A workflow is essentially the series of steps you perform to complete a task, but sometimes in business, we can feel like we are taking the same steps over and over. HoneyBook helps me save time and stay on top of things by automating some of repetitive steps for me. It makes it so much easier for me to stay organized and continue providing great service as my business grows. So, naturally, I want to share it with you! Let me show you how to set up a workflow and send an email with HoneyBook.
If you don’t have HoneyBook yet, use this link to get it now for 50% off!
Set Up an Email Master Template
If this is your first time using HoneyBook, you will want to take a moment to set up your master templates. These save tons of time by creating a standard form that we can easily us in future workflows. For our little walk-through here, let’s set up a master template for an email. (Although you can do it for anything from proposals, brochures, and contracts, to questionnaires, contact forms, and invoices.)
Start out by selecting Tools from the tabs across the top of the screen, and then select Templates. You can either use one of the premade template designs, or design your own from scratch. Click on the tab with three lines on the left side and it will open up the File Drawer. Choose + Add Template, and give it a name by clicking in the title on the upper left corner of the screen and then typing in the title of your choice.
Next, edit the subject line of the email, near the center of the screen. In the body of the email, you will type up the standard email text you want to save. This is great for a welcome email, or follow-up emails that you send multiple times, so you don’t have to spend all that time typing the same thing over and over again. HoneyBook also gives you the ability to insert a Dynamic Field for your client’s first name to be inserted.
Format it and Hyperlink it
From here, double check that your email is formatted the way you want it to be. Check the spelling and grammar, and any bold/underlines you want, and be sure to add in any hyperlinks you need. Finally, add your email signature. All of your changes are saved automatically, so when it’s set up to your liking, it’s ready to use in our workflow! (Note: You cannot include attachments in the master template, but you can add them individually later.)
Set Up a HoneyBook Workflow
Okay! Now that we have that set up, let’s set up our first workflow! Get back to the HoneyBook home page and click on Tools. Select Workflows from the options, and in the upper right corner, you’ll see a box that says “+ Create Workflow”—that’s what we want to do!
You should now be looking at the basic workflow template. First thing, we want to give the workflow a new name just like we did with the master template by clicking on the title in the upper left of the template and typing in the new name. This comes in handy when you add the workflow to projects later on.
Using the Master Template to Send an Email
Next, select the first Action you want to be in your sequence. There are a few options HoneyBook has for you, including sending an email, sending a brochure, sending a questionnaire, or creating a task. We are going to send an email, so select that option, and then choose the email template that you just created. Make any edits or additions you’d like.
Set Up the Trigger
Once you have your Action prepared, it’s time for the Trigger! Triggers are HoneyBook’s automated scheduling feature that lets you plan when the Actions in your workflow are carried out. Select the email Action from the workflow and a scheduling menu will appear. Your Action can occur a number of days before or after a project date, when the previous step is completed, or after you activate the workflow. HoneyBook also gives you the option to have the Action send automatically at the scheduled date and time, or to require the Action to be approved first before sending. Set your date and time, and whether or not you want it to require approval.
Once the Trigger is set, click the + button at the lower left, to add another step to your workflow if desired. Or, if you’re finished, click the Save button in the upper right. Your email sends at your specified times, and appears as though you sent it directly to each participant. If you want the email to be approved before being sent out, HoneyBook adds it in your task list on the day it is scheduled to be sent. As soon as you check off the task—the email is sent! With HoneyBook, you can set up multiple templates, and multiple workflows to fit your unique needs.
You said...