How to Automatically Follow Up with Leads: Stage-Based Automations for Contractors

Send automatic SMS, email, and WhatsApp messages when a lead moves through your pipeline stages.

Why automated follow-ups matter

Most leads don't convert on first contact. 80% require at least 5 follow-ups. Stage-based automations solve this: when you move a lead to "Quote Sent," DunaHub automatically sends an SMS 3 days later.

How DunaHub's stage automations work

  • Trigger: moving a lead to a stage via drag-and-drop
  • Channels: SMS (credits, primary US), email (free), WhatsApp (free, additional)
  • Configurable delays: hours or days between messages
  • Stop conditions: sequence stops if lead changes stage
  • Templates with variables: {lead.name}, {company.name}
  • Cron: runs every 15 minutes

What it costs

  • Free plan: no automations
  • Starter ($9.90/month): basic follow-up (one message per stage)
  • Pro ($49/month): multi-step drips (multiple messages with delays)

For comparison: DripJobs charges $97/month for drips. DunaHub includes them starting at Starter ($9.90/month).

How to set it up

  1. Settings → Automations → select a stage.
  2. Click "+ Add Message" → channel + delay + template.
  3. Pro: add more messages for multi-step sequences.
  4. Activate the automation.

Use cases

Plumbing company: $1,200 quote sent → automation sends SMS after 2 days → customer replies with question → plumber answers → customer books. Without the automation, the follow-up would have been forgotten.

Compliance & limits

  • Free: no automations. Starter: basic. Pro: multi-step.
  • SMS: 1 credit per message. Email/WhatsApp: free.
  • Stop conditions: automatic when lead changes stage.
  • Cron: every 15 minutes.

Last updated: June 9, 2026 · Feature name: Stage Automations