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Scheduling Sales Task Reminders in Visual Workflows and Action Groups

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Forest Myers
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Though you can manually assign tasks through SharpSpring's Task Manager, consider assigning sales tasks with specially configured automation. SharpSpring's Sales Optimizer provides you with ways to automatically schedule reminders for your sales teams when a lead triggers a specific workflow.

This means that you do not need to solely rely on email notifications to update your teams as to what their tasks and goals are. Automated sales tasks ensure that there is no downtime between when a lead triggers your created automation and a user or lead owner being alerted to continuing the sales process.

This article will provide information on how to schedule task reminders using automation.

 


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Understanding Sales Task Automation

When you add sales task reminders to an automation, the task reminder will be scheduled when the workflow or action group is triggered by a lead. It will be due the set date and time. Those that are assigned to these tasks will find the scheduled reminder in their Task Manager window.

In addition, the assigned task will be highlighted in purple, which shows that it was created via sales automation with the Sales Optimizer. These reminders will notify the assigned user of the task in the same way that manually assigned tasks do. 


Creating Sales Task Automation

Sales task reminder automation requires action groups or workflows with initial actions or triggers to function. You will need to create an action group or a visual workflow in order to utilize sales task reminders.



Creating Sales Task Visual Workflows

Sales task actions can be added to visual workflows. Actions in workflows require an initial trigger and can be nested in action groups.

To create a visual workflow with a sales task action, do the following:

  1. Click Automation > Visual Workflows in SharpSpring's left toolbar.
  2. Create or edit a visual workflow.
  3. Click + Add > Trigger under Start.
  4. Select the desired trigger.
  5. Configure the trigger as necessary.
  6. Click + Add > Action under the added trigger.
  7. Click OK.
  8. Configure mandatory information for the action.
  9. Configure optional information for the action.
  10. Click OK.
  11. Complete the workflow with other triggers, filters, delays, or actions.
  12. Set the Activity toggle to Active.
          

Click to enlarge.
  Important: For a sales task to appear on an opportunity as a result of the Sales Optimizer, you must add a time delay to the workflow.

 


Creating Sales Task Opportunity Workflows 

Sales task actions can be added to opportunity workflows. Actions in workflows require an initial trigger and can be nested in action groups.

To create an opportunity workflow with a sales task action, do the following:

  1. Click Automation > Visual Workflows in SharpSpring's left toolbar.
  2. Create or edit an opportunity workflow.
  3. Click + Add > Trigger under Start.
  4. Select the desired trigger.
  5. Configure the trigger as necessary.
  6. Click + Add > Action under the added trigger.
  7. Click Create Sales Task.
  8. Configure mandatory information for the action.
  9. Configure optional information for the action.
  10. Click OK.
  11. Complete the workflow with other triggers, filters, delays, or actions.
  12. Set the Activity toggle to Active.
  

Click to enlarge.
  Important: For a sales task to appear on an opportunity as a result of the Sales Optimizer, you must add a time delay to the workflow.

 


Creating Sales Task Action Groups

Sales task actions can be added to action groups.

To create a visual workflow with a sales task action, do the following:

  1. Click Automation > Action Groups in SharpSpring's left toolbar.
  2. Create or edit an action group.
  3. Click + Add > Action under Start or an applicable action.
  4. Click Create Sales Task.
  5. Configure mandatory information for the action.
  6. Configure optional information for the action.
  7. Click OK.
  8. Complete the action group with other triggers, filters, delays, or actions.
  9. Set the Activity toggle to Active.
  

Click to enlarge.

 
Important: For a sales task to appear on an opportunity as a result of the Sales Optimizer, you must add a time delay to the workflow.
 

 

Configuring Sales Task Actions

Once you have created an action group, an opportunity workflow, or a visual workflow, you can add a sales task action. Sales task actions have both mandatory information fields that must be configured for the action to function correctly and optional information fields that do not need to be configured.



Entering Mandatory Information

To assign tasks and schedule reminders with sales task actions in workflows, do the following:

  1. Create an action group, opportunity workflow, or visual workflow.
  2. Configure the initial trigger or action.
  3. Click + Add > Action under the initial trigger or action.
  4. Click Create Sales Task.
  5. Select the desired task type from the Task Type drop-down menu:

       •   General

       •   Phone

       •   Email

       •   Meeting
  6. Select one of the following Due Date options:

       •   Days after task is assigned

       •   Hours and minutes after task is assigned
  7. Optionally, click the Wait until next available business hours checkbox.
  8. Enter a title for the task in the Enter a Title text field.
  9. Optionally, select a merge variable from the Insert Merge Variable drop-down menu above the Enter a Title text field.
  10. Select the user to assign the task to in the Select Assignee drop-down menu.
  11. Optionally, click the When available, assign to lead owner instead checkbox.
  12. Optionally, click the Send calendar invite checkbox.
  13. Configure optional information for the action.
  14. Click OK. 
   Click to enlarge.
 
Note: Only system merge variables can be inserted into titles.
 
Note: Reminders are scheduled according to the assigned user's time zone.
 
Note: When Wait until next available business hours is checked, sales tasks will only be assigned during business hours.
 



Entering Optional Information

To assign tasks and schedule reminders with sales task actions in workflows, do the following:

  1. Create an action group, opportunity workflow, or visual workflow.
  2. Configure the initial trigger or action.
  3. Click + Add > Action under the initial trigger or action.
  4. Click Create Sales Task.
  5. Configure mandatory information for the action.
  6. Optionally, enter task notes in the Enter recommendation notes for this task text box.
  7. Optionally, select a merge variable from the Insert Merge Variable drop-down menu.
  8. Enter a Smart Mail name in the Select Smart Mail text box.
  9. Optionally, click the Require Smart Mail Personalization checkbox. 
  10. Enter a Smart Mail name in the Select Smart Mail text box.
  11. Attach a trackable link to a Media Center asset in the Select Trackable Link drop-down menu.
  12. Click OK. 
   Click to enlarge.
 
Note: Only system merge variables can be inserted into task notes.
 


Regarding Time Delays in Sales Task Automation

If you want to schedule a task a certain amount of time after the automation is triggered, you will need to add time delays to your reminder automation.

If there are no time delays attached to the sales task action, the task reminder will be scheduled the same day the automation was triggered.

If there is a time delay attached to the sales task action, the task reminder will be scheduled a specified number of days in the future from the time when the automation was triggered.

In addition, for a sales task to appear on an opportunity as a result of the Sales Optimizer, you must add a time delay to the workflow.

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