If you're reading this, chances are you're juggling a dozen deals, your inbox is a war zone, and "follow up with leads" keeps sliding down your to-do list. Missing that second or third nudge can kill deals, but keeping tabs on every prospect by hand? That's a losing game. This guide is for anyone who's serious about not letting leads slip away—and wants a dead-simple way to automate the grunt work using Salesloop.
Let's cut the fluff and get to it: Here’s how to set up foolproof, automated follow-ups that actually get replies (and don’t drive you crazy).
Why Follow-Ups Matter More Than You Think
Most deals don't close on the first touch. Stats say it takes 5-7 interactions before someone even thinks about buying. But here's the reality: most people give up after one or two tries. If you’re not following up, you’re just teeing up deals for your competitors.
But here's the rub: manual follow-ups are a pain, and generic auto-emails are easy to ignore. The trick is to balance automation with a personal touch—enough structure that nothing falls through the cracks, but not so rigid you sound like a robot.
Step 1: Get Your Salesloop Account Set Up Right
Before you do anything, make sure your Salesloop account is set up and your pipeline actually reflects real deals—not just a graveyard of old leads.
Checklist: - Import your leads/contacts (CSV, CRM sync, whatever works) - Set up your pipeline stages to match your real sales process - Connect your email/calendar (if you want reminders or auto-emails)
Pro tip: Garbage in, garbage out. If your pipeline is full of dead leads, no automation will save you. Clean house first.
Step 2: Understand How Salesloop Handles Tasks & Automation
Salesloop lets you create two core types of follow-ups: - Manual tasks: Reminders to call, email, or check in—assigned to you or teammates. - Automated actions: Pre-set emails or task sequences that fire off based on triggers (like “3 days after last contact”).
What works: - Automated reminders for you or your team—so you don’t forget to actually do the follow-up. - Pre-scheduled email sequences (with the ability to personalize them).
What to skip: - Overcomplicated conditional logic (“if they open, then wait 2 hours, then...”). Unless you’re running a massive sales org, you’ll just confuse yourself. - Automated LinkedIn DMs. Most prospects hate this, and it rarely leads to real conversations.
Step 3: Create Effective Follow-Up Tasks
Here’s how to set up follow-ups that you’ll actually act on:
3.1. Manual Follow-Up Tasks
- Go to the deal/contact you want to follow up with.
- Click “Add Task” (usually sits near the activity section).
- Choose the action: Call, Email, Meeting, Custom.
- Set a due date and time—don’t just “set and forget.”
- Write a note to remind future-you what you wanted to say (e.g., “Check if they had a chance to review the proposal”).
Pro tip: Don’t stack all your follow-ups for Monday morning. Spread them out so you aren’t overwhelmed.
3.2. Use Task Templates (If Available)
If you find yourself making the same follow-up tasks over and over, check if Salesloop lets you use templates. If not, create your own quick checklist in a notes app and copy-paste as needed.
Step 4: Automate Your Follow-Ups (Without Sounding Like a Bot)
Automation is where Salesloop shines—if you use it right.
4.1. Set Up Email Sequences
- Go to Automations or Sequences (naming may vary based on your Salesloop version).
- Create a new sequence—give it a clear name (e.g., “Demo Requested Follow-Up”).
- Add steps:
- Day 0: Immediate “Thanks for your interest” email.
- Day 2: “Just checking in—did you have any questions?”
- Day 7: “Wanted to see if you’re still interested.”
- Personalize each step. Use merge fields (like {{FirstName}}) but also add something specific about their company or need if you can.
- Set conditions:
- Stop the sequence if they reply.
- Optional: Move them to a different pipeline stage if they book a call.
What works:
- Short, clear messages.
- Ending every email with a simple question (“Would next week work for a quick call?”).
What doesn’t:
- Long, canned emails that scream “mail merge.”
- Sending more than 4-5 emails in a row without a response. You’ll just get blocked.
4.2. Automate Task Creation
Some deals need a personal touch—calls, custom emails, a LinkedIn check-in. You can automate task reminders so you remember to do these things.
- Set up “if/then” rules. Example: “If no reply after 5 days, create a ‘Call John’ task.”
- Assign tasks to yourself or your team.
- Get notifications so follow-ups don’t get buried.
Pro tip: Use automation to prompt you to act, not just to blast another email.
Step 5: Keep Your Follow-Ups Personal (and Human)
Automation can make you efficient, but don’t lose the human touch. Here’s how to keep it real:
- Before sending, scan your automated emails for anything that sounds robotic. Edit as needed.
- Reference something specific from your last conversation. Even one sentence makes a difference.
- Space out messages—nobody likes getting pinged every day.
Ignore:
Advice that says “all follow-ups should be automated.” The best deals often need a real conversation.
Step 6: Track Results (and Adjust When Reality Hits)
Set-it-and-forget-it is a myth. If you want to close more deals, you have to see what’s actually working.
- Check response rates: Which follow-ups get replies? Which don’t?
- Look for patterns: Are you losing prospects after the second message? Maybe your sequence needs a rewrite.
- Tweak, don’t overhaul: Change one thing at a time—like subject lines or timing—so you know what made the difference.
What to ignore:
Chasing “best practices” that don’t fit your market. Your real-world data is what matters.
Step 7: Don’t Overcomplicate It
Here’s the honest truth: most sales teams fail at follow-up not because they need more automation, but because they over-engineer everything—or just never set reminders at all. A simple, consistent process beats a fancy, half-baked one every time.
Keep it simple: - Set clear follow-up tasks - Automate what you can, but personalize where it counts - Check your pipeline every week and adjust
Final Thoughts: Iterate, Don’t Overthink
Automating your follow-ups in Salesloop isn’t about building the perfect machine—it’s about making it impossible to forget to follow up, and easy to keep things personal. Start small, pay attention to what actually gets replies, and tweak as you go. The more you keep it simple (and human), the more deals you’ll close.
Now, go set up your first sequence—and watch how many more deals move forward just because you showed up (again and again).