Automating Tasks and Emails in Your Sales Pipeline

Sales teams often struggle to keep deals moving forward. Missed follow-ups, inconsistent communication, and manual tracking slow things down, causing leads to go cold before they ever convert.

With BIGContacts, you can automate tasks and emails at every stage of your sales pipeline, ensuring:

• Sales reps always know their next step.
• Follow-ups happen on time, every time.
• Every prospect gets the right message at the right moment.

This guide walks you through how to set up automation, so your pipeline runs smoothly and efficiently.

Setting Up Automated Tasks

Every stage of your sales pipeline comes with actions—calls, meetings, or follow-ups. Instead of relying on reminders or spreadsheets, BIGContacts assigns tasks automatically based on where a deal is in the pipeline.

How to Automate Follow-Up Tasks

Go to Your Sales Pipeline Settings

• Click Pipeline in the left sidebar OR click Admin > Modules. 

• On the Modules page, click Customize Pipelines.

Choose a Sales Stage to Automate

• Switch to Stages tab and click on Add Sales Stage or edit an existing one.

• Name it clearly (e.g., "Proposal Sent," "Follow-Up Needed," "Negotiation").

Set Up Task Reminders

• Assign specific tasks for each stage.
• Define when tasks should be triggered (immediately, after a set number of days, or before a deadline).
• Assign tasks to the right team members.

Once set up, BIGContacts automatically assigns follow-up tasks when a deal enters a stage, ensuring nothing is missed.

Automate Follow-Ups Using Sales Stages (AutoPilot)

Once your sales stages are set up, you can automate follow-ups using AutoPilot. AutoPilot allows you to automatically send emails or create tasks based on how long a sales opportunity remains in a specific stage—helping ensure timely and consistent follow-ups.

 

Note: AutoPilot is configured separately from pipeline settings, but it relies on the sales stages you created earlier.

Access AutoPilot

Navigate to: Marketing → Campaigns → AutoPilot

On the AutoPilot page, click Add AutoPilot to create a new automation rule.

Create an AutoPilot Rule

When you click Add AutoPilot, the Create an AutoPilot window opens. Configure the following required details:

1. Select the Sales Opportunity Stage

Choose the Sales Opportunity Stage where the automation should apply (for example, Initial Meeting).
The AutoPilot rule will monitor opportunities in this stage.

2. Specify the Day in Stage

Enter the day in stage when the action should occur.
This determines how many days an opportunity must remain in the selected stage before AutoPilot triggers the action.

Example:
Trigger a follow-up email if an opportunity stays in the Initial Meeting stage for 5 days.

3. Choose the Action Type

Select the action AutoPilot should perform:

• Email – Automatically sends an email.

• Task – Automatically creates a task for a user.

Configure Email Actions (If Email Is Selected)

If you choose Email as the action, configure the following fields:

• Email From – Select who the email should be sent from (for example, the user the contact is assigned to)

• Email Subject – Enter the subject line for the automated email

• Email Body – Compose the email content using the editor

These emails are sent automatically when the stage and timing conditions are met.

Configure Task Actions (If Task Is Selected)

If you choose Task as the action, you can automatically assign follow-up tasks to ensure sales reps take timely action on stalled opportunities.

Save the AutoPilot Rule

After completing the required details, click Save. The AutoPilot rule becomes active and runs automatically to monitor opportunities and trigger actions based on stage duration.

Why Automate Your Sales Pipeline?

With automated tasks and emails, sales teams can focus on closing deals instead of managing follow-ups.

• No missed follow-ups—Tasks are assigned automatically.
• Timely communication—Emails reach prospects at the right time.
• A more efficient pipeline—Deals progress without manual effort.

Need help setting up automation? Contact support@bigcontacts.com for assistance.