If you’re a salesperson stuck in Salesforce all day, clicking the same buttons and updating the same fields, you know the pain: admin work eats your time, and selling takes a back seat. This guide is for people who want to actually close more deals, not just keep their CRM squeaky clean. We’re talking practical ways to automate the daily grind inside Scratchpad—no magic, just stuff that works.
Why Automate Your Sales Tasks?
Let’s be honest: the less time you spend updating fields, copying notes, and chasing reminders, the more time you have to talk to actual buyers. Automation isn’t about replacing you with a robot; it’s about getting the busywork out of your way.
Here’s what automation can do for you: - Cut your admin time (seriously, by hours each week) - Minimize dropped balls and missed follow-ups - Stop context-switching between tools - Make your manager happy (well, happier)
But don’t fall for the “set it and forget it” myth. Automation helps, but you’ll still need to check your work and tweak things as you go.
Step 1: Get Your Scratchpad Workspace Ready
Before you automate anything, make sure your Scratchpad setup isn’t a mess.
Checklist: - Your Salesforce account is connected - Your pipeline is up-to-date (no zombie deals from last quarter) - You know which tasks eat up your time (be honest)
Pro tip: Take a week and jot down what you do repeatedly: updating opportunity stages, logging call notes, setting follow-up reminders, etc. That’s your automation wishlist.
Step 2: Automate Your Pipeline Updates
Updating opportunity stages, next steps, and forecast categories in Salesforce is mind-numbing. Scratchpad lets you do this in bulk, right from a single view.
How to automate the grunt work:
1. Set up a custom pipeline view:
- Create a view that shows just your open deals and the fields you actually update.
2. Enable inline editing:
- In Scratchpad, you can edit multiple fields at once—no page loads, no clicking 10 times.
3. Bulk update fields:
- Select multiple opportunities and update the stage or next steps in one go.
4. Sync instantly to Salesforce:
- Changes push straight to Salesforce. No waiting, no duplicate entry.
What works:
Bulk updating saves you a ton of manual clicks. You’ll still want to check for errors—automation isn’t mind reading.
What to ignore:
Don’t try to automate every single field. Focus on the ones you touch daily: stage, amount, close date, next steps.
Step 3: Automate Your Daily To-Do List
Most reps use sticky notes, Google Tasks, or just try to remember what’s next. Scratchpad’s Tasks feature pulls your Salesforce tasks and lets you add your own.
How to make your to-do list run itself:
1. Sync your Salesforce tasks:
- Scratchpad grabs open tasks assigned to you—no more toggling tabs.
2. Set up recurring reminders:
- For things like “Update pipeline every Friday” or “Send QBR decks Monday.”
3. Add personal to-dos:
- Not everything fits neatly in Salesforce. Add your own notes or reminders.
4. Drag, drop, done:
- Mark things complete as you go. You’ll actually see yourself making progress.
What works:
Centralizing all your tasks in one place means less mental load.
What doesn’t:
Don’t overload yourself with reminders. If everything is “urgent,” nothing is.
Step 4: Automate Meeting Notes and Follow-Ups
Taking call notes and logging them to Salesforce is usually a mess. Scratchpad lets you take notes linked to opportunities or accounts, then pushes them right to Salesforce.
How to speed up your note-taking:
1. Create note templates:
- Build a template for discovery calls, demos, or QBRs (standard questions, next steps, etc.).
2. Link notes to records:
- Attach notes to the right deal or contact as you take them.
3. Auto-sync notes to Salesforce:
- Scratchpad can push your notes in the background—no need to copy/paste.
4. Set follow-up tasks from notes:
- Turn action items into real tasks with one click.
What works:
Templates keep you consistent and fast. Linking notes means you don’t have to hunt for context later.
What’s not worth it:
Don’t overcomplicate your templates. Keep them simple so you’ll actually use them.
Step 5: Automate Deal Handoff and Huddle Prep
If you work with an account manager or solutions engineer, handing off deals or prepping for internal reviews can eat up hours. Automate the info flow so no one’s left guessing.
How to automate handoffs and huddles:
1. Build a handoff note template:
- Include key details: deal stage, blockers, next steps, contacts.
2. Share notes or pipeline views automatically:
- Use Scratchpad’s sharing features to send updates to teammates or managers.
3. Set up recurring huddle reminders:
- Automate reminders to prep your pipeline before your weekly team meeting.
What works:
Clear templates and shared views mean no more “Can you send me your latest pipeline?” emails.
What’s overkill:
Don’t automate every team update—some things are better discussed live.
Step 6: Automate Data Hygiene (Without Losing Your Mind)
Keeping your CRM clean is important, but it’s also a never-ending job. Scratchpad helps flag missing fields, outdated close dates, and stale opportunities.
How to make data hygiene less painful:
1. Create filtered pipeline views:
- For example, “Opportunities with no next step” or “Deals with overdue close dates.”
2. Set up weekly review reminders:
- Get pinged to do a quick sweep before forecast calls.
3. Update in bulk:
- Fix what you can, skip what isn’t urgent.
What works:
Automating reminders and bulk edits keeps you honest without wasting hours.
What to ignore:
Don’t get obsessed with 100% perfect data. Focus on what matters for your deals and forecast.
Step 7: Don’t Automate What Needs Human Touch
Not everything should be automated. Some things—like crafting a killer follow-up email or prepping for a big pitch—need your brain, not a bot.
Ask yourself: - Is automating this saving me real time, or just making things more complicated? - Will automation lower the quality of my work? - Am I just avoiding something I should actually do myself?
If the answer isn’t obvious, skip the automation and just get the work done.
Real Talk: What Actually Moves the Needle
Scratchpad is powerful, but it won’t magically make you a better seller. The best automations are the ones that free up your brain for actual selling—talking to customers, asking smart questions, closing deals.
Quick recap of what’s worth automating: - Bulk pipeline updates - Task and follow-up reminders - Note-taking and syncing - Data hygiene sweeps
Skip or go slow on: - Overly complex templates - Automating things that change every day - Anything that turns into busywork
Keep It Simple. Iterate Often.
You don’t need to automate everything on day one. Start with the biggest time sucks, see what actually helps, and tweak from there. Automation is a tool—not a replacement for good judgment.
If you keep things simple and stay honest about what’s working, you’ll spend less time updating Salesforce and more time actually selling. That’s the only productivity hack that really matters.