Sales follow ups are a pain. You know you should send them, but even with the best intentions, things slip through the cracks. If you’re a founder, salesperson, or just someone who wants fewer “just checking in” emails sitting in drafts, this guide is for you. We’ll walk through how to set up automated sales follow ups using Enecto triggers. No magic bullets, no fluffy promises—just realistic steps to make your follow ups less manual and more effective.
Why Automate Sales Follow Ups (But Don’t Overdo It)
Let’s be honest: most follow ups are either forgotten, sent too late, or come off as robotic. Automation can help, but if you set it and forget it, you’ll just spam people and tank your chances. The sweet spot? Automate the routine stuff, but keep room for a human touch when it counts.
Here’s what automation can do: - Remind prospects who actually showed interest. - Cut down on repetitive “just following up” emails. - Free you up for real conversations.
And what it can’t do: - Turn a cold lead into a warm one by itself. - Replace thoughtful, personal outreach.
So, keep your expectations realistic. Done right, Enecto triggers can save you time and help you not miss follow ups. Done wrong, you’ll annoy people and burn leads.
Step 1: Get Your Basics Set Up in Enecto
Before you start with triggers, make sure you’ve got the basics down. If you’re already using Enecto, skip ahead. If not:
- Sign up and log in. Self-explanatory, but don’t skip the onboarding. It’ll save you headaches later.
- Connect your email account. Enecto works best when you hook up your primary sales email. This lets you send follow ups straight from your own address (not some weird “noreply”).
- Import your leads. Whether it’s via CSV, integration, or manual entry, get your prospects into the system. Garbage in, garbage out.
Pro tip: Keep your CRM clean. Duplicates and old contacts will just mess with your triggers later.
Step 2: Understand Enecto Triggers (and Their Limits)
Triggers in Enecto are basically “if this, then that” rules for sales actions. For example:
If a prospect opens your email but doesn’t reply in 3 days, send a follow up.
Here’s what Enecto triggers can do: - Watch for email opens, clicks, and replies. - Fire off emails, task reminders, or CRM updates. - Work with time delays (e.g., wait 2 days).
But here’s what they can’t do: - Read minds. If someone’s ignoring you, more emails aren’t always the answer. - Write truly personal messages. You still need to craft templates that sound like you.
Don’t get too clever. The more complex your triggers, the easier it is to break things or annoy prospects. Start simple.
Step 3: Map Out Your Follow Up Flow
Before you create a single trigger, sketch out your follow up plan. This is where most people go wrong—they automate a mess and just make it messier.
Ask yourself: - How many follow ups make sense? (Hint: 2-3, tops. After that, you’re just pestering.) - What’s your timing? (E.g., 2 days after no reply, then 5 days after that.) - How personal should each message be? (The first one should sound like a human. Later ones can be shorter.)
Simple follow up flow example: 1. Send intro email. 2. If no reply after 2 days, send a polite nudge. 3. If still no reply after 5 more days, send a breakup email (“Should I close your file?”).
Jot this down. Even a sticky note is better than winging it.
Step 4: Build Your Trigger Templates
Now, write the emails your triggers will send. Resist the urge to use generic templates—everyone’s seen them.
Some tips: - Keep it short. Nobody reads a wall of text. - Be specific. Reference your last conversation or their company. - Make it easy to reply. Ask a yes/no question or something low-effort.
Example follow up:
Hi [Name],
Just checking in to see if you had any thoughts on my last email.
Happy to answer questions or set up a quick call.Thanks,
[Your Name]
Avoid: - “Did you get my email?” (It’s obvious and a little needy.) - Gimmicks or fake urgency.
Pro tip: Send a test email to yourself. If you’d roll your eyes at it, rewrite it.
Step 5: Set Up Your First Enecto Trigger
Head into the Enecto dashboard and find the “Triggers” section. Here’s a basic one to get started:
Trigger: Follow Up After No Reply
- When: 2 days after you send an email and don’t get a reply.
- Action: Send follow up email template #1.
Steps:
1. Click “Create Trigger.”
2. Set the condition:
- Event: Email Sent
- Wait: 2 days
- Condition: No reply received
3. Choose the action:
- Action: Send email
- Template: Follow up #1
4. Save and name your trigger.
That’s it. Now, every prospect who doesn’t reply in 2 days gets a gentle nudge—without you having to remember.
What to watch out for: - Make sure your trigger doesn’t fire for every email (e.g., exclude newsletters or non-sales contacts). - Double-check “from” and “to” addresses—sending follow ups to the wrong person is embarrassing.
Step 6: Add a Second (and Final) Follow Up Trigger
Don’t overdo it. One more follow up is enough for most situations.
Trigger: Breakup Email
- When: 5 days after the first follow up, still no reply.
- Action: Send a final, polite “closing the loop” email.
Steps:
1. Create a new trigger.
2. Condition:
- Event: Follow up #1 sent
- Wait: 5 days
- Condition: Still no reply
3. Action:
- Send email (Template: Breakup)
4. Save.
Breakup email example:
Hi [Name],
I haven’t heard back, so I’ll assume now isn’t the right time.
If things change, feel free to reach out.Thanks for your time,
[Your Name]
Polite, clear, and leaves the door open. No guilt trips.
Step 7: Test Everything (Seriously)
Before you let your triggers run wild, test the whole flow: - Use a dummy lead (yourself or a teammate). - Make sure delays and conditions work as expected. - Check that emails land in the inbox, not spam. - Look for typos, broken links, or weird formatting.
Pro tip: Test with different email clients (Gmail, Outlook) if you can. Formatting can get weird.
Step 8: Monitor, Adjust, and Don’t Be a Robot
Automation isn’t “set it and forget it.” Watch how prospects respond: - Are you getting replies, or just silence? - Are people unsubscribing or marking you as spam? - Are your emails landing at awkward times (e.g., weekends, holidays)?
Adjust your triggers, timing, or templates as needed. Sometimes less is more.
What to Ignore (For Now)
Don’t get sucked into: - Overly complex trigger trees (“If they open but don’t click, then wait 1.5 days…”). Keep it simple. - “Personalization tokens” everywhere. If it sounds fake, it is. - Automation for every step of the sales process. Use it for follow ups, not your whole outreach strategy.
Wrapping Up: Keep It Simple, Iterate Often
The best sales automation is the one you actually use. Start with the basics: one or two solid follow up triggers, good templates, and regular check-ins to see what’s working. Once you’ve got that down, you can get fancy. But honestly, most people never need more than that.
Don’t let automation turn you into a robot. Use Enecto triggers to cover the routine stuff, so you can focus on the deals that actually matter. Keep it human. Keep it simple. And keep tweaking until you start seeing real replies—not just more sent emails.