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Walkthrough

Automate Client Follow-Up in 30 Minutes

Step-by-step walkthrough. Zero to an automated follow-up sequence. No code.

The most common place service businesses lose revenue is between the first conversation and the close. Someone books a call, says they are interested, and then goes quiet, and nobody follows up consistently. This walkthrough builds the system that does it for you, in under 30 minutes, without writing a single line of code.

What's inside

  • The 3-message follow-up sequence structure, with timing and content for each message
  • How to trigger it automatically from your CRM or inbox
  • Wiring it in Make or n8n: drag-and-drop logic, no code required
  • The personalisation layer that makes it feel human, not automated
  • How to handle replies and hand off to you at exactly the right moment

Why it works

Automation that feels like automation gets ignored. This sequence is built around the timing and language that actually generates responses, not because it is clever but because it is consistent where humans are not. One operator I built this for recovered 3 lost clients in the first week of running it.

Full Resource

The 3-message sequence

These are the actual messages. Copy them, replace the brackets, and wire them into Make.com or n8n using the setup steps below.

Copy this prompt
MESSAGE 1 -- Send within 1 hour of first contact

Subject: Following up from [context -- e.g. "your enquiry" / "our call on Tuesday"]

Hi [First Name],

Quick follow-up from [the call / your enquiry / our conversation] on [day].

Based on what you mentioned, the area most worth looking at first is [one specific thing they described as a problem]. I have seen a similar situation with [their business type] before and it is usually fixable without a major overhaul.

If you want 20 minutes to look at exactly what that would look like for [business name], I am free [DAY] and [DAY]:
[CALENDLY LINK]

[Your name]
Copy this prompt
MESSAGE 2 -- Send 72 hours after Message 1 if no reply

Subject: [leave blank for reply thread]

Hi [First Name],

Just one thing I should have mentioned: I set this up for a [similar business] in [city] a few months ago. They were losing around [X hours / X bookings] per week to [the specific problem]. Running automatically now.

Still happy to show you how it would work for [business name] if the timing is better now:
[CALENDLY LINK]

[Your name]
Copy this prompt
MESSAGE 3 -- Send 5 days after Message 2 if no reply

Subject: [leave blank for reply thread]

Hi [First Name],

Last note from me. If the timing is not right, completely understand.

When it makes sense to look at this: [CALENDLY LINK] or reply directly here.

[Your name]

Make.com setup (step by step)

Free tier handles this. No paid subscription required for a basic 3-message sequence.

  1. 1Create a Make.com account at make.com (free)
  2. 2Click "Create a new scenario"
  3. 3Add trigger: "Watch Gmail" -- set filter to match your enquiry subject line or label
  4. 4Add a "Router" module to handle the first send immediately and the delays separately
  5. 5Path 1: Add "Gmail: Send Email" with Message 1 template. Variables: First Name, business name, Calendly link
  6. 6Add "Sleep" module set to 4320 minutes (72 hours)
  7. 7Add "Gmail: Search Messages" -- check if a reply arrived from the same thread
  8. 8Add a filter: if reply found, STOP. If no reply, continue.
  9. 9Add "Gmail: Send Email" with Message 2 template
  10. 10Add "Sleep" module set to 7200 minutes (5 days)
  11. 11Repeat reply check. If no reply, send Message 3.
  12. 12Run the scenario with your own email address as the test contact before going live
  13. 13Turn on the scenario. It runs automatically from this point forward.

Personalisation: what to replace every time

  • [First Name] -- pull from your intake form or CRM. Never skip this. "Hi there" kills response rates.
  • [one specific thing they described] -- this is the most important field. Generic = ignored. Reference exactly what they said.
  • [business name] -- their company name, not their personal name.
  • [similar business] -- the type of business you have done similar work for, as close to their niche as possible.
  • [CALENDLY LINK] -- your actual booking link. Every message should have it.
  • The more specific Message 1 is, the higher the reply rate. Spend 2 minutes personalising it. That is the entire job.

The one line you should never include

  • Do not open any of these messages with "I hope this email finds you well" or any variation of it.
  • Do not mention features, services, or what you offer in Message 1. The goal is a reply, not a sale.
  • Do not use "Just checking in" as a subject line or opener. It signals low value.
  • Do not send all 3 messages in the same week. The timing gaps are intentional.
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