#004 — Lead Follow-Up Automation | CMART™ Vault
#004 · Solar Contractor Series Automation

Lead Follow-Up
Automation

Every lead deserves an instant response — especially the ones who enquire at midnight. Build your first automated follow-up workflow and never let a lead go cold again.

12 min read Hands-on — build as you read Works inside CMART™ App

By the end of this resource you will

  • Understand what a workflow is and how it works inside CMART™ App
  • Know the ideal follow-up sequence for a solar lead
  • Have your first automated email + SMS follow-up workflow live and published
  • Understand how to stop the sequence automatically when a lead replies

Section 1

Why Follow-Up Is Where Solar Jobs Are Won

Most solar leads don't convert on the first touch. They submit a form, wait to see who responds first, and often go with the contractor who follows up fastest — not necessarily the best one. Speed and consistency win the job.

Think of it this way

Imagine a homeowner gets three solar quotes. Contractor A calls back the next day. Contractor B never follows up. Contractor C sends an email within 5 minutes, a WhatsApp the next morning, and a follow-up two days later. Contractor C wins — not because their price is lower, but because they felt more professional and present. Your automation becomes Contractor C, even while you're on a roof in Midrand.

A workflow inside CMART™ App is a set of automated actions that fire in sequence when a trigger happens — like someone submitting your opt-in form. Once it's set up, it runs automatically, 24 hours a day, for every new lead.


Section 2

The Ideal Solar Follow-Up Sequence

This is the sequence we recommend for solar contractors as a starting point. It balances speed with persistence — without being pushy. You can adjust timing and messaging to suit your style.

Your Automated Workflow — Overview

Trigger
Form Submitted
Fires the moment a lead submits your opt-in form or contact form on your SMART Website.
📧
Email 1 — Instant Acknowledgement
Sends within seconds. Thanks the lead, confirms you received their enquiry, and sets expectations for when they'll hear from you.
💬
Action · Immediate
SMS 1 — Instant Text
A short, friendly SMS sent at the same time as Email 1. SMS is opened within minutes — it ensures they know you saw their enquiry fast.
Wait Step
Wait 1 Day
Pauses the workflow for 24 hours before the next action fires.
📧
Email 2 — Value & Credibility
Shares a useful resource (like your Solar Savings Calculator or a case study). Builds trust and keeps you top of mind.
Wait Step
Wait 2 Days
Another pause before the final follow-up touch.
📧
Email 3 — Soft Call to Action
A gentle nudge to book a free site assessment or reply with questions. No pressure — just an open door.
🏷
Action
Add Tag — "solar-followup-complete"
Tags the contact so you can track who has completed the sequence and segment them for future campaigns.
End of Workflow
Sequence Complete
The contact remains in your CRM. You can enrol them in a longer nurture sequence later, or follow up manually.
💡 Important: Add a "Customer Replied" trigger or an If/Else condition to stop the sequence automatically if the lead replies to any message. You don't want to keep sending automated emails to someone who has already booked a call.

Section 3

Build Your Workflow Step by Step

Follow these steps inside your CMART™ App. Take it one step at a time — the workflow builder is visual and straightforward once you know where everything is.

1

Create a New Workflow

Inside your CMART™ App, navigate to:

PathAutomation → Workflows → + Create Workflow

When prompted, select Start from Scratch. Give your workflow a clear name — something like "Solar Lead Follow-Up Sequence" — so you can find it easily later.

2

Set Your Trigger

Click Add New Trigger and select Form Submitted from the list.

Click Add Filter → Form is, then select the specific opt-in form you built in Resource #003 (your lead magnet form). Click Save.

This ensures the workflow only fires for leads who came through that specific form — not every form submission in your account.

💡 Tip: Give your trigger a descriptive name like "Solar Opt-in Form Submitted". This makes it easy to read your workflow at a glance when you come back to it later.
3

Add Email 1 — Instant Acknowledgement

Click + Add Action → Send Email. Configure it as follows:

From Name: Your business name (e.g. SunTech Solar)
From Email: Your sender email address
Subject: We got your enquiry, {{contact.first_name}} ☀️

Write a short, warm message — confirm receipt, introduce yourself, and let them know you'll be in touch within 24 hours. Use {{contact.first_name}} to personalise the greeting.

Click Save Action.

💡 Send a test email before moving on. Use the "Send Test Email" option inside the email editor to confirm it lands in your inbox and looks correct.
4

Add SMS 1 — Instant Text

Click + Add Action → Send SMS. Keep it short — SMS works best under 160 characters.

Example message:

Hi {{contact.first_name}} 👋 Thanks for reaching out about solar. We'll be in touch shortly. — [Your Name], [Business Name]

Click Save Action.

⚠️ SMS requires a connected phone number. Make sure your CMART™ App phone number is set up under Settings → Phone Numbers before publishing this workflow. If SMS is not yet set up, skip this step and add it later.
5

Add a Wait Step (1 Day)

Click + Add Action → Wait. Set the duration to 1 day. This pauses the workflow before the next email fires.

Click Save Action.

💡 Timing matters: You can also set the wait to deliver only during business hours (e.g. 8am–6pm Mon–Fri). This prevents follow-up emails landing at 3am. Look for the "Allow actions only during business hours" option inside the Wait step settings.
6

Add Email 2 — Value & Credibility

Click + Add Action → Send Email. This email should deliver something useful — a link to your Solar Savings Calculator, a short case study, or a "5 questions to ask your solar installer" tip.

Subject: Thinking about solar? Here's something useful, {{contact.first_name}}

Keep the body conversational and short. One useful piece of value + one soft call to action (e.g. "Reply to this email with any questions").

Click Save Action, then add another Wait step — 2 days.

7

Add Email 3 — Soft Call to Action

Click + Add Action → Send Email. This is your final touch in the sequence — keep it brief and low pressure.

Subject: Still thinking about solar, {{contact.first_name}}?

Offer a clear next step: book a free site assessment, reply with questions, or visit your website. Don't be pushy — just open the door.

Click Save Action.

8

Add a Tag — "solar-followup-complete"

Click + Add Action → Add Tag. Type solar-followup-complete and save.

This tag marks every contact who has gone through the full sequence, so you can filter and report on them later — and avoid sending them the same sequence again.

9

Publish Your Workflow

Before publishing, click through every step and review it. Check that:

  • The trigger is set to the correct form
  • Email 1 sends immediately with correct sender details
  • SMS 1 message is under 160 characters
  • Wait steps are between actions
  • All emails use {{contact.first_name}} personalisation
  • The final tag is in place

When satisfied, toggle the workflow from Draft → Published using the toggle at the top right of the workflow builder. Click Save.

💡 Test it yourself first. Submit your own opt-in form using a personal email address and confirm the full sequence fires correctly before real leads start coming through.

Section 4 · Reference

Email Copy Starting Points

These are starting points — adapt them to your voice and business name. The pull in real contact data automatically from your CRM.


Section 5 · Your Action Steps

Your Implementation Checklist

Work through these before moving to the next resource. Tick each item as you complete it.

0 of 8 completed


  • I've created a new workflow named "Solar Lead Follow-Up Sequence"
  • My trigger is set to the correct opt-in form
  • Email 1 (immediate acknowledgement) is written and saved
  • SMS 1 (immediate text) is written and saved
  • Wait steps are added between each email
  • Email 2 (value) and Email 3 (soft CTA) are written and saved
  • The "solar-followup-complete" tag is added at the end
  • I've tested the full sequence using my own email and published the workflow