Most sales automation projects take longer than they should because there is no clear order of operations. This checklist gives founders the right sequence what to build first, what to connect second, and what to measure to know it is working.

The pre-launch principle

Work through this in sequence. Each section depends on what was built before it.

Section 1: Foundation (Week 1)

• [ ] CRM selected and configured with your pipeline stages (not platform defaults)
• [ ] Required fields at each stage defined and set as mandatory
• [ ] Lead routing rules configured: who owns which type of lead
• [ ] Team members added to CRM with correct permission levels
• [ ] Mobile apps installed and tested on all team phones

Section 2: Lead capture (Week 1 2)

• [ ] Website contact form connected to CRM (test with a real submission)
• [ ] WhatsApp Business API set up via chosen BSP
• [ ] WhatsApp chatbot welcome message configured and tested
• [ ] AI qualification questions defined (3 5 questions maximum)
• [ ] Lead source attribution passing from each channel to CRM

Section 3: Immediate response automation (Week 2)

• [ ] Automatic WhatsApp welcome message (within 5 minutes of new lead) tested
• [ ] CRM rep notification on new lead assignment tested
• [ ] Rep task creation at new lead entry tested
• [ ] Mobile notification confirmed working on all team phones

Section 4: Follow-up sequences (Week 2 3)

• [ ] 4-touch follow-up sequence written: Day 0, Day 2, Day 7, Day 14
• [ ] Templates submitted to Meta and approved (allow 24 72 hours)
• [ ] Sequence triggers configured: fires if no activity in 48 hours
• [ ] Sequence halt trigger configured: stops when lead replies or call is logged
• [ ] Test sequence run with personal number confirm all 4 touches fire correctly

Section 5: Meeting booking (Week 3)

• [ ] Calendly or Cal.com account set up with availability configured
• [ ] Booking link added to follow-up sequence (Day 7 message)
• [ ] CRM integration: meetings booked via Calendly auto-log to CRM
• [ ] Reminder automations: 24-hour and 1-hour reminder via WhatsApp
• [ ] Test booking completed: confirm reminder chain fires correctly

Section 6: Proposal follow-up (Week 3)

• [ ] Proposal follow-up sequence built (Day 3, Day 7, Day 14 after proposal sent)
• [ ] Trigger configured: fires when deal stage changes to "Proposal Sent"
• [ ] Halt trigger: stops when client responds or deal stage advances
• [ ] WhatsApp templates for proposal follow-up approved by Meta

Section 7: Reporting and measurement (Week 4)

• [ ] Lead source report configured: which channels send the most leads
• [ ] Pipeline report configured: deal count and value by stage
• [ ] Sequence performance tracking: what percentage of leads are responding to automated touches
• [ ] Rep activity report: are automated tasks being completed by the team

Section 8: First 30-day review

• [ ] Read 10 real chatbot/automation transcripts what confused customers?
• [ ] Review sequence response rates which touch got the most replies?
• [ ] Pipeline health check any stage with abnormal deal count?
• [ ] Team feedback session what is the team skipping, and why?
• [ ] Plan for Version 2: what to add or change based on real usage data

Frequently asked questions