If your sales team is dropping the ball on next steps, forgetting follow-ups, or just winging it way too often, you’re not alone. Even the best reps can get lost in a sea of sticky notes and scattered reminders. The good news: if you’re using Akoonu, you can get everyone on the same page with clearly assigned, trackable tasks—without making things more complicated than they need to be.
This guide is for anyone who wants real, actionable steps for keeping their sales team organized and accountable in Akoonu. Whether you’re a sales manager trying to herd cats, or a rep who wants less chaos in your day, you’ll find what you need here—no empty promises, just practical advice.
Why Bother with Tasks in Akoonu?
Let’s be real: a lot of task management features in CRMs are either ignored or end up as digital clutter. But in Akoonu, tasks are actually worth using—if you set them up right. Good tasks can help your team:
- Remember to follow up (and not just once)
- Stay on top of deal progress
- Make sure nothing critical falls through the cracks
- Cut down on “Hey, did you do this?” Slack messages
But, if you just create generic or vague tasks (“Call client”), you’re wasting everyone’s time. The trick is making tasks actionable, specific, and assigned to the right person.
Step 1: Get Clear on What Needs to Be a Task
Before you start clicking “Add Task” like a maniac, pause. Not everything needs to be a formal task. Here’s what’s actually worth tracking:
- Time-sensitive follow-ups: If there’s a real deadline, it should be a task.
- Customer commitments: Anything you promised a prospect or client.
- Deal progress steps: Key milestones in your sales process (like sending a proposal).
- Hand-offs: When something needs to move from one person to another.
What to skip: - Busywork (“Read that article, maybe?”) - “FYI” reminders that don’t require action - Tasks with no clear owner
Pro tip: If you can’t say what “done” looks like, it’s not a good task.
Step 2: Create an Actionable Task in Akoonu
Once you know what actually needs to be a task, here’s how you do it in Akoonu:
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Navigate to the right record.
You can create tasks from the deal, account, or opportunity—wherever it makes sense. Don’t just dump everything in one place. -
Find the “Tasks” or “Next Steps” panel.
Akoonu often calls these “Next Steps,” but it’s basically your task list for that record. -
Click “Add Task” or “Add Next Step.”
The label might depend on your setup, but it’s usually obvious. -
Fill in the details:
- Title: Be specific. “Send contract to Lisa, confirm pricing” is better than “Send contract.”
- Description: Add any extra info or links. Keep it short, but don’t make people guess.
- Due date: If it’s important enough to be a task, put a date on it. Even “end of week” is better than nothing.
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Owner: Assign it to a real person—not “team” or “TBD.” If you don’t know, you probably need to clarify before adding the task.
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Save the task.
Confirm it shows up in the list. If you don’t see it, refresh or check if you’re on the right record.
What works: Creating tasks right when you think of them, and making them specific.
What doesn’t: Vague, multi-step tasks. Break those down, or they’ll get ignored.
Step 3: Assign the Task (and Make Sure It Sticks)
Assigning tasks is where most CRMs drop the ball—too many end up “unassigned” or, worse, everyone assumes someone else will do it.
Here’s how to do it right in Akoonu:
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Pick the actual owner.
The task should go to the person who’s really responsible for the action. If it’s a handoff, reassign it immediately after your part is done. -
Set notifications.
Akoonu can ping people about their tasks. Make sure notifications aren’t turned off (but don’t spam the whole team). -
Check visibility.
Most tasks in Akoonu are visible to the team working the deal. If something’s sensitive, double-check who can see it. -
Follow up if you don’t get a response.
If a task languishes with no update, bring it up in your next sales meeting. Don’t assume “no news” means “done.”
Pro tip: Assigning tasks in meetings (and pulling them up onscreen) makes people take them more seriously.
Step 4: Track Task Progress Without Micromanaging
Once tasks are out in the wild, you need a way to make sure they’re getting done—without pestering people in DMs all day.
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Use task status:
Akoonu lets you mark tasks as Not Started, In Progress, or Completed. Make updating this part of your normal workflow. -
Check the dashboard:
Akoonu’s dashboards can show overdue tasks, tasks by owner, and tasks by deal. Use these for your one-on-ones or pipeline reviews. -
Automate reminders (sparingly):
If tasks are frequently overdue, it’s usually a sign your team is overloaded or the tasks are unclear. A few well-timed reminders can help, but don’t let automation become background noise. -
Archive or delete old stuff:
If a task’s been sitting untouched for weeks, either update it or get rid of it. Stale tasks kill trust in the system.
What works: Making task review part of real discussions—not just a checkbox exercise.
What doesn’t: Relying 100% on email notifications. People tune those out fast.
Step 5: Keep Tasks Actionable and Realistic
Even with the best tools, tasks can devolve into a dumping ground for “someday/maybe” ideas. Here’s how to keep yours sharp:
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Make each task a single action.
If it takes more than one step, break it up. -
Avoid wishy-washy language.
“Reach out to client by Friday” beats “Touch base soon.” -
Review tasks weekly.
Prune anything outdated or unclear. -
Limit the number of tasks per deal.
If you’ve got 20+ open tasks on a single deal, something’s off. Focus on what actually moves the needle. -
Encourage reps to close out completed tasks.
It’s satisfying, and it keeps the list honest.
Common Pitfalls (And How to Dodge Them)
Even with Akoonu’s clean interface, things can go sideways. Here’s what to watch out for:
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Everyone assumes someone else is on it.
Solution: Always have a clear owner for every task. -
Tasks get too generic or vague.
Solution: Ask, “Would a brand new rep know what to do here?” -
Overwhelming the team.
Solution: Prioritize. Not everything needs to be tracked. -
Forgetting to review tasks.
Solution: Build it into your sales process—weekly review, pipeline calls, etc. -
Using tasks for CYA instead of real work.
Don’t turn tasks into a blame game. The goal is to help people win deals, not create more paperwork.
Wrapping Up: Keep It Simple, Iterate as You Go
Getting real value out of Akoonu’s task system isn’t about using every feature or tracking every little thing. It’s about creating clear, actionable, and assigned tasks that help your sales team do their jobs better. Don’t overcomplicate it—start with the basics, see what works, and tweak as you go.
The best sales teams don’t have the most tasks—they have the right ones. So keep it simple, review often, and don’t be afraid to delete what isn’t working. Your future self (and your sales numbers) will thank you.