If you're tired of demo requests falling through the cracks or wasting hours chasing leads, you're not alone. This guide is for anyone who wants to stop babysitting their inbox and start actually automating follow-ups—without hiring another tool or learning to code. If you've poked around Make (formerly Integromat), but aren't sure how to stitch together a real follow-up system, keep reading.
We'll walk through a straightforward, honest process for building a demo request follow-up sequence in Make. No magic, no silver bullets—just a system that works, and what to watch out for.
Why Automate Demo Request Follow-Ups?
You already know why, but let's get real for a second:
- Leads get lost. Manual follow-ups slip through the cracks, especially as your demo volume grows.
- Consistency matters. Automated sequences ensure everyone gets the same experience.
- You stay sane. Fewer “Did I reply to this?” moments.
But automation isn't about blasting people with soulless emails. The goal is simple: make sure interested folks don't get ignored, and you don't spend all day chasing your own tail.
Step 1: Map Out Your Follow-Up Sequence
Before you touch Make, sketch out your flow. This is where most folks go wrong—they try to automate before they know what they're automating.
Basic Sequence Example
- Instant reply: “Thanks for requesting a demo! Here’s what happens next...”
- 24 hours later: If no reply, a gentle nudge.
- 3 days later: Final follow-up, maybe with a “Still interested?” angle.
Pro tip: Don’t overthink it. Three emails is plenty for demo requests. If they haven’t replied by then, move on.
Step 2: Figure Out Where Demo Requests Come From
You need a trigger. This might be:
- A form on your website (like Typeform, Gravity Forms, Webflow Forms, etc.)
- New rows in a Google Sheet
- CRM entries (HubSpot, Pipedrive, etc.)
Why this matters: The trigger is the heartbeat of your automation. If it’s unreliable, so is your whole system.
Stuff to watch out for
- Webhooks beat polling. If your tool supports webhooks, use them. It’s faster and more reliable than “check this sheet every 15 minutes.”
- Double submissions? Clean your data—if your form allows duplicates, you’ll annoy people fast.
Step 3: Set Up Your Scenario in Make
Now let’s get into Make. If you’re new, Make works by stringing together “modules” (think: steps) in a visual flow.
1. Create a New Scenario
- Log into Make.
- Click “Create a new scenario.”
2. Add Your Trigger Module
- Pick the app that captures your demo requests (e.g., Typeform, Google Sheets, HubSpot).
- Set up the trigger—use webhooks if you can.
3. Parse the Data
- Use Make’s built-in tools to grab the lead’s email, name, and any other info you need.
- Pro tip: Clean up weird formatting now—fix phone numbers, trim spaces, etc.
Step 4: Build the Email Sequence
Time for the meat and potatoes: scheduling and sending your follow-up emails.
1. Send Instant Confirmation
- Drop in an email-sending module (Gmail, Outlook, SendGrid, whatever you use).
- Personalize the message at least a little—use their name, mention the demo.
- Don’t be a robot: Even with automation, write like a human.
2. Schedule Follow-Up #1 (24 Hours Later)
- Use the “Sleep” or “Delay” module to wait 24 hours.
- Before sending, check if the lead already replied or booked a meeting (see below for how).
3. Send Second Email If No Response
- If they haven’t replied/booked, fire off the next email.
- Keep it short—think “Just checking in…”
4. Final Follow-Up (3 Days After Initial)
- Another delay (2 more days).
- One last email—polite, clear, and easy to ignore if they’re not interested.
How do you check if someone replied or booked?
- Calendar check: If you use a booking tool (like Calendly), add a step to see if there’s a new booking from this email.
- CRM check: If a lead status changed in your CRM, use it to skip further emails.
- Manual override: Rare, but sometimes you’ll want a “stop sequence” tag in your CRM.
What doesn’t work: Relying on “Did they reply to the email?” isn’t always reliable, unless your email tool feeds replies back into Make. Most don’t, unless you get fancy.
Step 5: Logging and Error Handling
You need a paper trail. Trust me, when something inevitably breaks, you’ll want to know what happened.
- Log each send: Add a Google Sheet or Airtable step to record every email sent and its status.
- Error notifications: Set up a Slack or email alert if an email fails or the scenario errors out. Don’t find out from an angry prospect.
Pro tip: Don’t try to make it bulletproof on day one. Get the basics working, then add error handling as you spot real problems.
Step 6: Test Your Scenario (For Real)
Don’t trust that everything works just because Make says “Scenario saved.”
- Test with your own email. Actually fill out your demo request form.
- Check delays and conditions. Make sure you don’t get follow-ups if you reply or book.
- Break things on purpose. Try weird inputs, typos, and abandoned bookings—fix what you find.
The stuff that trips people up
- Time zones: If you’re sending delays, check that you’re not emailing people at 3am their time.
- Spam filters: Automated emails are more likely to get flagged. Use your real domain, and keep them personal.
- Rate limits: Gmail and some other tools will throttle you if you send too many emails too fast.
Step 7: Go Live, but Watch Closely
Once you’ve tested, turn it on—but don’t disappear. For the first week or so:
- Check your logs daily.
- Look out for angry replies or “I never got your email” complaints.
- Be ready to tweak copy, timing, or logic.
Don’t automate yourself into a mess. It’s better to catch problems early than to run on autopilot for a month and realize half your leads never got anything.
Stuff That Sounds Good (But Usually Isn't)
- Fancy branching logic: Most leads need a straight path. Save A/B tests and multi-branch flows for bigger teams.
- Long drip sequences: After three emails, you’re probably just annoying people.
- Hyper-personalization: Unless you have rich data, “Hi [First Name]” is fine.
When to Ignore Automation (And Just Reply Manually)
- Big, high-value accounts: If a whale requests a demo, skip the sequence and reach out personally.
- Weird edge cases: If someone requests a demo at 2am from Uzbekistan and your product isn't global, maybe don’t automate that one.
Wrapping Up: Keep It Simple, Iterate as You Go
Setting up a follow-up sequence in Make isn’t rocket science, but it does take a bit of trial and error. Start with a basic flow—trigger, send, delay, check, repeat. Don’t get seduced by features you don’t need. Once it’s running, watch how real leads interact, and keep improving.
Most importantly, remember: automation should save you time and headaches, not create new ones. Keep it simple, fix what’s broken, and your follow-ups will basically run themselves.