Exploring HoneyBook's New Automations
As a business owner, you know that time is one of your most valuable assets. That's why having a powerful CRM that can handle your workflows and automations efficiently is so important.
HoneyBook has been a popular CRM among creative professionals looking to streamline their client management processes, and now, with its latest updates, it’s taking things to the next level.
HoneyBook's new automation features are designed to simplify your workflows, allowing you to focus more on your clients and less on manual tasks. From conditional logic to the ability to run multiple automations simultaneously, these updates are a total game changer.
In this blog post, we’ll dive into what’s new, what’s missing with HoneyBook’s new automations. Whether you're a long-time user or new to the platform, this is your guide to making the most of HoneyBook's latest features.
What’s New in HoneyBook Automations?
Conditional Logic (Yes/No Paths )
What?!?!?! 🎉🤯 YAY!! I can’t tell you how excited I am about this one.
HoneyBook now allows you to use conditional logic inside your automations, letting you build yes/no paths based on specific client actions. This is a fantastic way to further automate your client process and ensure that each client receives the right communication or smart files based on their actions without lifting a finger.
To use conditional logic, insert a condition inside of the path of the automation and it will split into a yes path and a no path
Example: once a contact form is submitted, automate the follow up for booking a discovery call.
Insert condition of session was scheduled, for session type “discovery call”. Set the time frame for the condition to 2 days.
If client does book a discovery call (YES path), the next action is move the pipeline stage to “consult booked”.
If client doesn’t book a discovery call (NO path) in 2 days, the next action is to send them an email inviting them to book a call again
So instead of checking if the client has booked a call before approving the next email in the automation or manually sending a follow up email, HoneyBook will take care of it for you with conditional logic inside of the automation.
AH-MAZING 🎉
Example of Conditional Logic in HoneyBook Automations
Running multiple automations in a project
Running Multiple Automations at the Same Time
You can now run multiple automations at the same time inside of a project, which is super useful for long or complex client processes.
Meaning you no longer need to remove an automation before applying another, so you can create ALL the automations you need to deliver your full client process without having to worry about them running at the same time.
In your client project, you’ll see a section titled “Automations” on the right hand side, that shows all the active and completed / inactive automations running in the project.
One Trigger Per Automation
Another change in HoneyBook’s automation is the restriction to one trigger per automation. I initially thought that this was a downside to the automations, but the reality is that you can automate your client process using more automations that are shorter and more focused.
It’s not necessarily a bad thing, it’s just different vs. before and may take some getting used to. That’s all.
Here is a list of the triggers to start an automation in HoneyBook:
Meeting scheduled (Calendly)
Contact form submitted
Lead form submitted
Session scheduled
Session starts
Session ends
File is completed
Questionnaire submitted
First payment paid
Invoice paid in full
Contract signed
All signatures signed
Project date
Project end date
Project moved to completed
Automation Dashboard
With HoneyBook’s new automation dashboard, you can view all your automations in one place and also see the existing activity on your automations.
So you have one centralized place to view all of your automations that are in progress, so you can approve actions or tasks, cancel automations in one spot.
Automation Activity Dashboard
If you click on a specific automation running in a project, you’ll see the details of when each step was completed - which is great to understand when different actions took place in a clients automation.
Automation Activity for a Specific Automation in a Project
What Features Are Still Missing?
While HoneyBook’s new automations provide some amazing features, there are a few key functionalities that are still lacking:
Triggering Automations Manually
One key feature that was removed from HoneyBooks automations, is the ability to manually trigger them.
This flexibility is something HoneyBook users will definitely miss, especially in situations where projects don’t necessarily tie back to obvious triggers like smart files being completed or certain appointments starting / ending.
Editing Emails or Forms Before Sending in an Automation
Another key functionality that was removed from HoneyBook automations is the ability to edit emails before they’re sent out once the automation has been applied to a project.
This would be an amazing feature to have, as many times emails and smart files need to be tweaked right before sending, in order to personalize / customize them for a client project.
It can put users in a position of having to be all in with automations or having to manually send everything to clients. Definitely something that HoneyBook needs to bring back for their users.
Resending Smart Files If Not Submitted
If a client hasn’t completed a specific smart file in a certain number of days, HoneyBook allows you to send an email reminder and with conditional logic this has become much more automated.
However, the email reminder that is sent out cannot have the same smart file attached to it. If a smart file is attached - it will be a new copy of that file. It would be really convenient for the same file to be sent to the client so all they have to do, is click and open it to sign up or complete the form vs. having to go back to a past email or potentially to a portal to find that file.
Watch the Video: HoneyBook’s New Automations in Action
To give you a hands-on look at HoneyBook's new automation features, I’ve put together a brief video walkthrough. In the video, I demonstrate how to set up conditional logic, and how to build automations with the new features of HoneyBook’s automations.
TL;DR:
HoneyBook's latest automation updates introduce powerful features like conditional logic for yes/no paths, the ability to run multiple automations simultaneously, and a new automation dashboard for better management.
However, HoneyBook still lacks some key functionalities, such as the ability to manually trigger automations, edit emails or smart files before sending, and resend incomplete smart files.
Check out the YouTube video in this post for a hands-on look at these new features in action.
Ready to Streamline Your HoneyBook Setup?
If you're excited about these new automation features but unsure how to make the most of them, I’m here to help!
With my expertise in system setups, I can customize and optimize your automations, ensuring that each one works seamlessly for your business. Let’s take your client experience to the next level together.
Book a free discovery call today and let's get started on creating a HoneyBook system that’s tailored to your unique needs!