Scheduling activities with a default duration

JB04
JB04 Member Posts: 8 VERIFIED MEMBER
Photogenic First Comment
edited February 5 in Sales CRM #1

Is there a way to set the default for all Activities to 15 minutes, so that when I select a start time, PD automatically sets the end time to 15 minutes later so that I don't have to select a start and end time each time. Thanks!

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Answers

  • Nikolai Sokolov
    Nikolai Sokolov Member Posts: 143 VERIFIED MEMBER
    Fourth Anniversary 100 Comments 5 Answers 25 Likes

    Hi @JB04

    try this simple workflow:

    Basically, whenever you create an activity and it has a start time, adjusting the duration will change its end time.

    What I suggest doing tho is a shortcut for typical activities. I.e. we use "f" for follow-ups, which is a very simple workflow that:

    • triggers if an activity with the name "f" was created
    • changes activity type to email
    • changes the name to "Follow-up with {activity.person name}
    • changes due date to +3 days
    • changes the duration to 15 min

    You can obviously use different settings for this, but the idea is to quickly add an activity with a snippet name, which is then changed by automation according to your rules.

  • JB04
    JB04 Member Posts: 8 VERIFIED MEMBER
    Photogenic First Comment

    Thanks Nikolai… this was a super helpful suggestion! I hope you can help a bit more. I'm trying to set up this automation: When a lead is created, an Activity is automatically created with the title "Initial email - Lead Title"… scheduled for 8:15am that same day (no matter what time the lead was created)… the activity is scheduled for 15 minutes… it is changed from "busy" to "free" (because I want that time on my Google calendar to appear as available to clients). Below is what I set up. The activity does show up on my Google Calendar but it puts it at 7am, it's scheduled for 30 minutes vs 15… but the biggest issue is that the activity doesn't link to the lead. I cannot figure out how to change these things. If you have thoughts on how to set this up correctly, I would greatly appreciate it!!

    Thanks! John

  • Nikolai Sokolov
    Nikolai Sokolov Member Posts: 143 VERIFIED MEMBER
    Fourth Anniversary 100 Comments 5 Answers 25 Likes

    Hi @JB04 add more fields to the action, like this:

    most importantly:

    • linked lead (this will allow you to link the task with the lead)
    • linked people
    • linked organization (if there is one on the deal)
    • time (this will allow you to set tasks to 8.15 specifically)
    • availability status (this will allow you to keep the status at free in your calendar)

  • JB04
    JB04 Member Posts: 8 VERIFIED MEMBER
    Photogenic First Comment

    Thank you SO much, Nikolai!!

  • JB04
    JB04 Member Posts: 8 VERIFIED MEMBER
    Photogenic First Comment

    I don't mean to test your kindness/patience, but I could use your help again, please. The first part of the automation is working now. The next step I need is, when the Initial email activity is marked done, I need to create a follow-up activity 2 days later to remind me to send a 1st follow up email. Below is how I set it up but it isn't creating the 1st FUP activity when I mark the other one as done. I'll also need to create a 2nd FUP activity, and then finally an Archive activity if the client hasn't responded by then. I would also like to create a way to stop the automation if the client responded, but I've searched online for how to do that and it doesn't seem possible.. ?? Thank you so much for any direction you can give!!!

    +

  • Nikolai Sokolov
    Nikolai Sokolov Member Posts: 143 VERIFIED MEMBER
    Fourth Anniversary 100 Comments 5 Answers 25 Likes

    So in the second workflow, trigger should also check for the subject of activity (ie. "starts with Initial email"), otherwise you'll get a FUP activity for any activity that has been marked as done.

    I don't see the trigger for the second one, but it should be Activity updated, because thats whats happening.

    Clone the second automation, same trigger: activity updated > subject starts with 1st FUP, done status > create 2nd FUP.

    The archiving automation is challenging, since workflows do not support checking for linked object's properties currently. What I suggest doing is a third automation similar to 2nd with another task in 3 days called "Archive lead". After making a visual check for responses, you can then quickly archive a lead.

    @Jess Stacey this is another crucial and much needed feature in automations: checking for field values of linked objects. I.e. trigger is lead, but leads dont have "matches filter" or email counts conditions, which makes it impossible to build automations like "archive lead if no responses so far".