Using Attention to automate follow up tasks after sales calls

If you’re tired of sales calls piling up and follow-ups slipping through the cracks, this guide’s for you. We’ll get into the real nuts and bolts of using Attention to automate follow-up tasks after sales calls. No big promises—just what actually works, what to watch out for, and how to set things up so you don’t have to babysit software (or your calendar).

Why Automate Follow-Up? (And What Actually Matters)

Let’s be honest: most sales teams are stretched thin. After a call, you’re supposed to update the CRM, send recap emails, schedule the next meeting, and log notes. Most of that’s boring, repetitive, and, let’s face it, a recipe for human error—especially if you’re jumping from call to call.

Manual follow-up is where deals go to die. Miss an email, forget a task, and your “hot lead” goes cold. Automation can help, but only if it’s actually saving you time, not adding another layer of busywork.

What’s worth automating?

  • Logging call summaries and notes
  • Creating tasks or reminders
  • Sending recap emails or follow-ups
  • Updating CRM fields (deal stage, next steps)
  • Scheduling future meetings

What isn’t?

  • Stuff that’s too nuanced for AI (like customizing a pitch deck)
  • Anything that needs real judgment or a personal touch

If you want to hand off the easy stuff and free up your brain for actual selling, you’re in the right place.

Step 1: Get Set Up With Attention (Skip the Hype)

First things first: Attention is an AI tool that claims to automate the tedious parts of sales follow-up. At its core, it listens to your calls (usually via integrations with Zoom, Google Meet, or your calendar), transcribes them, and then tries to figure out what needs to happen next.

Set-up is pretty straightforward:

  1. Sign Up and Integrate
  2. Create an account on Attention.
  3. Connect your calendar and conferencing tools.
  4. If your CRM is supported (think Salesforce, HubSpot, etc.), connect that too.

  5. Be ready to give permissions—these tools are hungry for access.

  6. Set Permissions Carefully

  7. Only connect what you’re comfortable sharing.
  8. If your org is twitchy about privacy, check their policies.

  9. Test it on a dummy account if you’re not sure.

  10. Customize Your Workflow

  11. Attention will prompt you to pick what you want automated (notes, tasks, emails, CRM updates).
  12. Don’t turn on everything at once—start with one or two automations so you can see what’s working (and what’s just noise).

Pro Tip: If you’re not in a 1:1 sales role, or handle sensitive info, double-check with your manager or IT. These tools are great until compliance comes knocking.

Step 2: Automate Call Summaries and Notes

After a sales call, there’s usually a mad dash to type up what happened before you forget. Attention claims to handle this.

Here’s how it works (and where it can stumble):

  1. Transcription
  2. Attention records and transcribes your call.

  3. Most of the time, this is decent, but expect errors with accents, crosstalk, or jargon.

  4. Summary Generation

  5. It spits out a summary: “Who said what, key topics, action items.”

  6. These are usually generic (“Discussed pricing and next steps”), but better than nothing.

  7. CRM Sync

  8. If you’ve connected your CRM, these notes can get pushed directly to the relevant contact or deal.

What works:
- Quick recaps for your own memory. - Making sure something (anything!) gets logged so your pipeline isn’t full of blanks.

What doesn’t:
- Nuanced context (“Client seemed skeptical about X” often gets lost). - Notes with the right tone for sharing directly with a prospect.

Ignore:
- Overly detailed transcripts—nobody reads them. Stick to action items and summaries.

Step 3: Let Attention Create Follow-Up Tasks Automatically

Here’s where things can actually save you time—if you set it up right.

  1. Action Item Extraction
  2. Attention scans for “next steps” during the call.

  3. It’ll try to create tasks like “Send proposal by Friday” or “Schedule demo next week.”

  4. Task Creation in Your Tools

  5. If you’ve integrated with your to-do list or CRM, these tasks can drop right into your workflow.
  6. No more sticky notes or lost email reminders.

What works:
- Clear, specific asks (“Email deck to Jane by Tuesday”). - Standard follow-ups (booking next call, sending info).

What doesn’t:
- Vague action items (“Circle back later” confuses AI). - Tasks that require human judgment (“If they seem interested, send X”).

Pro Tip: Spend 2 minutes after each call reviewing the tasks created. Fix mistakes, delete junk, and add anything the AI missed. A little cleanup now saves big headaches later.

Step 4: Automate Follow-Up Emails (With Caution)

The dream: AI writes and sends your follow-up emails so you can move on. The reality: it’s getting better, but you still need to babysit it.

  1. Draft Recap Emails
  2. Attention will draft an email summarizing the call and next steps.

  3. Sometimes it nails it; other times, it reads like a robot.

  4. Personalize Before Sending

  5. Always review the draft.

  6. Edit for tone, add anything the AI missed, and double-check for weird errors.

  7. Send or Schedule

  8. Many tools let you send right from the platform, or you can copy/paste into your email client.

What works:
- Simple, factual recaps. - Reminders of next steps.

What doesn’t:
- Anything emotional, apologetic, or high-stakes.
- Important deals—you’ll want to write those yourself.

Ignore:
- “Set it and forget it” promises. Blindly sending AI-written emails is a good way to look careless.

Step 5: Update Your CRM Without Lifting a Finger

Nobody likes updating the CRM, but if you don’t, your pipeline turns into fiction. Attention tries to do this for you.

  1. Sync After Each Call
  2. Call notes, next steps, and even deal stage updates can be pushed into the CRM.

  3. Some tools let you set rules (“If next step is demo, move deal to ‘Demo Scheduled’”).

  4. Check for Errors

  5. AI can get confused—especially if your CRM fields are custom.
  6. Review updates regularly, especially at the start.

What works:
- Basic fields (notes, next steps, contact info). - Default pipelines.

What doesn’t:
- Anything custom or complex (custom deal properties, multi-stage approvals).

Ignore:
- The idea that you’ll never have to touch your CRM again. Think of AI as a helper, not a replacement.

What to Watch Out For: Pitfalls and Limitations

Let’s not sugarcoat it—no tool is magic. Here’s what to keep an eye on:

  • Privacy: Recording calls can be a legal minefield. Make sure everyone’s cool with it and you’re following local laws.
  • Accuracy: AI gets things wrong. Always double-check important details.
  • Over-automation: Too many automated tasks or emails can annoy teammates (or prospects).
  • Integration Hell: Not every tool plays nice with every CRM or calendar. Test before rolling out to your whole team.
  • Cost: These tools aren’t always cheap. Make sure you’re actually saving time (and not just adding another line item to your budget).

Pro Tips for Actually Making This Work

  • Start Small: Automate one part of your follow-up (like call notes) before turning on everything.
  • Review Early and Often: The first week, check every AI-generated note, task, and email. Tweak settings as you go.
  • Get Feedback: Ask your team what’s working (and what isn’t). Don’t be afraid to turn off stuff that adds noise.
  • Stay Human: Use automation for grunt work, not real relationships.

Keep It Simple (And Adjust as You Go)

Automating sales follow-up with tools like Attention can absolutely save you time—if you keep it simple and stay hands-on at first. Don’t expect perfection. Let the AI handle the repetitive stuff, but keep your eyes open and adjust as you go. You’ll save hours, avoid dropped leads, and actually have some brainpower left for selling.

Remember: good automation is invisible. If you’re spending more time managing your tools than talking to customers, it’s time to dial it back. Start small, keep what works, and leave the rest.