Must-Have HubSpot Workflows for Business Success

In the past, sales and marketing teams were bogged down with manual tasks, follow-up calls, handwritten thank-you notes, and even the occasional gift to keep leads warm. While personal touches still play a role, the shift to automation has revolutionized how businesses connect with prospects and customers.

HubSpot isn’t just a marketing automation tool, it’s a comprehensive growth platform that empowers businesses to streamline and optimize their sales and marketing efforts. By automating key processes, HubSpot allows you to deliver the right message at the right time, fostering more meaningful connections with prospects and customers. In today’s fast-paced environment, agility and responsiveness are essential for staying ahead. As a HubSpot agency partner, we've identified six key workflows that can enhance your marketing strategy, improve sales conversion, and boost customer retention, all with minimal manual effort.

1. Welcome email workflow

A welcome email workflow is a crucial first step in building a relationship with new leads or customers. This automated sequence delivers an immediate, engaging introduction to your brand while setting expectations and guiding users toward their next steps. A strong welcome series helps increase engagement, improve retention, and drive conversions by ensuring new contacts receive valuable content right away.

How to set it up

• Trigger: When a contact subscribes, signs up, or makes their first purchase
• Segmentation: Customize based on how they entered your system (e.g., newsletter signup vs. free trial user)
• Content Delivery:
  • Immediate: A warm welcome, brand introduction, and a clear CTA (e.g., explore content, set preferences)
  • Day 3-5: Highlight key resources, product benefits, or success stories
  • Day 7-10: Offer an incentive or nudge (e.g., discount, free trial reminder, next steps)
• Exit Conditions: Remove contacts who take a desired action (e.g., make a purchase, engage with key content)

Key considerations

✔ First impressions matter: The first email should be clear, engaging, and provide immediate value
✔ Avoid overwhelming new subscribers: Keep the sequence short (2-3 emails max)
✔ Encourage action: Use clear CTAs to drive engagement early
✔ Personalize where possible: Reference the signup source and tailor messaging accordingly

2. Lead nurture workflow

A lead nurture workflow is an automated email sequence designed to educate, engage, and build trust with potential customers over time. Instead of pushing a sale too quickly, this workflow gradually provides valuable information, addresses objections, and keeps your brand top-of-mind. Without nurturing, leads often go cold or turn to competitors. A structured nurture sequence ensures they receive relevant, well-timed communication that guides them toward making a purchase.

How to set it up

• • Trigger: Form submissions (e.g., content download, demo request) or specific engagement actions
  • Segmentation: Tailor workflows based on audience personas and the type of content they engaged with
  • Content Delivery:
    • Day 1: Welcome email introducing your company and relevant content
    • Day 4-7: Follow up with educational resources like blog posts, case studies, or product comparisons
    • Day 10-14: Introduce a light CTA, such as an invite to a webinar or product demo
    • Day 18-21: Stronger CTA, encouraging a sales conversation, scheduling a call, or purchasing

• Exit Conditions: Remove leads who convert or take a desired action (e.g., book a demo, complete a purchase)

Key considerations

✔ Don’t overwhelm leads: Keep a 4-7 day gap between emails to maintain engagement without spamming
✔ Personalization matters: Ensure emails align with the user’s interests and past interactions
✔ Track engagement: Adjust timing or content based on open rates and click behavior
✔ Have a clear endpoint: Leads who don’t engage after the full sequence should be funneled into a long-term drip campaign

3. Abandoned cart workflow

An abandoned cart workflow is a must-have for eCommerce businesses, helping recover lost revenue by reminding shoppers to complete their purchase. Many potential buyers abandon their carts due to distractions, price concerns, or comparison shopping. A well-timed, automated sequence can re-engage these users and drive conversions by offering reminders, incentives, or social proof.

How to set it up

• Trigger: Cart abandonment (user adds items but doesn’t complete checkout)
• Segmentation: Differentiate based on cart value, product type, or user history
• Content Delivery:
  • Hour 1-3: Friendly reminder about the items left behind
  • Day 1: Reinforce urgency or offer free shipping/incentives if applicable
  • Day 3-5: Final reminder, emphasizing benefits or limited stock
• Exit Conditions: Remove users who complete their purchase

Key considerations

✔ Timing is crucial: The first reminder should be sent within a few hours
✔ Incentives can help: Test discounts, free shipping, or limited-time offers
✔ Keep it simple: Use clear CTAs, a clean design, and minimal distractions
✔ Include product images: Visual reminders increase conversion rates

4. Re-engagement workflow

A re-engagement workflow helps bring inactive subscribers or customers back into the fold. Over time, email engagement naturally declines, but an automated sequence can revive interest, clean up your email list, and re-engage valuable contacts. This improves deliverability and ensures you’re marketing to an engaged audience.

How to set it up

• Trigger: No engagement for a set period (e.g., 60-90 days)
• Segmentation: Identify lapsed subscribers vs. inactive customers and tailor messaging
• Content Delivery:
  • Day 1: A friendly "We miss you" email with a reason to re-engage (e.g., new content, product updates)
  • Day 5-7: An incentive (e.g., exclusive discount, loyalty perks) for action
  • Day 10-14: A final nudge, potentially asking if they still want to hear from you
• Exit Conditions: Remove users who interact or allow opt-out for uninterested contacts

Key considerations

✔ Make it personal: Reference past interactions or purchases
✔ Give a reason to re-engage: Offer value, whether it’s content, discounts, or updates
✔ Be mindful of deliverability: Cleaning up inactive subscribers improves email performance
✔ Respect disengaged users: Provide a clear option to opt out

5. Customer retention & upsell workflow

A customer retention and upsell workflow helps maintain relationships with existing customers, increasing lifetime value and fostering brand loyalty. Rather than focusing solely on new sales, this workflow ensures customers continue engaging with your business—whether through repeat purchases, service renewals, or exclusive offers. Understanding customer behavior and timing outreach appropriately is key to long-term retention.

How to set it up

• Trigger: A completed purchase or service
• Segmentation: Group customers based on what they bought, how often they purchase, and expected lifecycle
• Content Delivery:
  • Post-Purchase Engagement: Send helpful content related to their purchase, such as care tips, usage guides, or FAQs
  • Strategic Follow-Up: Based on the product/service, determine the best time to reach out for a repeat purchase reminder, service renewal, or upgrade opportunity
  • Loyalty & Rewards: Encourage long-term engagement through VIP offers, referral incentives, or personalized discounts
• Exit Conditions: Remove customers who take action (e.g., renew service, purchase again, join a loyalty program)

Key considerations

✔ Timing matters: A customer who bought a one-time product vs. a subscription-based service will need different follow-ups
✔ Personalization increases conversions: Tailor outreach based on the product lifecycle or service needs
✔ Encourage long-term engagement: Introduce referral programs, exclusive offers, or loyalty perks to retain customers
✔ Track behavior: Monitor purchase frequency and engagement to refine future communications

6. Sales automation process workflow

Sales automation helps businesses streamline lead management, assignment, and follow-ups to ensure faster response times, cleaner pipelines, and higher conversion rates. Without automation, leads can be delayed, misrouted, or lost, resulting in missed revenue opportunities. A well-structured process ensures that sales teams focus on closing deals rather than manually tracking leads.

By automating key sales tasks, businesses can:

• Increase speed to lead: The faster a lead hears from your team, the more likely they are to convert
• Ensure fair & strategic lead distribution: Assign leads to the right reps based on priority, region, or workload
• Keep CRM data accurate: Automatically update lifecycle stages to prevent outdated or cluttered pipelines

How it works

Instead of a single workflow, sales teams should automate two core areas:

Lead assignment & rotation

Automated lead assignment ensures quick and fair distribution of leads to sales reps based on predefined rules.

Key Approaches:

• Even distribution: Automatically assign leads using methods like round-robin or random distribution to ensure fair lead management
• Priority-based routing: Send high-priority or high-value leads to senior reps
• Fallback reassignment: Reassign leads if they haven’t been contacted within a set period (e.g., 48 hours)

Lifecycle stage automation

Lifecycle stage automation moves leads through the sales pipeline automatically based on their engagement. When a lead takes specific actions (like scheduling a meeting or replying to an email), they are moved to the next stage. This ensures the sales team is always working with the most up-to-date information.

How It Works:

• Trigger: When a lead takes an action that signals they’re ready for the next stage (e.g., scheduling a meeting or responding to an email), they are automatically moved to the next stage in the pipeline
• Branching workflow: Depending on the actions or lack of actions taken by the lead, the workflow can branch into different paths, such as moving the lead from an initial engagement stage to the "qualified lead" stage or sending them into a follow-up sequence if they’ve been inactive for a set period

Key considerations

✔  Internal reminders: Automate reminder tasks to keep sales teams aligned on lead status, such as when a lead hasn’t responded or reaches key pipeline stages.
✔ Tracking engagement & timing: Set up alerts to notify teams if leads have been stagnant in a stage for too long.
✔ Automated cleanup: Reassign or remove inactive leads from the pipeline, or move them to long-term nurturing if they’re unresponsive.

Optimize your sales and marketing efforts with Perrill

With experience building custom, complex workflows, our team is here to support your sales and marketing efforts with expertly crafted automation. Make sure you're reaching your customers at the right time with HubSpot workflows. As email marketing and automation experts, we're here to support your business. Reach out to get started.