If you’re drowning in lead follow-up tasks, but you also know most “automation” advice is either too basic or too complicated, this guide is for you. We’ll walk through how to use Outplayhq to set up lead follow-up workflows that actually save you time—without turning your process into a black box or making your outreach sound like a robot wrote it.
This isn’t about chasing the latest sales “hack.” It’s about setting up reliable, repeatable systems, so you can stay organized, move faster, and avoid letting hot leads slip through the cracks.
Why bother automating lead follow-up?
Here’s the blunt truth: Most salespeople and founders don’t follow up enough. It’s not because they’re lazy; it’s because tracking every lead is a pain, and things fall through the cracks. When you automate the repeatable stuff—reminders, emails, follow-up tasks—you get:
- More consistent outreach (no more “Oh crap, I forgot about Alex from Acme Corp.”)
- Less mental clutter
- More time to focus on real conversations, not copy-pasting emails
But automation can also be a trap. If you try to automate everything, you risk losing the human touch. Or you end up with a Rube Goldberg machine you can’t fix when it breaks. So, let’s keep it practical.
Step 1: Map out your follow-up process (before you touch Outplayhq)
Don’t skip this. If you just start clicking around in Outplayhq, you’ll end up with a workflow that’s as confusing as your old spreadsheet.
Ask yourself: - What are the key steps in your lead follow-up? - Where do you usually drop the ball? (e.g., forgetting to send a second email, not calling after a demo) - What parts of your process are the same every time?
Example follow-up sequence: 1. Lead comes in (via form, list, or referral) 2. Immediate personal email 3. Wait 2 days—if no reply, send follow-up email 4. Wait 3 more days—call the lead 5. Still nothing? Move to nurture or close the loop
Pro tip: Write this down on a sticky note or in a doc—don’t overthink it. You’ll refer back to it when building your workflow.
Step 2: Get your leads into Outplayhq
You can’t automate what you don’t track. Before you build workflows, make sure your leads are landing in Outplayhq reliably.
Ways to get leads into Outplayhq: - Manual CSV import (easy, but not scalable) - CRM sync (works if you already use a CRM) - Zapier or native integrations (for forms, LinkedIn, etc.)
Does this matter? Yes. If your lead flow is messy, your automation will be messy. Garbage in, garbage out.
Step 3: Build your first Outplayhq workflow
Time for the fun part. Outplayhq calls these “Sequences,” but the core idea is the same: automate a series of follow-up steps.
A basic lead follow-up workflow might look like:
- Step 1: Send personalized email right away
- Wait Step: Pause for 2 days
- Step 2: Send a polite bump (“Just checking in…”)
- Wait Step: Pause for 3 days
- Step 3: Create a task to call the lead
- Step 4: If no response, send a breakup email or move to nurture
How to set it up:
- Go to the Sequences section in Outplayhq.
- Click “Create Sequence.”
- Add steps:
- For emails, use templates, but customize them. Outplayhq lets you add “personalization tokens” (like first name, company). Don’t get too cute with these; nobody likes “Hi {FirstName}, I saw you’re a {JobTitle} at {Company}…”
- For call steps, Outplayhq will automatically create tasks for you on the right day.
- You can add LinkedIn or SMS steps too. Use these sparingly—don’t harass people on every channel.
- Adjust the timing between steps.
- Set rules for when people exit the sequence (e.g., if they reply, stop the sequence).
What works: Keeping it simple. 3–5 steps, max. Personalize the first email at least a bit.
What doesn’t: Overloading with too many emails or channels. You’ll annoy people and burn leads.
Step 4: Handle replies and avoid awkward automation fails
Automation is great—until someone replies and your workflow keeps spamming them. Outplayhq lets you set “exit triggers,” which basically means: if a lead replies, the workflow stops.
Always turn on “stop sequence on reply.” Double-check this, especially if you’re setting up SMS or LinkedIn steps.
Pro tip: Set up notifications for replies, but also block off time each day to check for responses in Outplayhq. Don’t rely solely on notifications—the occasional reply will slip through.
Step 5: Use tasks and reminders for manual follow-up
Not everything should be automated. Sometimes you need to pick up the phone, check LinkedIn, or send a custom note.
Outplayhq can create tasks for you—these show up on your dashboard so you know exactly what to do each day. Use these for:
- Calls that need to sound human, not scripted
- Following up after a demo or meeting
- Special situations (e.g., high-value leads)
What works: Using automation to tee up what you need to do, so you never forget.
What doesn’t: Trying to automate every touchpoint. If everything is automated, nothing feels personal.
Step 6: Review, tweak, and avoid “set it and forget it” syndrome
The biggest mistake people make: setting up a workflow once and never looking at it again. Leads change. Markets shift. Your process should too.
Every couple of weeks: - Check your sequence stats (open rates, reply rates, tasks completed) - Kill or update steps that aren’t getting results - Listen to feedback from real leads. If people keep saying “This feels automated,” it probably is.
Ignore: Fancy features you don’t need. Stay focused on what actually moves leads forward.
Pro Tips for Not Screwing This Up
- Start with one sequence. Don’t build out 10 different workflows for every possible scenario. Nail one, then copy it.
- Personalize the first email. Automation shouldn’t mean “Dear {{FirstName}}…” and nothing else.
- Keep your copy tight. Automated emails should be shorter than what you’d write one-to-one.
- Don’t over-automate. If you find yourself spending more time building workflows than talking to leads, step back.
- Use the Outplayhq support docs. They’re not perfect, but they’re pretty good for troubleshooting weird issues.
What to skip (for now)
Outplayhq has a lot of bells and whistles—A/B testing, advanced triggers, multi-channel everything. If you’re just getting started, ignore most of these. Get one solid, reliable follow-up sequence working before you experiment.
Wrapping up: Keep it simple, and iterate
Automating your lead follow-up in Outplayhq isn’t about building a Rube Goldberg machine. It’s about freeing yourself from tedious, repetitive work—so you can actually focus on closing deals.
Start small. Iterate. Don’t get sucked into tweaking for hours. The best automations are the ones you barely notice—because they just work.
Now go set up that workflow and reclaim your time.