If you’re juggling sales leads, you know follow-ups are where deals are won or lost. But remembering every nudge, call, or email? That’s a fast track to dropped balls and lost revenue. This guide is for anyone using Hook who wants to stop chasing their own tail and actually close more leads—without overcomplicating things or buying into automation hype.
Let’s walk through how to automate follow-up tasks in Hook, get more replies, and maybe even reclaim some sanity.
Why Automate Follow-Ups (and Where It Goes Wrong)
First, a reality check. Automation isn’t magic. It won’t turn cold leads into superfans, and it can absolutely backfire if you turn your workflow into a Rube Goldberg machine. But the right setup will help you:
- Stop forgetting who needs a nudge
- Respond faster (without living in your inbox)
- Free up time for actual selling, not data entry
What you don’t want:
- Over-automating to the point where every message sounds robotic
- Complex chains that break after one small tweak
- Wasting hours “setting it up” only to never use it
Keep it simple. Automate what’s boring, but keep the human touch where it matters.
Step 1: Understand How Hook Handles Tasks and Leads
Before you start automating, get clear on how tasks and leads work in Hook.
- Leads: These are your potential customers. In Hook, they’re typically stored as contacts or deals.
- Tasks: These are reminders or to-dos linked to a lead. Think “Call Sarah next Tuesday” or “Send follow-up email after demo.”
Pro Tip:
If you’re not using tasks for every critical follow-up, you’ll drop leads. You don’t need to track everything—just the next step for every live deal.
Step 2: Map Out Your Follow-Up Process
Don’t automate yet. Grab a notepad (digital or paper) and jot down what your actual follow-up flow looks like. For example:
- New lead comes in
- Send intro email
- If no reply in 2 days, follow up
- If still no reply after 5 days, one last nudge
- Mark as “stale” if no response
This is your baseline. You can tweak it later, but start simple.
Honest take:
If your process is 15 steps long, it’s too much. Most sales cycles don’t need more than a handful of follow-ups.
Step 3: Set Up Automated Task Creation in Hook
Now, let’s make Hook do the heavy lifting.
A. Use Hook's Built-In Automations
Most CRMs, Hook included, let you create workflows or automations. The idea: when something happens (like a new lead), Hook can automatically create follow-up tasks for you.
- Go to Automation or Workflow Settings: Usually found in the sidebar or settings.
- Create a New Workflow: Name it something like “New Lead Follow-Up.”
- Set the Trigger: For example, “When a new lead is added.”
- Add Actions:
- “Create task: Send intro email (due today)”
- “Create task: Follow up if no reply (due in 2 days)”
- “Create task: Final nudge (due in 5 days)”
Pro Tip:
Don’t over-engineer it. Start with just the first follow-up. You can add more steps as you see what actually works.
B. Use Templates for Repetitive Tasks
If you’re always doing the same thing for every lead, templates save time.
- Set up task templates: These are reusable checklists you can apply to a new lead.
- Apply template when adding new lead: One click, and your standard follow-up sequence is ready.
C. Conditional Logic—Use Sparingly
Some CRMs (and possibly Hook, depending on your plan or plugins) allow “if this, then that” logic. For example:
- If lead replies, stop follow-up tasks
- If lead opens email but doesn’t reply, schedule call reminder
This is powerful, but easy to mess up. Only use it if you’re comfortable troubleshooting weird edge cases.
Step 4: Sync Your Tasks with Your Calendar or Inbox
Automation is useless if you never see your tasks.
- Connect Hook to your calendar: Most systems let you sync tasks so they show up alongside your meetings. No more “out of sight, out of mind.”
- Set up daily task digests: Get a daily email with your follow-ups, or use Hook’s mobile app notifications.
What to ignore:
Don’t bother with SMS or Slack notifications unless you know you’ll act on them. More noise doesn’t mean more productivity.
Step 5: Actually Personalize Your Follow-Ups
Here’s where most people trip up. Automation doesn’t mean blasting the same “Just checking in!” message to everyone.
- Use task automation to remind you when to follow up, not how.
- When a reminder pops up, write a quick, human note referencing your last conversation.
- If you do use email templates, tweak them every time—don’t sound like a bot.
Pro Tip:
Have a few “starter” templates saved, but always add a line or two that’s specific to the lead. It takes 30 seconds and triples your reply rate.
Step 6: Review and Adjust (Don’t “Set and Forget”)
Automations break. Processes get stale. Once a week, look at:
- Which follow-up tasks actually get done?
- Are you still dropping leads?
- Are replies improving?
Tweak your workflow. Delete steps that don’t help. If you’re not using a feature, turn it off. You want less noise, not more.
Real-World Tips (What Works, What Doesn’t)
What Works
- Short, simple workflows: The fewer steps, the better.
- Reminders to call or email, not send canned messages: Automation is for nudges, not full conversations.
- Daily or weekly review: Catch issues before they snowball.
What Doesn’t
- Too many notifications: If you ignore them, they’re useless.
- Trying to automate every scenario: Focus on 80% of your cases.
- Relying on automation for rapport: People buy from people.
What to Ignore
- AI-written follow-ups unless you review them: They’re rarely as good as you are.
- Complex branching automations unless you have hundreds of leads per week: More moving parts, more headaches.
Keep It Simple, Iterate, and Win More Deals
Automating follow-up tasks in Hook isn’t about building the fanciest system—it’s about not dropping the ball. Start with the basics, see what helps (and what doesn’t), and adjust as you go. The goal: make sure every good lead gets the right nudge at the right time, with a human touch.
Don’t let “automation” become another thing to manage. Keep it simple, check in regularly, and remember: your future self will thank you for not overcomplicating things.