Let’s be honest: B2B deals move slower than anyone wants. Endless email threads. Manual follow-ups. Countless “just checking in” nudges. If you’re in sales, ops, or even a founder wearing five hats, you know the pain.
This guide is for anyone trying to actually get deals closed—faster, with less busywork—using workflow automation. We’ll walk step-by-step through using Gorattle to knock out the bottlenecks that slow deals down.
I’ll be upfront about what actually helps, what’s just noise, and how to avoid making your process even more complicated.
Step 1: Map Out Your Real Deal Cycle (Don’t Automate Blind)
Before you even touch a tool, sketch out how your deals actually move from first contact to closed/won. Most teams think they know their process, but the reality is usually messier.
- Write down each stage: Initial outreach, discovery, proposal, legal, procurement, closed/won, etc.
- Mark the pain points: Where do things get stuck? Who are you always waiting on? Where do you lose deals?
- Highlight manual steps: Follow-ups, reminders, approvals—anything that eats time or falls through the cracks.
Pro Tip: Talk to the folks actually running deals. What feels “efficient” to a VP may be a nightmare for an AE or account manager.
Why this matters: If you automate a broken process, you just make mistakes faster.
Step 2: Pick the Right Workflows to Automate First
Don’t try to automate everything at once. Start with the biggest headaches—the stuff that’s repeatable, annoying, and high-impact if it goes smoother.
Common deal-cycle automations that actually help: - Lead handoff: Auto-assign new leads to reps based on rules (industry, territory, deal size). - Follow-up reminders: Trigger nudges if a prospect hasn’t replied in X days. - Proposal approvals: Route contracts or quotes for sign-off without 15 emails. - Deal desk checks: Auto-create tasks if certain terms (discounts, exceptions) pop up. - Renewal alerts: Remind reps and customers well in advance.
What to ignore (for now): - Super-complex, edge-case scenarios. - Automating “relationship” steps—keep calls and check-ins human. - Anything that requires lots of manual data entry to even trigger.
Step 3: Set Up Gorattle and Connect Your Tools
Now you’re ready to dig into Gorattle. Good news: Setup is pretty painless compared to older workflow tools.
Getting started: 1. Sign up and log in. Standard stuff. 2. Connect your core apps: CRM (Salesforce, HubSpot, whatever you use), email, Slack/Teams, and any document/signature tools. - Gorattle has solid integrations out of the box. If you’re on something obscure, check their docs first. 3. Decide on triggers: What should kick off a workflow? (New deal, status change, contract uploaded, etc.) 4. Map your fields: Make sure data flows smoothly. This is where most automations break—don’t skip it.
Heads up: If your CRM is a mess (duplicates, missing fields), you’ll hit snags. Clean up what you can, or expect some manual patching at first.
Step 4: Build, Test, and (Yes) Break Your First Workflow
Start simple—a single pain point, one workflow, end-to-end.
Example: Automatic Follow-Up Reminder - Trigger: No response from prospect after 3 business days. - Actions: - Send a Slack/Teams reminder to the deal owner. - Optionally, auto-send a polite follow-up email (customize the template). - Log the touchpoint in your CRM.
How to set it up in Gorattle: - In the workflow builder, choose your trigger (“deal stage unchanged for X days”). - Add actions (send message, update CRM, send email). - Set conditions if needed (e.g., only for deals over $10K).
Test it thoroughly: - Run it on a dummy deal. - Check that the right people get notified, the CRM updates, and no weird side effects happen. - If possible, grab a non-technical teammate—they’ll break things you wouldn’t expect.
Don’t do this: Launch 10 workflows at once. You’ll drown in notifications and have no clue what’s working.
Step 5: Roll Out (and Actually Use) the Automation
It’s tempting to automate and forget. Don’t. The real value comes from adoption by the folks closing deals.
What helps adoption: - Keep it visible: Demo the workflow in a team meeting. Show the time saved. - Ask for feedback: Something not working? Annoying? Fix it fast. - Document the basics: A one-pager or short Loom video is enough.
What kills adoption: - Overcomplicated flows with 10 steps and edge cases. - Workflows that create more noise (“You have 5 new notifications!”). - Not updating as your process changes.
Step 6: Measure (Honestly) and Iterate
Automation is only worth it if it actually shortens the deal cycle—or at least makes it less painful for your team.
What to track: - Average deal time by stage: Are things moving faster, or just differently? - Manual touchpoints: Are reps spending less time chasing approvals or follow-ups? - Drop-off points: Did a new automation accidentally cause friction or missed steps?
How to check: - Use Gorattle’s built-in reporting (it’s decent, not magic). - Compare before/after metrics. - Ask your team how it feels—they’ll tell you if something’s a time-suck.
Don’t get hung up on vanity metrics. If you’re just moving tasks around, you’re not actually accelerating deals.
A Few Things That Actually Matter (and a Few That Don’t)
What Works
- Streamlining handoffs: No more “who owns this?” confusion.
- Automating repeatable reminders: Humans forget. Bots don’t.
- Keeping approvals moving: Fewer bottlenecks means fewer lost deals.
What Doesn’t
- Over-automation: Trying to automate relationship-building steps will just make you sound like a robot.
- Ignoring data hygiene: Garbage in, garbage out. If your CRM is a mess, automations will be too.
- Chasing every new feature: Stick to what solves real problems.
Ignore the Hype
- “AI-powered” automations: Unless it’s actually doing something smart (not just fancy rules), don’t get distracted.
- Endless customization: Simple, useful workflows beat fancy, fragile ones every time.
Wrap-Up: Keep It Simple, Iterate Fast
Workflow automation isn’t magic, but it is a real edge if you use it to clear out the daily grind that slows deals down. Start with a single bottleneck, get it working, and only then expand.
Remember: The goal’s not a fully automated sales robot army—it’s just fewer dropped balls and faster deals. Iterate, pay attention to what’s actually helpful, and don’t be afraid to kill workflows that aren’t pulling their weight.
Now, go fix your slowest deal process. One workflow at a time.