Pipedrive is a powerful, user-friendly CRM (Client Relationship Management system) which focuses on improving the sales processes for businesses. It can help with the entire sales journey, organising calls, emails and sales activities across multiple devices and teams. Pipedrive is really easy to set up with a simple user interface and has a useful visualiser for the sales pipeline.
Although Pipedrive is powerful as a standalone CRM, you can supercharge the sales process by linking it with other applications. There are over 200 Pipedrive integrations, which connect it directly to other software such as Zoom Meetings, Microsoft Teams and Quickbooks, as well as calling solutions, chatbots, email marketing and lead generation tools. However, you can unlock even more power by integrating Pipedrive with Zapier, whose pre-built integrations can connect you to over 6,000 apps.
Using Pipedrive to manage your workflows
Within Pipedrive itself you can configure automated workflows without leaving the app, for example, to create a new deal automatically when a new lead’s contact details have been added. Or you could send a personalised email to a contact when a sale is completed, or a deal has reached a certain stage.
When to use Pipedrive’s workflow automation builder
There are four pricing plans for Pipedrive, and each one has different numbers of workflows included.
The Essential plan doesn’t include automation capabilities, but for the Advanced plan and higher you get the power of the built-in workflow automation builder, starting with 30 workflows per user.
If you do have an Advanced plan, or above, then we would generally recommend automating what you can within Pipedrive and using native integrations with other tools (if they are fit for purpose) before considering a third-party tool like Zapier. A native integration is where the software provider, such as Pipedrive, has developed an integration or a link to another system, such as Trello. You can check which apps have native Pipedrive integrations on their website using this link.
Automations built within Pipedrive are extremely useful for short, simple workflows that don’t require complex conditional logic or delays between tasks. If you need something more sophisticated and when native integrations with other apps aren’t fit for purpose, then Zapier is the answer. It can connect to a wide range of apps and has features such as multi-step automations, filters, if/then/else functionality and a powerful formatter, all without having to use code.
If you’re using the Essential plan then Zapier is the best way to unleash the power of automation by linking Pipedrive to your other business software tools.
Image courtesy of Pipedrive
Examples of workflows using Pipedrive features and native integrations
Here are some of our favourite workflows using Pipedrive features and native integrations with other apps, which will save time and streamline the sales process. If you can achieve your objective using these alone then we would encourage that, but you may need to adopt a hybrid approach and use built-in features and native integrations for some steps in the process, and Zapier for others.
Creating documents directly from a deal
You can send proposals whilst in the deal detail view, using the Smart Docs feature. The proposal will be pre-populated with data from Pipedrive and is sent to the customer using a trackable link. This means that you will know when the recipients open the document or interact with it.
Sending contracts with e-signature capability
Having a slick document e-signature process makes life so much easier for clients, and using a new feature in Smart Docs means that you can initiate it from Pipedrive, if you have a Professional plan or higher.
You can send a signature request to anyone, even if they’re not an existing Pipedrive contact, just using their email address. You can send it to more than one person if multiple signatures are required, and receive notifications whenever someone signs the document. You can create reminders to chase for signatures and cancel the process if necessary.
The final document is then stored in Pipedrive for future reference.
Automating sales cadences using Pipedrive integrations
A sales cadence is typically a series of follow-ups to leads, to try and convert them into a sale. They can include emails, SMS, direct messages and phone calls. Automating your sales cadence means that you avoid losing leads, win more business and can ensure a consistent process for every potential customer.
Within the Pipedrive workflow automation tool, you can build out basic sales cadences such as creating a series of activities due at different times when a deal is added to Pipedrive. These don’t allow for searches, delays or complex conditional logic at present, however, it provides you with an opportunity to take the manual aspect out of performing repetitive tasks.
Connecting the sales process to the accounting process
If you use Xero as your financial platform then there is a native integration from Pipedrive. However, it still involves a few manual steps but gives you the added bonus of viewing Xero invoice statuses straight from within Pipedrive. If you need something more automated, it would be worth exploring your options using Zapier (see below).
Image courtesy of Pipedrive
Using Zapier for automating processes in and around Pipedrive
Connecting Pipedrive to other apps using Zapier gives you many more options and more complex functionality than the inbuilt Pipedrive integrations. Zapier is a no-code tool that has pre-built connections with over 6,000 apps, including Pipedrive. The Pipedrive page on the Zapier website lists popular automations for Pipedrive, such as:
- Sending an email via Gmail when new deals are added to a stage
- Sending a Slack message for new Pipedrive deals
- Adding new Pipedrive activities to a project management tool like Todoist
- Posting messages to Slack when new deals are added
- Adding new Pipedrive deals to a Google spreadsheet
Zapier uses triggers to initiate automations, which include the following for Pipedrive:
- New Activity
- New Deal
- New Lead
- New Person
- Updated Deal Stage
- Updated Deal
- Person Matching Filter
- Deal Matching Filter
- …and many more
So even if you’re only on the Essential Pipedrive plan, and don’t have access to the Pipedrive workflow automation feature, you can trigger workflows involving Pipedrive from many key processes using Zapier.
You can also tap into Zapier’s actions, in other words, you can use a trigger in another app to produce an action in Pipedrive.
The Pipedrive actions include:
- Add Product to Deal
- Create Deal
- Create Note
- Create Person
- Update Activity
- Attach File
- Create Lead
- Update Deal
- Find Deal
- Find or Create Organization
- …and many more
Image courtesy of Zapier
Examples of Pipedrive-related automated workflows using Zapier
Here is a flavour of some of the Pipedrive automations for business processes you can configure using Zapier.
Add new leads from a webform
You can use Zapier to send data captured on a webform to Pipedrive to set up a new contact. There are a few ways of doing this depending on which plugin or app you use on the website. Apps such as Typeform, Ninja Forms and WP Forms work really well with Zapier to let you gather data from your website and pass it to Pipedrive really easily.
Send a bespoke sales proposal
You can trigger a bespoke PDF sales proposal when a deal reaches a certain stage in Pipedrive. In our video example, data is passed from Pipedrive to a Google Doc which performs a mail merge to create the document. The next step would be to automatically send the proposal using Gmail, or another email platform.
Send a contract for signing
If you want more flexibility than the Smart Docs e-sign feature and prettier proposal documents, you can use a combination of native integrations with e-signature apps and Zapier workflows.
You can use the Pipedrive native integration with an app such as PandaDoc to generate a contract and email it to recipients for an e-signature. PandaDoc comes with a host of analytic tools and you can even integrate it with Stripe to collect payment details. You can then configure your Zaps to store the completed document in Google Drive once it has been signed and create an invoice in Xero or Quickbooks Online.
Add contacts to your email platform from Pipedrive
If your marketing team use an email platform such as Active Campaign, Mailchimp or MailerLite then you will need to add new contacts to the subscribers there, to keep in touch with them.
Using Zapier to automatically add new contacts is really easy, as our video demonstrates.
This saves you from buying yet another third-party app to keep the marketing systems in sync with your CRM.
Creating an automatic sales cadence
If Pipedrive’s built-in automations are too basic for your requirements then you can hook up Zapier to do the heavy lifting for you. A structured sales cadence can help you convert more leads into sales, because you won’t be relying on manual processes to trigger a touchpoint.
In our Youtube demo, we trigger a series of emails, SMS texts and LinkedIn messages for new deals in Pipedrive. You can build out similar workflows in Pipedrive, however this scenario is perfect if you are on the Essentials plan and don’t have access to workflow automations in Pipedrive.
In another video demo, we show how you can set up a drip email sequence automatically when a deal is won in Pipedrive. This uses one of the really powerful Zapier features called Delay By Zapier. The delay function does what it says on the tin and allows you to delay steps in a process by a certain period of time, for example, three days. Then you can be sure you are spacing out communications to clients in a structured, strategic way.
Automating financial processes using Zapier and Pipedrive
Linking Pipedrive to your accounting package such as Xero or Quickbooks opens up a whole world of possibilities. We have a YouTube channel that takes you through the steps needed to, for example, automatically add invoices to Xero from Pipedrive.
Here are some other automations you can use to connect Pipedrive with your other business apps:
- How to automatically add contacts to ActiveCampaign from Pipedrive
- Create and send a bespoke sales proposal PDF from your CRM
- How to send a simple drip email sequence when you win a deal in Pipedrive
- How to automate your Pipedrive sales processes
Use this link for a 30-day free trial instead of 14 days.
Find out more
If learning about Pipedrive automations has whetted your appetite and you’d like to find out more then we have plenty of free resources:
- Our free e-book is the perfect introduction to business automation
- Our Zapier functions cheat sheet delves into the powerful inbuilt helper apps which can supercharge your automations
- A series of blog posts with loads of tips for connecting Pipedrive with your other business software
- Our founder, Kelly’s new book, Automate It with Zapier is out now and is the most comprehensive Zapier guide on the market. It will get you up and running and to the stage where you can build and debug advanced automations.
Check out our automation training programme
And finally, if you’re really keen to transform your business using automation, then visit the Solvaa Automation Academy. Our signature training programme, ‘Simple Automation Blueprint: Zero to Hero’ is aimed at anyone who wants to learn the fundamentals of business process automation from the experts – a sure-fire way to recession-proof your business.
It’s an 8-week blended learning course with on-demand videos, templates, resources and weekly group coaching sessions. And it’s more than just a Zapier course (although we do show you how to use Zapier like a pro) as you’ll learn about Process Mapping, Business Process Improvement and Business Process Management too – principles that can be applied to other areas of business too!
Whether you are a complete novice or have been using Zapier for a while, our programme is for you. It’s perfect for individuals and teams in micro, small and medium-sized businesses, including solopreneurs, consultants and freelancers. You’ll have access to our experts and can participate in live calls where you can ask all your burning questions, as well as hands-on workshops to keep you on track with implementing your new skills. We run regular cohorts so there will be an opportunity for everyone to participate.
Our head trainer, Kelly Goss, is a specialist in business systems, process improvement and automation, and one of less than 100 Zapier Certified Experts in the world. Kelly has many years’ experience in optimising systems and processes, and implementing automations for clients and is now passing on her knowledge to students through our trademarked ‘4-Step Solvaa Automation Methodology®‘.
Find out more via our dedicated Solvaa Automation Academy website.
Read more about how our certified experts use Zapier workflow automations to simplify processes and increase efficiency.
Solvaa is a process and automation consultancy specialising in improving sales, operations and financial administration workflows. We help you to simplify and streamline existing processes, integrate your business tools to make data transfer more efficient and automate manual tasks to increase productivity. We are Zapier Certified Experts, Pipedrive Certified Experts and Xero Certified Advisors.
Contact us today to discuss how Solvaa can help you simplify, improve and automate all aspects of your business with Zapier to save you time, reduce costs and keep you agile as you grow.
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