Last month, I was onboarding and training a new marketing hire when this quote from Mike Kaput, Chief Content Officer at Marketing AI Institute, popped into my head…
"Even if all you can do in a day is document another process as you're doing it... that is going to end up benefiting you to become much more of an AI forward professional."
I was confident our podcast process was well-documented, comprehensive, even. Then we started scaling: two new hires, additional distribution channels, and evolving edge cases.
During training, the gaps surfaced immediately:
The hidden costs of incomplete processes reveal themselves quickly (and always at inopportune moments).
Within our new assistant’s first two weeks, we did exactly what Kaput recommends. She documented each missing step while she was doing the work. Together, we added episode art styles, YouTube distribution steps, HubSpot campaign tracking, role definitions, and rescheduling guidelines. We filled all the gaps that only showed up once someone new was following the process.
I’m sure you have a process like this. You’re already doing the work, but if it only lives in your head, you can’t scale it. You definitely can’t automate it or hand it off to AI.
Process documentation isn't just operational housekeeping. It’s not a nice-to-have. It's foundational for scaling your team and automating any workflow.
It’s the only way to give your team clarity, automate repeatable tasks, and free people up to do higher-value work.
Start small. Follow Kaput’s advice and document one process this week while you’re executing it or training someone. Capture the steps, decision points, and handoffs that may not be recorded or written anywhere.
The foundation you build today sets you up to scale smarter with your current team and tools.
You’ll likely be surprised by how many steps it takes to do each “simple” repeatable task. (Our podcast process is now 17 pages!)
After you document key processes, your next step is to identify where automation can take over or support. That means less manual follow-up, fewer dropped balls, and more time for teams to focus on what matters most: building relationships and driving growth.
Today, I’m sharing a few key processes you can document and then automate in your CRM. Be sure to include:
The trigger: What event kicks things off?
The steps: What happens next and in what order?
The owner: Who is responsible at each step?
The handoffs: Where does it pass between teams?
Here are a few key processes you can start with:
The Process:
Decide what makes a lead sales-ready and how it should reach the right person quickly.
Questions to ask:
Automation Example:
Set up workflows that trigger when someone fills out a form or hits a certain lead score. Use If/Then branches to assign leads by important criteria like location, product interest, or deal size. Add automated notifications in Slack or email so reps know instantly. Set up an automated email with a personalized message from the assigned rep.
The Process:
Outline what happens after the deal closes. That may be kick-off with an account team, product onboarding, or shipping fulfillment.
Questions to ask:
Automation Example:
Create a workflow that triggers when a deal hits Closed-Won to automatically generate an onboarding ticket, assign tasks in your project management system, and send a welcome or order information to the client. Use internal notifications in HubSpot, email, or Slack so key people know the status and when to step in.
The Process:
Keep recurring revenue healthy by knowing exactly when and how you’ll prompt reorders or contract renewals.
Questions to ask:
Automation Example:
Set up workflows that automatically create renewal deals a set number of days before expiration. Trigger reminder emails to the client and task assignments to account managers. Use lead scoring to flag repeat buyers for upsell offers.
The Process:
Ensure revenue doesn’t get stuck and everyone gets paid on time by documenting how sales flow to the finance team.
Questions to ask:
Automation Example:
When a deal moves to Closed-Won, pass the information through an integration or auto-create tasks for finance to issue invoices and send commission details for review. Use custom properties to store commission percentages or payment terms.
The Process:
Protect relationships and boost referrals by defining when you ask for feedback and how you respond to it.
Questions to ask:
Automation Example:
Create a workflow that sends a satisfaction survey automatically after a key milestone or a service ticket is resolved. If a customer gives a high score, trigger a follow-up asking for a public review. If a score is low, create a task for the account manager to respond personally.
Documenting your processes makes it clear where HubSpot automations and AI can step in for you. You may be surprised (and newly appreciative) when you see just how much everyone does to keep your core processes running.
The more you write down, the easier it is to scale, delegate, and free your team up to focus on the work that grows your business.