Templated email follow-up in a CRM

> Cost: Paid. Automated sequences ("Workflows") need Close Growth: $99/user/month billed annually ($109 monthly). Cheaper plans give you the CRM and templates but not automation.

Honest note: this is rule-based automation (a timed email sequence), not AI. The numbers (9-day cycle, 3,000+ emails/month, "templates used hundreds of times a month") come from an older vendor case study with no before/after, so they show activity, not proof the CRM caused the faster sales. The lead sources in the story (purchased lists, LinkedIn campaigns, Facebook ads, cold calling) vary a lot in quality, and cold email must follow your local rules (consent, unsubscribe links, no misleading subjects).

Prerequisites

• A Close account on Growth or above (for Workflows).
• A spreadsheet of leads with company, contact name, email, phone.
• A connected sending mailbox for each rep.
• Your first-touch and follow-up email text.

Step-by-step setup

Step 1. Import your leads. Open your profile (bottom-left) → Import Data, choose your spreadsheet, map columns (company, contact, email, phone), choose how to handle duplicates, then start the import. Add a Lead Source column so you can compare sources later.

Step 2. Connect each rep's email and allow automation. Settings → Email to connect the mailbox. In Settings → Send As tick Allow automated Workflows to send on your behalf; otherwise the sequence errors.

Step 3. Save your templates. Settings → Communication → Templates & Snippets → create a template. Use tags such as {{lead.name}} so each email is personalized.

Step 4. Build the sequence. Click Workflows in the left sidebar → create a new Workflow → pick a trigger (a lead event, or trigger manually) → Add Step → Email, choose the template, add a delay (1 minute to 365 days) before the next step, and add further email or call-task steps. Keep Run Once so no one gets the same sequence twice. Leave the default Workflow Goals (incoming email, SMS, call, meeting booked) so the sequence stops when the person replies.

Step 5. Assign leads to reps. Add an assign lead step (Workflows can assign new leads and create follow-up tasks) or assign by hand from a Smart View.

Step 6. Log calls. Calls made in Close are logged automatically (usage-based charges). Cold calls made elsewhere can be logged manually on the lead.

Step 7. Check which templates work. Reports → Sent Email Report (Growth and Scale) shows sends, opens and replies by template. Compare quarter to quarter to decide which markets to chase.

What success looks like

Each lead gets a timed email series automatically, replies stop it, and reps see tasks instead of spreadsheets.

Common issues & fixes

• Workflow run in Error: the assigned user hasn't enabled Allow automated Workflows to send on your behalf.
• Emails go out slowly: they follow your email sending limits and the weekday 9am–4pm local-time window.
• Duplicates after import: use the duplicate setting during import and merge afterwards.

Easier: let your AI do it

Close's pricing page lists a Claude and a ChatGPT connection (to research leads, summarize history and build workflows). In Claude: Customize → Connectors, search for Close, Connect, sign in. I did not verify the Close-side permissions, so approve each action it proposes and keep sending steps in draft until you've reviewed them.

Optional: Maintenance

• Review replies weekly and prune dead leads. Re-check templates every quarter.

Copy-paste prompt

I sell [PRODUCT/SERVICE] to offices with [SIZE] employees. Write a 4-email cold sequence for Close: day 0 intro, day 3 follow-up, day 7 value add, day 12 break-up. Each under 90 words, with {{lead.name}} and {{contact.first_name}} tags, a clear unsubscribe line, and no invented claims or numbers. Add a subject line for each.

Sources

• Case: Close customer story, office beverage company. Credit: the company's sales leader (vendor-published, older).
• Close Help: Workflows
• Close Help: Importing leads from file
• Close Help: Emailing (templates)
• Close Help: Sent Email Report
• Close pricing