Friday, 4:30. Before the account call on Monday you want to know where each client stands. So you open the CRM for the stage, the inbox for what they last said, the project tool for what is done, and the calendar for what is next. Per client. It is an hour you spend every week putting together a page nobody else will write for you.
That page has a fixed shape, which is why it can be built for you.
What a useful client update contains
| Section | Where it comes from | Example |
|---|---|---|
| What changed | CRM, email | The deal moved to Contract signed. Luis sent the signed SOW. |
| Waiting on you | Nobody answered Karen about the start date. | |
| Waiting on them | The revised quote went out Tuesday. No reply. | |
| What is next | Calendar, project tool | Walkthrough Thursday at 10. Onboarding is 3 of 8 done. |
Doing it by hand
It can be done in about fifteen minutes per client:
- CRM: open the deal, note the stage, amount and last activity.
- Email: search the client’s domain across your inboxes for this week. Note anything unanswered in either direction.
- Calendar: find the next meeting.
- Write four lines, one per section above.
The method is sound. The cost is that it scales with the number of clients, and it is the first thing dropped in a busy week.
Having it built for you
alfred_ is an AI personal assistant for work. With your email, calendar and HubSpot or Salesforce connected, the update is a routine: you describe it once and it runs on the schedule you set.
Friday client update · Latest · Today at 5:00 PM
Harbor Facilities: one thing needs you
Checked 38 emails, the HubSpot deal and the Notion project page.
That run checked 38 emails, the HubSpot deal and the project page. Three things changed. One needs you: nobody answered Karen about the start date. And it ends by saying it changed nothing in Gmail, HubSpot or Notion. It is a report, delivered by email at the time you set.
To set it up, describe it on the Routines page:
Every Friday at 5, give me an update on Harbor Facilities: what changed in the deal, any email nobody answered, and what is on the calendar next week.
Use Test it now to see one run before you turn it on.
When you want it right now
A routine is for the update you want every week. For the update you want before a call in ten minutes, ask:
What stage is the Northwind opportunity in?
The Northwind renewal is in Proposal, $64,000, closing October 15. Tom is the contact.
What stage is the Northwind opportunity in?
Asking in chat reads everything you have connected, including Slack and Microsoft Teams, so “what did the team say about the renewal?” is part of the same conversation.
What did the team say about the renewal?
Teams
Northwind renewal · Tom Reyes · Tue 10:18 AM
Northwind renewal · Priya Shah · Tue 10:41 AM
Tom is in for another year if the rate holds. Priya said she'll send the paperwork once you confirm.
What did the team say about the renewal?
What to know
- It reads; it does not edit. A change to a CRM record is shown to you first and waits for your yes.
- The update comes to you. What goes to the client is sent by you.
- Routines use credits. They run on the credits in your plan; asking in chat does not need a routine.
Plans start at $29.99 a month with a 7-day free trial. More is on the Routines page.