If you run sales calls, client check-ins, or any sort of recurring meetings, you know the drill: you hang up, then it’s a flurry of notes, reminders, and manual emails. If you’re honest, a lot of follow-up falls through the cracks. This guide is for anyone who uses Clearslide ([clearslide.html]) and wants to stop wasting time on routine meeting follow-up tasks. I’ll walk through practical ways to automate the grunt work—using integrations that actually work, not just “AI-powered magic” that sounds great but rarely delivers.
Why bother automating meeting follow-up?
Let’s call it like it is: most sales or account management teams spend too much time chasing their own tails after meetings. Here’s what usually happens:
- Notes get lost or never logged in the CRM.
- Action items are forgotten, or buried in someone’s inbox.
- Follow-up emails are sent late (or not at all).
- Promising leads go cold simply because you’re playing catch-up.
Automating follow-up doesn’t just save time; it makes you look sharper to clients, keeps your pipeline clean, and (if you do it right) reduces the mental clutter. The catch: you have to set it up properly, and you need tools that actually integrate—otherwise, you’ll just create new headaches.
What can you realistically automate with Clearslide?
Before you dive in, be realistic about what can (and can’t) be automated with Clearslide:
Works well: - Logging meeting activity to your CRM (Salesforce, HubSpot, Dynamics) - Triggering follow-up emails or sequences based on meeting outcomes - Creating tasks or reminders for you and your team - Saving decks, recordings, and notes automatically to relevant records
Doesn’t work so well: - “AI” note summaries (these are getting better, but still miss key context) - Deep workflow automations that require lots of custom logic (unless you have dev resources) - One-click, end-to-end automation (it’s never quite that simple)
The sweet spot: use automation for repetitive, error-prone stuff—leave anything that needs real judgment or nuance to, well, a human.
Step 1: Map your follow-up process (before you automate)
Don’t just start wiring up integrations. First, sketch out your typical post-meeting workflow. This takes 10 minutes and saves hours later.
- What actually happens after a meeting? (e.g. Log notes, send recap, update CRM)
- Who needs to do what? (You? Your assistant? The whole team?)
- What tools do you already use? (CRM, email, Slack, project management, etc.)
Write it out as a simple checklist or flow. Example:
- Meeting ends in Clearslide
- Copy notes to Salesforce
- Email recap to client
- Create follow-up task for yourself to check in next week
Be honest about what’s manual and where it breaks down. That’s where automation can help.
Pro tip: Don’t try to automate a broken process. Clean up your workflow first.
Step 2: Pick your integration tools
Clearslide offers direct integrations with most major CRMs and some workflow tools. For more advanced setups, you’ll need middleware like Zapier, Make (formerly Integromat), or custom API scripts.
Direct integrations (best for most teams)
- Salesforce: Out-of-the-box sync for logging activities, linking decks, and associating meetings with records. Reliable, but sometimes a pain to set up if your Salesforce is heavily customized.
- Microsoft Dynamics / HubSpot: Similar features, but double-check which fields sync—details vary.
- Google Calendar / Outlook: Clearslide can add meeting links and log invites, but don’t expect full task automation here.
Middleware (Zapier, Make, etc.)
- Use Zapier to connect Clearslide to tools like Trello, Slack, Asana, or even Google Sheets.
- Great for “when this, then that” automations (e.g. when a meeting ends, send a Slack DM or create a task).
- You’re limited by what Clearslide exposes via API—some data may not be available without a premium plan or IT help.
Custom API scripts (only if you have dev resources)
- Clearslide has an API, but documentation is just okay.
- Worth it if you need deep integrations or want to build something that doesn’t exist out of the box.
- Most teams can skip this unless they have a technical admin or developer.
Ignore: Vendor marketplaces promising “AI-powered” everything. They usually overpromise and underdeliver, especially on nuanced follow-up tasks.
Step 3: Connect Clearslide to your CRM and log meetings automatically
Let’s start with the basics—getting your Clearslide meetings into your CRM without lifting a finger.
How to set it up (example: Salesforce)
- In Clearslide: Go to Admin > Integrations > Salesforce.
- Follow the prompts to authenticate and connect your org.
- Choose which activities to log (meetings, emails, deck views).
- Map fields—make sure your notes, attachments, and meeting metadata go to the right Salesforce fields.
- Test it with a real meeting. Check if the activity, notes, and any attachments show up on the correct Salesforce record.
What works: Once set up, this is pretty bulletproof. You won’t forget to log activities, and everything is timestamped.
What doesn’t: Field mapping can get weird if your CRM is customized. Sometimes, attachments (like decks) don’t sync perfectly—test before rolling out to your whole team.
Step 4: Automate follow-up emails and tasks
This is where most time is lost. Instead of writing the same recap email over and over, let automation handle the basics.
Option 1: Use Clearslide’s built-in templates
- After a meeting, Clearslide can prompt you to send a recap email using a template.
- You can pre-fill the template with meeting details, attendee names, and next steps.
- Edit anything that’s not boilerplate—don’t send generic “thanks for your time” emails.
Option 2: Use middleware (Zapier/Make) for more flexibility
- Trigger: “Meeting ended” in Clearslide.
- Action: Send a template email (via Gmail, Outlook, or your marketing tool), create a follow-up task in Asana, or ping yourself on Slack.
- You can even branch logic: if a meeting is marked “Closed Won,” send a contract link; if “Needs Follow-Up,” schedule a reminder.
Pro tip: Always review generated emails before sending. Automation saves time, but a personalized touch matters—especially in sales.
What to skip
- Don’t try to automate all follow-up content. Automated emails are fine for recaps, but proposals, pricing, or anything sensitive should be handled manually.
- Avoid “AI” email writers unless you’re ready to proofread every word. They’re getting better, but can still sound off-key.
Step 5: Save decks, recordings, and notes automatically
After every meeting, you want assets and notes stored where your team can find them—not buried in someone’s inbox.
In Clearslide
- Enable automatic upload of meeting recordings and decks to the relevant CRM record.
- Use tags or naming conventions that make assets easy to search later.
- Make sure permissions are set so your team (and only your team) can access sensitive materials.
With middleware
- Use a Zap to save files or notes from Clearslide to a shared Google Drive or Dropbox folder.
- Automatically create links in project management tools or Slack channels for easy reference.
What works: This reduces the “where’s that deck?” scramble before your next call.
What doesn’t: Audio transcription and “smart” note tagging is still hit-or-miss. If the meeting was important, review the recording or notes yourself.
Step 6: Set up reminders and check-ins
Even with automation, someone needs to actually do the follow-up. Use automated reminders to nudge yourself or your team.
- Create follow-up tasks in your CRM or project management tool based on meeting outcomes.
- Send scheduled check-in emails a week or two after the meeting (only if relevant—don’t spam).
- If using Slack, set up automated pings to remind you to review meeting notes or send a follow-up.
Pro tip: Don’t over-automate reminders. If you’re ignoring them, they’re not helping—tune your system to send only what you’ll actually act on.
What’s worth your time—and what’s not
Worth it:
- Automating routine logging, recap emails, and asset storage.
- Setting up a handful of high-value reminders.
- Using templates for standard follow-up.
Not worth it:
- Chasing the “perfect” AI-generated summary. Skim them, but don’t trust them blindly.
- Building complex multi-step automations unless you have real buy-in (and someone to maintain it).
- Automating anything that needs real judgment or a personal touch.
Keep it simple—then iterate
You don’t need a 50-step automation to get real value from Clearslide integrations. Start with logging meetings automatically, set up one or two email templates, and make sure your assets are easy to find. Get that working, then layer on more if you need it.
The bottom line: automation should make your life easier, not more complicated. Set things up, see what actually helps, and don’t be afraid to trim what you don’t use. The best follow-up systems are the ones you’ll stick with—not the ones that look impressive in a diagram.