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Workflows7 steps2 templates

Automate lead intake in an afternoon

Route every enquiry from form to follow-up automatically, so no lead waits and nothing slips through.

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You’ll get
Every new lead captured, tagged, notified and answered within minutes.
Best for
Service businesses and founders who get enquiries by form, email or DM.
Time
3–4 hours
Level
Intermediate

Tools: A form tool · A spreadsheet or CRM · An automation tool (Zapier, Make or n8n) · Email

Overview

Leads go cold fast. A reply within minutes feels like great service; a reply three days later feels like you were never that interested. Most small businesses lose leads not to competitors but to their own inbox.

This workflow puts every enquiry in one place, tells you the moment it arrives, sends a warm first reply automatically and nudges you if you forget to follow up.

7 steps · 3–4 hours

The steps

  1. Step 1: Map where leads come from

    20 min

    List every way people reach you. Pick one to automate first, usually the website form. You can add the others later with the same pattern.

    • Website forms
    • Email
    • Social DMs
    • Referrals and intros

  2. Step 2: Decide the fields you actually need

    20 min

    Only ask for what helps you qualify and reply: name, email, company, what they need, budget range, timeline. Every extra field costs submissions.

  3. Step 3: Create one place leads land

    30 min

    A spreadsheet or CRM with one row per lead and a status column: New, Contacted, Qualified, Won, Lost. Add a column for source so you learn which channel works.

  4. Step 4: Connect the form

    45 min

    In your automation tool, build one flow: new submission → add a row → notify you by email or chat → tag the lead by what they asked for.

    Tip: Test with a fake submission after every change. Automations break silently.

  5. Step 5: Send an instant, human reply

    30 min

    An automatic email that confirms you received the message, says when you will reply ("within one working day") and links one genuinely useful thing, like a relevant case study or guide.

    Tip: Write it like a person, not a ticket system. It is the first impression.

  6. Step 6: Add a follow-up nudge

    30 min

    If a lead is still "New" after 24 hours, remind yourself. A simple scheduled check in the automation tool is enough.

  7. Step 7: Test end to end, then go live

    20 min

    Submit the form as a stranger would, on your phone. Check the row, the notification, the auto-reply and the nudge. Then switch it on.

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