How do I set up Zoho CRM sales cadences for automated follow-ups by email and WhatsApp?

Cadences in Zoho CRM let you build a timed series of follow-ups, such as emails, call tasks and other actions, that stop when the prospect replies or meets an exit condition. Create the cadence, choose the module and enrolment criteria, add steps with gaps, and set unenrol rules. WhatsApp steps depend on your WhatsApp Business integration and edition, so check current support.

A cadence is a follow-up plan that runs per record. You choose who enters it, either manually or automatically by criteria, and each step runs after a set number of days. Email steps send a template, call or task steps remind a rep to act, and the cadence moves on unless the record exits. Typical exit conditions are an email reply, a status change or a deal being created.

Good cadences are short and specific. Three to five touches over two or three weeks is common. Write templates that read like a person wrote them, with merge fields for name and company. Make sure email authentication is set up for your domain so messages do not land in spam, and respect opt-outs.

For WhatsApp, you first need an approved WhatsApp Business connection in Zoho CRM and approved message templates, because WhatsApp limits what businesses can send outside a customer-started chat. Depending on edition and recent updates, WhatsApp may be available as a cadence step, or you may need a workflow or function that sends the template at the right point. Check the current Zoho CRM help for your plan.

Written by Flowpeak, a Zoho implementation partner. Zoho pricing and features change, so confirm current details on the official Zoho site. Free checklists | Ask us a question