If you’re running a sales team, you already know: little things slip through the cracks all the time. Following up with a hot lead, chasing a contract, nudging a deal along—forget once, and it can cost you. You need reminders and follow-ups that actually happen, not just a pile of sticky notes or another “task” in a spreadsheet nobody looks at. That’s where ZapMail comes in.
This guide is for sales managers, reps, or anyone who wants to automate the grunt work so you can focus on closing deals, not playing calendar Tetris. I’ll show you what’s worth automating, what’s just noise, and how to set up automated reminders and tasks in ZapMail without making your workflow even messier.
Why Automated Reminders and Tasks Matter (and When They’re Overkill)
Before you dive in, a quick gut-check: not every sales task should be automated. Here's what actually works:
Automate: - Follow-up reminders after a demo or call - Nudges for deals going quiet - Task assignments when a lead reaches a certain stage - Reminders to update your CRM notes (because you know you forget)
Don’t bother automating: - Highly personalized outreach (leave room for the human touch) - One-off, complex deals that don’t follow a script - Tasks that change wildly from deal to deal
Automation should save you time, not create new headaches. The goal: keep it simple, keep it useful.
Step 1: Map Out Your Sales Process
Don’t just jump into ZapMail and start clicking buttons. First, get clear on what actually needs automating.
Quick Exercise
- List your repeatable sales tasks. Think: “Every time a lead replies, I need to...”
- Note where things fall through the cracks. Is it post-demo follow-up? Contract chasing? Updating the CRM?
- Decide what’s worth automating. If it’s the same every time, automate it. If not, skip it.
Pro Tip: If you can’t write it down as a simple “If X, then do Y,” it’s probably not worth automating.
Step 2: Set Up Your ZapMail Account and Integrations
Assuming you’ve signed up for ZapMail, the real power comes when you connect it to your other tools. Don’t worry—it’s not as complicated as it sounds.
A. Connect Your Email
- Log into ZapMail.
- Go to Settings > Integrations > Email Accounts.
- Add your work email (Gmail, Outlook, etc.).
- Grant the permissions—it’s safe, but double-check what you’re agreeing to.
B. Connect Your CRM (if you use one)
- Head to Integrations > CRMs and find your system (Salesforce, HubSpot, Pipedrive, etc.).
- Authenticate and test the connection.
- If there’s no direct integration, you may need to use Zapier or another connector (it’s an extra step, but it works).
C. (Optional) Connect Your Calendar
- Go to Integrations > Calendars to sync reminders with your schedule.
- This step is handy if you want reminders to show up as events or alerts.
What to skip: Don’t connect every random tool just because you can. If you don’t use it every day, leave it out.
Step 3: Create Automated Reminders
This is where ZapMail shines. Automated reminders can nudge you (or your whole team) so things don’t get forgotten.
A. Classic Use Cases
- Follow-up after no reply: “If no response to my email in 3 days, remind me to follow up.”
- Deal stagnation: “If a deal hasn’t moved stages in 7 days, ping me to check in.”
- Contract sent, but unsigned: “Remind me every 2 days until it’s signed or closed.”
B. How to Set Up a Reminder
- Go to Reminders in the ZapMail dashboard.
- Click Create Reminder.
- Choose a trigger. (Example: “No reply to email,” “Deal inactive,” “Task incomplete.”)
- Set the timing. (After 1 day, 3 days, etc.)
- Decide who gets it: just you, the deal owner, or the whole team.
- Add a message. Keep it short and specific (“Follow up with Acme Corp re: demo” beats “Touch base.”)
- Save and test it.
Pro Tip: Start with one or two reminders, not ten. Too many, and you’ll start ignoring them—then what’s the point?
Step 4: Automate Task Creation
Reminders get your attention, but tasks tell you exactly what to do. Automating these keeps things moving without you having to micromanage.
Common Sales Team Automations
- After a lead fills out a form: Create a “Call this lead” task for the assigned rep.
- After a demo is booked: Make a “Send recap email” task.
- Deal hits a new stage: Assign “Prepare proposal” to the right person.
How to Set Up Automated Tasks
- Go to Tasks in ZapMail.
- Click Create Task Automation.
- Pick the trigger event (form submission, email received, deal moved, etc.).
- Set the task details: title, description, due date, and assignee.
- Optionally, add conditions (e.g., only for deals over $10k).
- Save and test the workflow.
Pro Tip: Use templates for repeating tasks. Don’t rewrite the same instructions every time.
Step 5: Set Up Team Notifications (Without the Noise)
Notifications are great—until they’re constant. The trick is to strike a balance.
Best Practices
- Group notifications when possible (e.g., a daily digest vs. instant pings).
- Only notify the person who needs to know. If it’s everyone’s problem, it’s nobody’s problem.
- Review notification settings monthly. If you’re ignoring alerts, change them or turn them off.
How To Do It in ZapMail
- Go to Settings > Notifications.
- Choose your preference: instant, daily, or weekly.
- Set up rules: who gets notified for what.
- Test with a small group before rolling out to the whole team.
Step 6: Monitor, Adjust, and Don’t Overdo It
The biggest mistake? Setting it and forgetting it. Automations that made sense last quarter might be clogging up your inbox now.
- Check in after a week: Are you actually getting value from these reminders and tasks?
- Ask your team: Are the automations helpful, or just more noise?
- Tweak triggers and timing: If you’re getting reminded about things you’d never forget anyway, turn it off.
Skip the “automation for automation’s sake” trap. If it isn’t saving you time or helping you close more deals, it’s just digital clutter.
Pro Tips and Common Pitfalls
Here’s what I’ve seen work (and not work) in real sales teams:
Works well: - Automating initial follow-ups and routine tasks - Setting reminders for things you always forget (not things you never miss) - Using team-based tasks for handoffs (e.g., when a deal moves from SDR to AE)
Doesn’t work: - Over-complicating with too many conditional rules - Setting up automations you can’t explain to your team in plain English - Ignoring feedback from your team about what’s actually helpful
What to ignore: - “Productivity hacks” that take longer to set up than just doing the task - Automations that create busywork (e.g., tasks nobody actually completes)
Keep It Simple and Iterate
Automating reminders and tasks in ZapMail can help your sales team stay sharp and organized—but only if you keep it simple. Start with your biggest pain points, get those working, then add more as you see what helps (and what doesn’t). Don’t be afraid to turn things off if they’re just adding noise.
The best automations are the ones you barely notice—because they just work, quietly, in the background. So set up what you need, skip what you don’t, and keep tweaking until your workflow actually works for you.