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How to manage your leads automatically: From lead nurture to sales outreach

By Elena Alston · April 24, 2025
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Now that you've effectively captured leads through your lead generation efforts—and managed to qualify them through your lead enrichment process, the real work begins: turning leads into paying customers. 

Think back to your sales cycle. Once you have a prospect, how do you encourage them through different deal stages? Do they need to go into a drip email campaign first? How do you know when it's time for a sales call? And how do you prepare your reps for sales calls?

Every business has its own strategy for converting leads, but timely follow-up is universal. There's a short window in which you have a prospect's interest—automation can help you capitalize on it. Here's how.

Zapier is the most connected AI orchestration platform—integrating with thousands of apps from partners like Google, Salesforce, and Microsoft. Use interfaces, data tables, and logic to build secure, automated, AI-powered systems for your business-critical workflows across your organization's technology stack. Learn more.

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Automate your lead nurture

Maintaining the flow of leads is often tedious work with lots of manual interventions. There are so many moving parts—forms, CRMs, email marketing lists, eCommerce platforms, to name only a few. And shuffling information between these apps can overwhelm even the most seasoned marketing pro. 

But with automation, you can simplify your lead nurture workflows by connecting your lead management tools to the rest of your tech stack. Here are a few different ways to do that. 

Route leads to the right reps

It's important to think about your sales cycle. When is it time to create a deal for a prospect? How do you know if a lead is sales qualified, marketing qualified, or none of the above? Map out this process first. Then, start from the beginning. Once you have a qualified lead, who on your team needs to know?

With Zapier, you can automatically route new leads from your CRM to the right team members wherever they work the most (think team chat apps or email). If you want to get even more granular, add a filter step to make sure only qualified or high-priority leads trigger notifications—so your team stays focused without getting overwhelmed by noise.

Post messages to a Slack channel when new HubSpot contacts are added to lists

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    Want to make sure the entire team knows about those key contacts and customers? Set up this Zap to watch your HubSpot list and we'll take care of the rest. Triggered with every new contact you add to that specific list, Zapier will include their details in a message sent to any of your Slack channels, so folks stay in the know.

    Send Slack messages for qualified leads in Salesforce

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      Not every new lead in Salesforce needs immediate attention—but the right ones do. This Zap filters new Salesforce leads based on criteria you set (like lead source or score), and sends a Slack channel message when a qualified lead comes in. It’s an easy way to keep your team in the loop and focused on the leads that matter most.

      Send Slack messages about new "hot" contacts in HubSpot identified by Akkio

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        Score new or updated HubSpot contacts using Akkio's custom-to-your-business Machine Learning Model. When a lead is predicted as very likely to purchase (>80%), this Zap will automatically send a message to the sales team Slack channel for quick follow-up.

        Send emails in Gmail when new deals are added to a stage on Pipedrive

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          Let your team know about a Pipedrive new deal - in a pipeline stage - in just one step. Use Zapier to send the new deal automatically as a Gmail outbound message.

          Pro tip: You can use paths to route leads to different sales reps based on certain keywords or criteria in your CRM. For example, if your lead selected a specific product or service in a form, you can route them to the sales rep who specializes in that field. 

          A multi-step Zap with paths that starts with a new contact in HubSpot.

          Enroll leads in email campaigns

          A lead may not be ready to have a sales conversation right away. They might have only just signed up for a webinar or submitted a form signalling lukewarm interest. 

          That's where email drips and campaigns come in handy because you can encourage prospects over time. With these Zaps, you can automatically add new leads to an email newsletter, a drip email list, or an SMS list. 

          Create or update Mailchimp subscribers from new Google Forms submissions

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            The easiest way to collect a lead from your website is using a simple form, but the hard part comes with managing that data by hand. Don't you want to add those leads directly to your email marketing list? Now with this integration, you can! Set up this Zap to automatically create or update a Mailchimp subscriber as soon as a new Google Forms submission is received.

            Add new Eventbrite attendees to a Mailchimp list

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              Rather than messing around with CSV files, use Zapier to automatically add new attendee emails and details to a Mailchimp list. Once you set up this Eventbrite-Mailchimp integration, new attendees from that point forward are automatically added to your email marketing software.

              Create contacts for ActiveCampaign automations from new leads in Facebook Lead Ads

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                If you find yourself preparing your ActiveCampaign automations by hand, you're really just spending time to save time. Increase your savings with this integration, which automatically adds an existing contact, or creates and adds a new contact, into any ActiveCampaign automation as soon as a new lead is created in Facebook Lead Ads. Transport your lead data instantly without the chore of manual entries.

                Add new Typeform forms respondents to Kit sequences

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                  Add contacts to automated workflows without manual data entry. Set up this integration and, when someone fills out a Typeform form, they'll get added to an automation. Now, sending leads targeted messages will be automatic.

                  Note: You can also add a filter to make sure you're only adding folks who want to subscribe to your newsletter. 

                  Retarget leads with ads

                  Some leads start strong—they book a call, download a resource, or enter your CRM after showing initial interest. But then…nothing. Instead of losing those leads, you can re-engage them with ads on platforms like Google Ads or LinkedIn Ads.  

                  But locating those leads and uploading them manually can cause a real drain on your sales teams. Instead, use these Zap templates to automatically add leads from your CRM to custom audiences in your ad tools based on certain events (like if they enter a certain deal stage):  

                  Add HubSpot contacts to a list to add them in Google Ads Customer Lists

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                    Who has time to switch back and forth between platforms? Make your workflow a tad smoother with this integration, which will allow you to simply add HubSpot contacts to a list to add them to Google Ads customer lists. No more copying and pasting between platforms, which means more time for you to do meaningful work.

                    Add emails to Facebook Custom Audiences when new Pipedrive deals match filters

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                    Pipedrive + Facebook Custom Audiences
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                      Boost your Facebook marketing efforts by seamlessly connecting Pipedrive and Facebook Custom Audiences with this automation. When a deal matching a specific filter is found in Pipedrive, the associated email address will be added to a custom audience in your Facebook Custom Audiences campaign, allowing you to target potential customers more effectively. Save time and enhance your marketing strategy with this powerful workflow.

                      Add new Salesforce leads to a LinkedIn Matched Audiences segment

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                        Make sure you're marketing to everyone that matters by using your leads to optimize your ad reach. Once this integration is active, Zapier will automatically add every new Salesforce lead you get to a segment on LinkedIn Matched Audiences so your ad targeting can help hone in on more people like them.

                        Pro tip: By adding delay steps to these workflows, you can put your Zap's actions on hold before adding leads to a retargeting audience—giving your team time to follow up with those leads first. That way, if the lead does engage within that window, you can prevent overwhelm.  

                        Book demo calls

                        Depending on the service you're offering, you may want to book consultation or demo calls with prospects. You can get started quickly with these workflows, which will automatically send call invites to leads when they're in a specific deal stage. If you use a booking or scheduling app, you can include your calendar link in the email message.

                        Send emails in Gmail when new deals are added to a stage on Pipedrive

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                        Pipedrive + Gmail
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                          Let your team know about a Pipedrive new deal - in a pipeline stage - in just one step. Use Zapier to send the new deal automatically as a Gmail outbound message.

                          Send emails via Gmail for new scheduled Calendly events

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                            Booking a meeting with someone is just the first part of the process. Now you've got to send them confirmation details. Do that with this integration, and let Zapier automatically send a custom emails in Gmail for each new Calendly event that's scheduled. Never worry about sending the email yourself again!

                            Send Calendly invites to HubSpot leads via Gmail

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                              Manually sending meeting invites to leads can slow down your outreach and follow-up process. With this Zap, when a lead is added to a specific list in HubSpot, a one-off Calendly invite is automatically sent to them via Gmail. It's a simple way to streamline scheduling and ensure no lead falls through the cracks.

                              Pro tip: Collecting and organizing lead data can be overwhelming. Simplify the process with our lead capture template, which gives you a scalable, centralized system that collects your leads from multiple sources and adds it to your CRM.

                              Interfaces Template Icon Free Offer
                              Unified lead capture

                              Easily channel leads from multiple sources into your CRM.

                              Create sales prep automatically

                              Preparing for sales calls takes a lot of analysis. Sales reps need to research contacts, analyze their pain points, and identify relevant talking points before every meeting. But when reps are juggling multiple calls a day, manually gathering this information on the fly is no easy feat. 

                              Instead, you can use these Zaps to eliminate most of the legwork. Whenever a new sales call is booked in Google Calendar, AI tools like ChatGPT can collect relevant company and contact details from other sources or documentation, then compile conversation pointers. Finally, Zapier will add all that information into a Google Doc. That way, your sales reps can enter meetings fully prepared.

                              Create meeting agendas in Google Docs with ChatGPT from new Google Calendar events

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                                Tired of manually creating agendas for your meetings? This Zap automates the process by generating a meeting agenda using ChatGPT whenever a new event is added to your Google Calendar. The agenda is then automatically appended to a Google Docs file, saving you time and ensuring you're always prepared for your meetings. Let automation simplify your workflow!

                                Generate meeting insights from Google Calendar events with HubSpot and AI, then save to Google Docs

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                                  Keeping track of context for every meeting can slow down your prep. With this Zap, Zapier searches for new Google Calendar events, finds the related company in HubSpot, and sends the details to AI by Zapier to generate a summary or insight. That output is then automatically added to a running Google Doc—so you’re always ready, without manual research or note-taking.

                                  Summarize Calendly meetings with ChatGPT and save notes to Google Docs

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                                    Capturing meeting context before a call can be time-consuming. With this Zap, whenever someone books a meeting through Calendly, a ChatGPT assistant generates a summary or prep notes based on the invite details and your personalized documentation you uploaded. The output is then automatically added to a running Google Doc—so your meeting notes are always ready, without the manual lift.

                                    Want to automatically prep your sales team before every call? Click the template below to generate AI-powered briefs and send them to Slack—no manual research required.

                                    Interfaces Template Icon Free Offer
                                    Automatic call prep

                                    Help customer-facing teams prep faster and smarter.

                                    Automate initial sales outreach

                                    Whenever a lead first reaches out, it's your chance to start the conversation—and the more personal your response, the better. A thoughtful email can go a long way in building trust early on. But let's be honest: you probably don't have the bandwidth to craft a custom message for every single inquiry.

                                    That's where automation comes in. With these Zap templates, you can send personalized emails any time you collect a new prospect from your lead sources. And by layering in an AI step to write the drafts for you, you can scale your outreach without sacrificing that personal touch. 

                                    Write personalized emails with ChatGPT based on Google Forms submissions

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                                    Google Forms + ChatGPT (OpenAI) + Gmail
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                                      Automatically craft personalized emails with the power of AI based on Google Forms submissions. Whenever someone fills out your form, this Zap prompts ChatGPT to generate a tailored email, ensuring timely and relevant responses. Say goodbye to manual follow-ups and hello to effortless, AI-driven communication.

                                      Send AI-generated welcome emails new leads in Salesforce with Claude

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                                        Engaging new leads promptly and personally can significantly enhance conversion rates. This Zap template streamlines your lead engagement process by automatically crafting and sending personalized welcome emails to new leads or customers recorded in Salesforce, with the assistance of Anthropic (Claude). On the detection of a new record in Salesforce, a conversation is triggered with Claude to generate a warm and engaging welcome email, which is then dispatched via Gmail.

                                        Create email copy with ChatGPT from new Gmail emails and save as drafts in Gmail

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                                          Need help drafting email responses? This integration means that whenever you receive a new customer email, ChatGPT will write a response and save it automatically as a Gmail draft. This Zap lets you send your prospects and customers better-worded, faster email responses, powered by AI.

                                          Generate personalized responses in ChatGPT for new HubSpot form submissions

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                                            With this Zap template, every time a new form is filled out in HubSpot, it generates a prompt using OpenAI. It then creates an email draft in HubSpot using ChatGPT, enabling you to effortlessly craft customized emails based on the contact details received.

                                            Learn more: How to write sales emails with AI and automation.

                                            Follow up after key engagements

                                            The sales funnel doesn't always follow a linear path. There are often dips in momentum, unanswered emails, and leads who go quiet just when they seem ready to convert. That's why it's so important to stay proactive (and as consistent as possible) with follow-up.

                                            Maybe you've just wrapped a promising sales call and want to send a personalized recap based on the meeting transcript. Or perhaps someone attended your webinar, and you want to follow up with a case study or product comparison after a brief delay.  

                                            With automation, you can send thoughtful, timely follow-ups based on exactly how and when a lead interacts with your business. These Zaps make it easy to scale that process while keeping every message relevant.

                                            Extract details from TL;DV with ChatGPT and write an email

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                                            tl;dv + ChatGPT (OpenAI) + Email by Zapier
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                                              Automatically extract key details from TL;DV meeting recordings and turn them into a well-crafted email with ChatGPT. Whenever a new recording is available, this Zap pulls important insights and generates an email draft, ensuring follow-ups are timely and accurate. Save time on post-meeting communication and keep everyone in the loop effortlessly.

                                              Send follow-up emails with ChatGPT and Gmail after Fireflies.ai meetings

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                                              Fireflies.ai + ChatGPT (OpenAI) + Gmail
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                                                Following up after a meeting is key—but writing personalized emails every time can slow you down. With this Zap, when a new meeting is logged in Fireflies.ai, ChatGPT generates a custom follow-up email based on the meeting context. The email is then automatically sent via Gmail, so your follow-up happens fast, without sacrificing the personal touch.

                                                Send follow-up resources after a Demio webinar with delay and Gmail

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                                                  Following up after a webinar is a great way to keep leads engaged—but timing is everything. This Zap waits a set amount of time after a webinar update in Demio, then sends a follow-up email via Gmail. Use it to automatically share demos, case studies, or other sales materials with attendees—so your message lands when it's most likely to resonate.

                                                  Send emails after new engagements occur in Hubspot

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                                                    Engaging with leads at the right moment can make all the difference—but it's hard to stay on top of every activity manually. With this Zap, whenever a new engagement occurs in HubSpot (after a delay), an email is automatically sent via Gmail. It’s a simple way to keep the conversation going and ensure your follow-up hits while interest is still high.

                                                    Want a central place to manage, enrich, and route leads automatically? Click on the template below to build a shareable lead hub powered by Zapier Tables and Interfaces.

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                                                    Lead Hub Template

                                                    Create an AI-enriched lead hub for your team or clients to review, contact, and add leads to their CRM.

                                                    Advanced tips for automating lead management

                                                    As we mentioned above, the best way to streamline your lead management workflows is to go beyond a simple two-step Zap. When you start with the bigger picture, you can find even more opportunities for scaling while improving efficiency.  

                                                    For example, here's a visualization (using Zapier Canvas) of how a sales ops team might build an automated lead management system that nurtures leads through multiple channels like email campaigns, retargeted ads, and old-fashioned sales calls—automatically.

                                                    A flowchart of a multi-step Zap system in Zapier Canvas.

                                                    Streamline your lead management process

                                                    The sales cycle can be a long one, but that time doesn't need to be tied up on the administrative side of lead management or nurture. 

                                                    Automation can help you streamline the process, so you can focus more on making the best pitch to your prospects. 

                                                    And if you're looking for even more inspiration for streamlining and supercharging your sales operations, we've rounded up the best ways to automate your lead management: 

                                                    This article was originally published in 2020, with previous contributions by Alison Groves, Hannah Herman, and Jack Beaudoin. It was most recently updated in April 2025 by Elena Alston.

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                                                    A Zap with the trigger 'When I get a new lead from Facebook,' and the action 'Notify my team in Slack'