How do I automate my business processes?

Mike spent his days doing what he called "digital paperwork." As Operations Director, he saw his team repeatedly copying data between systems, sending the same follow-up emails, and manually updating records. "We were doing robot work instead of human work," he recalls.

Beyond Basic Automation

Today, Mike's team focuses on what matters most - building relationships and solving complex problems. HubSpot's automation tools handle the routine tasks, creating what he calls "intelligent workflows that think like we do."

The Automation Breakthrough

Everything changed when they stopped thinking about automation as a tool and started thinking about it as a strategic asset. "We weren't just trying to save time," Mike explains. "We were trying to create better experiences for both our team and our customers."

Finding the Right Balance

One of Mike's favorite success stories involves their deal management process. Previously, sales reps manually updated deals, sent follow-ups, and notified teammates. Now, a sophisticated set of workflows:

Updates deal stages based on customer actions
Triggers personalized follow-ups at the right moment
Alerts relevant team members automatically
Enriches contact data using Breeze Intelligence

"The magic isn't in the automation itself," Mike notes. "It's in knowing when to automate and when to add the human touch."

Creating Smart Workflows

Mike's team follows a simple but effective approach to automation:

Map the Process Understand each step, decision point, and desired outcome before building any automation.
Identify Triggers Look for reliable signals that can initiate automated actions - from form submissions to customer behaviors.
Build in Intelligence Use conditions and if/then logic to make workflows adapt to different scenarios.
Measure and Refine Track the impact of automation on both efficiency and effectiveness.

The Human Element

"Our most successful automation actually increased customer interaction," Mike shares. By automating routine tasks, his team has more time for meaningful conversations. Their automated meeting follow-ups, for example, are personalized based on the discussion and trigger different actions depending on the customer's response.

Your Automation Journey

Start by asking: Which tasks are repeatable? Where do your teams spend time on manual work? Let these insights guide your automation strategy.

Remember: The goal isn't to automate everything - it's to free your team to focus on what matters most.

Need help building your automation strategy? Your HubSpot representative can guide you through creating workflows that drive real business value.