reminders are unhelpful.
- Make it safe to ignore or delete tasks that just add noise.
Pro tip: If a reminder isn't helpful, get rid of it. No shame in keeping things lean.
What to Watch Out For
- Over-automation: If reps start tuning out reminders, you’ve got too many.
- Bad data in, bad reminders out: If your CRM is a mess, reminders will be too.
- One-size-fits-all doesn’t work: Adapt reminders for different sales processes or teams.
Automation is a tool, not a magic fix. Use it to cut busywork, not to avoid real thinking.
Wrapping Up: Keep It Simple, Iterate Often
Automated follow-up reminders in Salesforge can save time and help you close more deals—but only if you set them up thoughtfully. Start small, focus on the reminders that actually move the needle, and don’t be afraid to kill what isn’t working.
You don’t need a 37-step workflow. A handful of smart reminders and some regular tweaks go a long way. Keep your system simple, pay attention to what works, and you’ll spend less time chasing your own tail—and more time actually selling.