If you’re tired of chasing prospects or watching deals fizzle out because nobody followed up, you’re not alone. This guide is for anyone who wants their sales emails to actually get answered—and is ready to set up something that works on autopilot. We’ll walk through building automated follow-up workflows in Emelia, so you can spend less time nagging and more time closing.
No fluff, no magic bullets—just a clear path to making follow-up happen (and mistakes to avoid along the way).
Why Automated Follow-Ups Matter (and Where They Go Wrong)
Most prospects don’t reply to the first email. That’s not a personal failing—it’s just reality. Automated follow-ups keep you on their radar, without the mental overhead of remembering who to chase. But let’s be clear: blasting the same message over and over is a good way to get ignored, flagged, or both.
The goal isn’t to be annoying. It’s to build a workflow that nudges your prospects, adds value, and keeps you top of mind—without spamming them into oblivion.
Step 1: Get Your Prospect List Ready
Before you touch Emelia, make sure you actually have people to email. This sounds obvious, but garbage in, garbage out.
- Clean your list: Remove duplicates, bad emails, and people who shouldn’t be there.
- Segment by relevance: Group prospects by industry, role, or where they are in your pipeline. Don’t send the same pitch to a CEO and a junior engineer.
- Add context: If you know something about the prospect (like recent news or mutual connections), note it now.
Pro Tip: Don’t buy random lists. They rarely convert and can damage your sender reputation.
Step 2: Map Out Your Follow-Up Sequence
You don’t need a 12-step funnel. Most good sequences are 3–5 emails spaced out over 1–2 weeks.
Here’s what works:
- Email 1: Direct intro and value proposition.
- Email 2: A quick, friendly nudge—maybe with a different angle or piece of value.
- Email 3: A softer check-in (“Is this still relevant for you?”).
- Optional 4th or 5th: Offer to close the loop (“Happy to let this go if it’s not a fit.”).
Things to avoid:
- Sending the same email with “Just bumping this up.”
- Guilt-tripping (“Did I do something wrong?”).
- Overpromising or sounding desperate.
Write your emails in advance. Keep them short, clear, and human. If you wouldn’t reply to it, don’t send it.
Step 3: Set Up Your Campaign in Emelia
Now, log in to Emelia. Here’s how to build your workflow:
- Create a new campaign
- Find "Campaigns" in the sidebar and hit “New Campaign.”
- Name it something you’ll recognize later.
- Upload your prospect list
- Import your CSV or connect your CRM.
- Double-check your fields: name, email, company, etc.
- Write your sequence
- Enter your pre-written emails as separate steps (“Step 1,” “Step 2,” etc.).
- Use personalization tags (like {{first_name}}) to avoid sounding robotic.
- Set delays between steps (e.g., 2–3 days between each email).
- Set up conditions
- Decide what happens if someone replies—usually, you want to stop the sequence for them.
- Some folks add “If opened but not replied” branches. Honestly, don’t overcomplicate unless you have a real reason.
- Configure sending settings
- Pick your sending window (weekdays, business hours).
- Limit the number of emails sent per day to avoid spam filters. Start small, then ramp up.
Honest Take: Emelia’s workflow builder is straightforward. Don’t get lost in fancy options you don’t need. Start basic; you can always tweak later.
Step 4: Test Everything (Don’t Skip This)
It’s tempting to just hit “Go,” but mistakes here can get you ignored—or blacklisted.
- Send test emails to yourself and a colleague.
- Check for weird formatting, broken personalization, and typos.
- Make sure the “unsubscribe” or opt-out is clear.
- Even if you’re not in a regulated industry, it’s just good manners.
- Confirm replies stop the sequence for that contact.
- Check spam scores (Emelia offers basic spam checks—use them).
Pro Tip: If your first tests land in spam, check your sending domain and warm it up if needed. Don’t send cold outreach from your main company domain.
Step 5: Launch and Monitor
Once you’re sure everything works, launch your campaign. But don’t walk away just yet.
- Monitor opens, clicks, and replies.
- If nobody’s opening, your subject lines probably stink—or you’re landing in spam.
- If you’re getting opens but no replies, rewrite your messaging.
- Watch for bounces or spam complaints.
- Too many, and your sender reputation tanks. Pause and investigate.
- Reply to real responses quickly.
- Automation only gets you so far—human follow-up closes deals.
What to ignore: Vanity metrics like “link clicks” unless you’re sharing genuinely useful resources. Focus on replies.
Step 6: Iterate, Don’t Overengineer
Here’s the truth: No workflow is perfect out of the gate. What works for one audience might flop with another. The key is to keep it simple, watch the results, and tweak one thing at a time.
- Try different subject lines.
- Test sending times.
- Experiment with tone and length.
Don’t build a Rube Goldberg machine. Start with a simple sequence, see what works, and refine.
What Actually Works (and What Doesn’t)
Works: - Short, clear, personalized emails. - Sequences that stop when someone replies. - Following up 2–4 times, spaced out.
Doesn’t: - Sending walls of text. - Endless “bump” emails. - Trying to automate away every possible scenario.
Don’t buy into the myth that more automation = better results. The best workflows are usually the simplest.
Keep It Simple—And Keep Improving
Automated follow-up in Emelia isn’t rocket science, but it does take some thought and discipline. Get your list in shape, write real emails, set up a basic sequence, and test it like you mean it. Then launch, watch what happens, and make small improvements.
Start simple. Iterate. Let the robots do the boring stuff, and use your time for the conversations that actually matter.