How I Stopped Losing Leads and Built a Simple, Dev-Friendly CRM Workflow

If you’ve ever said,

“I’ll follow up with that lead tomorrow...”
…and then totally forgot, you’re not alone.

When you're a developer, founder, or indie maker juggling multiple roles, customer follow-ups easily fall through the cracks — especially when you’re using email threads, spreadsheets, Notion, and memory all at once.

I lived in that chaos for months.
Then I built a workflow around a lightweight CRM — and it changed everything.

In this post, I’ll walk through:

• The real problem with lead tracking as a small team or solo founder

• The simple system I use now

• A few CRM tools that work (and why I use Nexved CRM)

• Bonus: How to automate reminders using APIs

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❓ What’s the Real Problem?

If you’re technical, your default tools are probably:

• Spreadsheets

• Email inboxes

• Notion or Trello

• Slack or WhatsApp

But here’s what I learned the hard way:

✅ These tools are flexible
🚫 But none of them are built for follow-up workflows

The result?
You miss leads. You forget follow-ups. Your pipeline is just... scattered.

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🧩 The Solution: Build a Centralized, Minimal CRM Flow

You don’t need a 200-feature enterprise CRM.
You just need a system that does this:

1. Capture lead info — manually or via form

2. Store notes and tags — to know who they are and what they need

3. Set follow-up reminders — so you don’t forget them

4. Track deal stages — so you know where they stand

I found that a lightweight CRM like Nexved CRM does all this without overcomplicating anything.

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⚙️ My Workflow (As a Developer)

Here’s how I use a CRM as a dev/founder:

🔹 Step 1: Add New Leads Manually or via Webhook

When someone fills out a form on my site, I use a webhook to push the data to Nexved CRM via its API or Zapier.

If it's a DM or personal email, I add it manually in 15 seconds.

🔹 Step 2: Add Tags + Notes

I tag leads as:

• “Interested”

• “Needs Demo”

• “Waiting for Response”

I also add notes like:

“Spoke via LinkedIn — interested in a custom integration. Follow up next week.”

🔹 Step 3: Set Follow-Up Task

The key to not losing leads?
Schedule a follow-up the moment you talk to someone.
Even if it’s just “Check in 7 days.”

I do this right inside the CRM — no calendar juggling.

🔹 Step 4: Review My Pipeline Weekly

Once a week, I open my pipeline view and ask:

• Who hasn’t responded yet?

• What leads are warm?

• What’s ready to close?

This keeps me focused — and helps me close more without chasing ghosts.

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🛠️ Tools I Recommend

If you’re looking for dev-friendly, affordable CRMs with APIs or automation support, check out:

1. Nexved CRM – Simple UI, built for small teams, great for tracking and follow-ups.

2. Pipedrive – Visual pipeline, good for slightly larger sales teams.

3. Bigin by Zoho – Works for freelancers and VAs, but can be clunky.

4. Notion + Zapier – Great for docs, but CRM-like functions get messy fast.

👉 Full comparison: Best CRM Software for Small Businesses (2025 Guide)

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🧠 Bonus: Automating Follow-Up Emails

If your CRM supports webhooks or has API access, here’s how to build a basic auto-follow-up flow:

javascriptCopyEditif (lead.status === "Waiting" && daysSince(lead.last_contact) > 7) {
  sendEmail(lead.email, "Hey, just checking in 👋");
}

Tools like n8n, Make (Integromat), or Zapier can help you do this without writing code.

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🚀 Final Thoughts

If you’re constantly saying “I’ll remember to follow up…”
You won’t.

Get yourself a simple CRM that:

• Tracks your leads

• Nudges you to follow up

• Shows you where every deal stands

I wasted months doing this manually. Now? It’s automated, organized, and I close more deals — without working harder.

🔗 Want a CRM that’s actually built for small teams like us?
👉 Read the full guide here