With this automation, a three-hour customer onboarding task is now done in 30 seconds, reducing operational costs by 99.3%

We're only sharing a broad picture of our method here, so we haven't included every single aspect or set of settings, and if you would like a more thorough explanation, a step-by-step tutorial, or any technical notes, we're happy to walk you through each piece in greater depth

1. Background

Our customer is a lead generation agency that sends cold emails through SmartLead.ai on behalf of their clients. They currently have 70 active clients, earn about $1.2 million per year, and continue to grow.

Before our work together, they were managing everything manually. This took a lot of time and often led to mistakes. As they grew, they realized how costly and inefficient these manual steps were. By automating their entire process, they no longer need to hire additional employees. The automation we built does the same tasks faster, without errors and runs 24/7.

2. Our Airtable System

We didn’t just set up automation. We also built a robust Airtable system that serves as the backbone of their operations. Now, our client can manage all their customers, tasks, and resources in one place. Almost every aspect of the business—especially the work done in SmartLead.ai—happens through Airtable.

3. SmartLead.ai Automation

SmartLead.ai is an email-sending platform. We integrated it into our system in ways not supported by the official API, so we used the backend API to achieve our goals. Below is an overview of the different parts of our automation.

Part 1: Initial Setup After Form Submission

When an onboarding form is fills out, Part 1 of the automation starts. It does the following:

1. Add to Global Blocklist We take the new client’s email address and domain and add them to our global blocklist. This prevents accidentally emailing the client from any future campaigns.
2. Create Google Docs and Folders We duplicate a “Question” document and a “Script” document and rename them with the new client’s name. We also create a new Google Drive folder for the client and move these duplicated files into that folder.
3. Set Up a New SmartLead Campaign We duplicate a campaign template, rename it using the client’s name, add tags, and move the campaign to a “Draft” folder in SmartLead. We also configure a custom AI prompt for categorizing emails and change the campaign’s timezone in SmartLead
4. Create Task Assignments We automatically generate tasks for our team (like writing email copy or verifying contact lists) based on details in a Google Sheet. In that sheet, we can easily adjust task names, timelines, and other settings.

Part 2: Creating a Client in SmartLead

In Airtable, there is a field called “create client in SL” where we select “Yes” to trigger the second part of the automation. This part does:

1. Create Client Access in SmartLead We use SmartLead’s white-label feature to create an account for the new client.
2. Link Campaign and Email Accounts The campaign created in Part 1 is now linked to the new client’s SmartLead access. We also pull in the email accounts (mailboxes) being used for that campaign and link them to the client.
3. Mark Tasks as Complete Once these steps are done, the automation updates Airtable to show these tasks as finished.

Part 3: Adjusting Warmup Settings and Launch Prep

Part 3 is triggered by selecting “Yes” under “start warmup tag” in Airtable. This step does:

1. Update Warmup Settings It gathers all email accounts tied to the client and changes their warmup settings in SmartLead. We built this in a way that makes it easy to adjust warmup settings later without editing the automation.
2. Update Email Account Tags We label the client’s email accounts properly so they’re easy to find and manage.
3. Move Campaign to Active Folder The campaign is moved from “Draft” to “Active” in SmartLead. We also update the campaign tag in SmartLead to reflect its new status.
4. Send Launch Notification We send an email to the assigned Account Executive letting them know the campaign will launch on a certain date. This email includes the client’s details and any other important information.

Part 4: Final Updates for Email Accounts

Part 4 is triggered when we select “Yes” under “launch campaign trigger” in Airtable. It does:

1. Update All Email Accounts It fetches the latest email account information for the client, updates warmup settings, and adjusts tags as needed.

4. Why This Automation Matters

• Saves Time and Money: Tasks that used to take hours of manual work happen automatically within secs.
• Reduces Errors: Automated workflows are consistent and accurate, so there’s no risk of human mistakes.
• Improves Team Efficiency: Team members no longer have to do repetitive tasks. Instead, they focus on building relationships and closing deals.
• Easy to Manage and Scale: Everything runs through Airtable and SmartLead, so it’s straightforward to add more clients or handle new projects as our client’s business grows.

5. Conclusion

By automating our client’s entire onboarding and management process, we helped them improve their overall efficiency and accuracy while reducing costs. Everything from creating campaigns to assigning tasks, setting warmup settings, and notifying team members is now handled automatically. This makes it easier for them to scale and focus on what really matters—growing their business and serving their customers.

Service we provide: We will automate and systemize your business operations, enabling your existing team to handle 20 times more work without hiring additional staff - If you're interested, email me at [email protected]

Visit our website: Twomarkup.com to learn more.