TEAM WORKFLOW 4 minute read
A lead follow-up process your team can actually use.
A useful process answers three questions for every inquiry: who owns it, when should they act, and what happens next? Start there before adding more automation.
Christopher SilveyPractical workflow guidance · November 1, 2026
Give each inquiry one responsible owner
A shared inbox is a destination, not an owner. Assign a named person or an explicitly staffed queue. If you use a queue, define who checks it and who takes over when that person is away.
Define the first action
Choose what counts as an initial follow-up: for example, a recorded phone attempt or a personal email sent by an employee. Reading the lead or changing its status to “New” should not satisfy the deadline. An automated receipt is a separate event.
Use a deadline that matches your working hours
Set a response target your team can staff. Specify the business timezone, open days, and how after-hours submissions are handled. A 30-minute target is an example policy, not a universal promise or a proven optimum.
Record the next action after contact
Contacted does not mean finished. Record a next step such as “Prepare estimate by Tuesday” or “Call again tomorrow at 10.” Keep a next-action deadline distinct from the initial response deadline so the report does not mix the two.
Escalate to someone who can act
Choose a manager or backup owner for overdue inquiries. Make reminders stop when qualifying contact is recorded. Review repeat misses to find staffing or handoff problems rather than simply sending more alerts.
See the idea in a sample workspace.
The interactive demo uses fictional inquiries. Try recording contact and setting a next action.
Try the demo