How to Automatically Add Email to Airtable CRM 📧 Email Automation Tutorial

If you use Airtable as a CRM, you likely want to store email interactions with your contacts directly in Airtable. Imagine being able to do this seamlessly within your email environment. Well, you're in luck because Ply, a chrome extension, offers a solution. In this video, we'll guide you through the process of building an automation that allows you to add new email interactions into your Airtable CRM with just a click of a button.

Benefits of Automating Email Interactions in Airtable

1. Streamline Your Workflow: With the automation in place, you can save time by avoiding manual data entry tasks. The email interactions will automatically be added to your Airtable CRM, eliminating the need to switch between applications.
2. Maintain a Centralized Database: By integrating your email interactions into your CRM, you'll have a central repository where all your customer interactions are stored. This ensures that your team has access to the most up-to-date information, facilitating better collaboration and customer service.
3. Improved Contact Management: With the ability to link email interactions to specific contacts in your CRM, you can easily track and manage communications for each individual contact. This helps you stay organized and provides a comprehensive view of your customer interactions.

Getting Started

To follow along with the video, you'll need three tools: Gmail, Airtable, and the Ply chrome extension. If you don't have these tools, you can use the provided affiliate links to sign up for free accounts.

Before diving into the automation, the video also offers a free automation training webinar that covers the core building blocks of automation. This tool-agnostic training will help you understand automation concepts regardless of the tools you're using. You can find the webinar registration link at gapconsulting.io/webinar-registration.

The Automation Process

The video demonstrates how Ply seamlessly integrates with Gmail and Airtable to automate the process of adding email interactions to your CRM. Here's a step-by-step breakdown of the automation process:

1. Display Button: Using the Ply chrome extension, a button is added to the Gmail interface. This button triggers the automation when clicked.
2. Contextual Message: When the button is clicked, Ply captures the contextual information of the email, including the subject and body.
3. Search for Contact: Ply searches the Airtable CRM to check if the contact already exists. If the contact is found, it proceeds to the next step. If not, Ply creates a new contact record.
4. Branching: Ply allows you to create branches to handle different scenarios. In this case, if the contact is not found, Ply creates a branch to create a new contact. This ensures that the automation works regardless of whether the contact exists in the CRM.
5. Branch Output: Ply provides a branch output that captures the record ID of the contact, whether it was found or created. This output is crucial for the next step.
6. Create Interaction Record: Using the record ID from the branch output, Ply creates a new interaction record in Airtable. The subject and body of the email are mapped to the corresponding fields in the Airtable CRM.

Benefits of Ply

Ply stands out as an automation tool because it offers the unique feature of adding buttons directly to applications, enhancing their functionality. In this case, Ply enables you to integrate automation features seamlessly within your Gmail environment. You never have to leave your email interface to carry out CRM-related tasks, making your workflow more efficient.

Testing the Automation

The video demonstrates the automation process by testing it with different scenarios. It proves the automation's effectiveness when there is an existing contact in the CRM and how it creates a new contact if one doesn't exist. This ensures that the automation is robust and flexible in handling various situations.

Conclusion

Automating email interactions into your Airtable CRM with the help of the Ply chrome extension offers significant benefits. It streamlines your workflow, maintains a centralized database, and improves contact management. With Ply's unique features, you can enhance the functionality of your applications, such as Gmail, without leaving your interface. Watch the video and follow the step-by-step process to implement this automation and save time on manual data entry tasks. Don't forget to take advantage of the free automation training webinar offered by GAP Consulting to master the core building blocks of automation. Start using Ply today and make your email and CRM integration more seamless than ever before.