Automation tools have transformed how businesses manage workflows, nurture leads, and enhance customer experiences. But choosing and implementing the right marketing automation tool requires careful consideration—and a cross-departmental approach. Whether you’re upgrading your current tool or investing in one for the first time, involving different teams in your decision-making and setup process can ensure long-term success and avoid common pitfalls.
Here’s a guide to help you evaluate, plan, and implement marketing automation tools in a way that benefits your entire organization.
Involve Multiple Departments for Comprehensive Setup
Sales Collaboration: Enhancing Lead Nurturing
While automation is often associated with marketing, its benefits extend to sales teams. Automation can help sales track cold leads, re-engage stalled deals, and prioritize follow-ups. Collaborate with your sales team early in the process to identify specific ways automation can streamline their workflows. For example, set up automated lead nurturing sequences that score and segment leads based on behavior, allowing sales to focus on prospects with the highest potential.
Ask questions like:
- “What lead follow-up processes could be automated?”
- “How could automated reminders and alerts help sales prioritize?”
Setting up automation with these goals in mind will ensure it meets both sales and marketing objectives, maximizing the return on your automation investment.
Customer Success and Service: Enhancing Customer Experience
Automation can also play a major role in supporting customer service and success teams. By automating follow-ups and touchpoints, you can keep customers engaged post-sale and reduce buyer’s remorse. For instance, an onboarding series that shares setup tips and best practices over the first 90 days can improve the customer experience and encourage loyalty.
Consider the following:
- “What customer support tasks could benefit from automated reminders or updates?”
- “Could an automated follow-up sequence reduce customer inquiries?”
These automations can create a smoother experience for customers, providing them with consistent, timely information that fosters confidence in your service.
Product Implementation Teams: Informing and Updating Customers
When you’re implementing an automation tool, consider how it can support product updates and customer onboarding, especially if your products or services involve ongoing implementation. For example, create an automated series to educate customers about new features, expected timelines, or necessary preparation for upcoming releases. This proactive communication will improve customer satisfaction and help your team manage expectations.
Questions to consider include:
- “What product updates or onboarding steps need clear communication to customers?”
- “How can automation assist in keeping customers informed and prepared?”
Plan Realistically for Implementation
Set Up a Timeline and Budget for Implementation
Adding or upgrading a marketing automation tool is an investment in both time and resources. A successful implementation takes more than simply purchasing the tool—it requires a comprehensive setup, including CRM integration, data migration, email template creation, and list segmentation. Typically, a basic implementation requires at least 60 days, and more advanced functionalities may require even more time. Factor in an additional 15–30 days to test and refine workflows before fully launching.
It’s also essential to budget for implementation support. Smaller teams may benefit from hiring external partners or dedicating specific team members to handle setup. When planning your budget, consider whether additional resources might be necessary to ensure a smooth transition.
Key questions include:
- “What setup tasks must be completed before the tool is fully functional?”
- “Do we need external support to handle setup and testing?”
Avoid Feature Overload
It’s tempting to buy the most feature-packed automation tool, but too many functionalities can lead to under-utilization and a higher learning curve. Start by identifying core features that are essential for your team—such as email automation, segmentation, and CRM integration. More complex features, like advanced lead scoring or analytics, can be phased in as your team grows more comfortable with the tool.
Ask yourself:
- “What are the core features that we will use immediately?”
- “Are there features we can introduce over time as our team becomes more adept?”
Plan for the Future: Contact List Growth and Restrictions
Prepare for Future Contact Growth
When evaluating marketing automation tools, consider your contact list growth over the next 12 to 24 months. Many platforms charge based on contact limits, and if your list expands faster than anticipated, you may quickly reach capacity. By planning for growth, you can avoid the need for a costly upgrade or contract negotiation down the line.
Estimate your growth potential by asking:
- “What is our projected lead growth over the next two years?”
- “Do we have enough room in our budget to accommodate a larger contact list if needed?”
Review Send Limits and Multi-Touchpoint Restrictions
Some automation platforms have daily or monthly send limits, as well as restrictions on multi-touchpoint engagement (e.g., limits on how many messages can be sent to a single contact within a set timeframe). These restrictions can impact campaigns, particularly if you’re planning large-scale outreach or frequent communications with high-priority segments.
Before purchasing a tool, confirm whether it aligns with your communication needs:
- “Are there limitations on how frequently we can contact leads?”
- “Will the tool support high-volume sends for big campaigns?”
Set Up for Long-Term Success
Adding or upgrading automation tools is a strategic investment that can enhance productivity across your organization. By involving multiple departments from the outset, allocating sufficient time and resources for implementation, and planning for growth, you can set your team up for success. Remember, automation is more than a one-time upgrade—it’s a powerful tool that, when used effectively, can deliver exponential returns over time.
As you prepare for your marketing automation journey, keep your team’s needs in mind and plan for the future. Thoughtful preparation today will help you get the most from your automation tools tomorrow.
Curious about more than just marketing automation?
Automation can enhance workflows across many areas of your business. For a deeper dive into selecting and integrating various types of automation tools, check out our Tech Stacks video on YouTube!