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OpenClaw Setup Guide for GTM Teams: From Zero to AI SDR [2026]

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You've heard OpenClaw can turn AI into your always-on sales assistant. You're intrigued by the $0 price tag versus $40K enterprise alternatives.

But you're staring at a GitHub page wondering: "How do I actually make this work for my sales team?"

This guide takes you from zero to a working AI SDR in under an hour. No engineering degree required. If you can copy-paste commands and edit a text file, you can do this.

OpenClaw Architecture for GTM

What You'll Build​

By the end of this guide, you'll have:

✅ OpenClaw running on your machine (or a cloud server) ✅ AI assistant connected to WhatsApp or Slack ✅ Basic CRM integration with HubSpot ✅ Web search capability for prospect research ✅ Your first automated workflow (daily pipeline summary)

Total time: 45-60 minutes.

Prerequisites​

You need:

  • A computer (Mac, Windows, or Linux)
  • An Anthropic API key (get one at console.anthropic.com)
  • A WhatsApp account OR Slack workspace
  • (Optional) HubSpot account for CRM integration

You don't need:

  • Programming experience
  • DevOps knowledge
  • A computer science degree

Part 1: Installing OpenClaw (15 minutes)​

Step 1: Install Node.js​

OpenClaw runs on Node.js. Install it first:

Mac:

brew install node

Windows: Download from nodejs.org and run the installer.

Linux (Ubuntu/Debian):

curl -fsSL https://deb.nodesource.com/setup_22.x | sudo -E bash -
sudo apt-get install -y nodejs

Verify it worked:

node --version
# Should show v22.x.x or similar

Step 2: Install OpenClaw​

One command:

npx openclaw@latest init

This downloads OpenClaw and runs the setup wizard.

The wizard asks:

  1. API Key: Paste your Anthropic API key
  2. Model: Select Claude Sonnet 4 (best balance of speed and capability)
  3. Channels: Select WhatsApp or Slack (we'll configure in Part 2)

When it finishes, you'll see:

✅ OpenClaw initialized!
Run 'openclaw gateway start' to begin.

Step 3: Start the Gateway​

openclaw gateway start

OpenClaw is now running. You'll see:

🚀 Gateway started
📡 Listening for connections...

Leave this terminal open. OpenClaw runs here.

Part 2: Connecting a Messaging Channel (10 minutes)​

Your AI needs a way to communicate. Let's connect WhatsApp (easiest) or Slack.

Option A: WhatsApp (Personal or Business)​

In a new terminal:

openclaw whatsapp link

A QR code appears. Scan it with WhatsApp on your phone (Settings → Linked Devices → Link a Device).

Once linked:

✅ WhatsApp connected!
Send any message to your own number to test.

Test it: Send "Hello" to yourself on WhatsApp. Your AI should respond!

Option B: Slack​

  1. Create a Slack App at api.slack.com/apps
  2. Add these Bot Token Scopes:
    • chat:write
    • channels:history
    • channels:read
    • app_mentions:read
  3. Install the app to your workspace
  4. Copy the Bot Token

Add to your OpenClaw config (~/.openclaw/config.yaml):

channels:
  slack:
    token: "xoxb-your-bot-token"
    appToken: "xapp-your-app-token"  # For Socket Mode

Restart OpenClaw:

openclaw gateway restart

Test it: Mention your bot in Slack. It should respond!

Part 3: Configuring Your AI Persona (10 minutes)​

Your AI shouldn't sound like a generic chatbot. Let's give it personality.

Creating Your Sales Assistant Persona​

Open ~/.openclaw/workspace/SOUL.md and customize:

# SOUL.md - Your Sales AI

You are a sales assistant for [Your Company].

## Your Role
- Help SDRs research prospects
- Draft personalized outreach
- Monitor pipeline and alert on important changes
- Answer questions about our product and competitors

## Your Tone
- Professional but not stiff
- Concise—you value people's time
- Confident—you know the product well
- Helpful—you anticipate what's needed

## What You Know
- Our product: [Brief description]
- Our ICP: [Who we sell to]
- Our competitors: [Main competitors]
- Our differentiators: [What makes us unique]

## Rules
- Never make up information about prospects
- Always cite sources when researching
- Ask clarifying questions if a request is ambiguous
- Protect customer data—never share externally

Save the file. OpenClaw reads this automatically.

Testing the Persona​

Message your AI:

"What can you help me with?"

It should respond based on your SOUL.md configuration.

Part 4: Adding Web Research (5 minutes)​

For your AI to research prospects, it needs web access.

  1. Get a free API key at brave.com/search/api/
  2. Add to your environment:
# Add to ~/.bashrc or ~/.zshrc
export BRAVE_API_KEY="your-brave-api-key"
  1. Restart OpenClaw:
openclaw gateway restart

Test It​

Message your AI:

"Research Acme Corp for me—what do they do and any recent news?"

It should search the web and return a summary.

OpenClaw Terminal Commands

Part 5: HubSpot Integration (10 minutes)​

Now let's connect your CRM so your AI can access real prospect data.

Getting HubSpot API Access​

  1. Go to HubSpot → Settings → Integrations → Private Apps
  2. Create a new private app
  3. Grant these scopes:
    • crm.objects.contacts.read
    • crm.objects.contacts.write
    • crm.objects.companies.read
    • crm.objects.deals.read
  4. Copy the access token

Configure OpenClaw​

Add to your environment:

export HUBSPOT_ACCESS_TOKEN="your-token"

Create a HubSpot integration script (~/.openclaw/workspace/scripts/hubspot.js):

const hubspot = require('@hubspot/api-client');

const client = new hubspot.Client({ 
  accessToken: process.env.HUBSPOT_ACCESS_TOKEN 
});

// Search contacts
async function searchContacts(query) {
  const response = await client.crm.contacts.searchApi.doSearch({
    query: query,
    limit: 10,
    properties: ['firstname', 'lastname', 'email', 'company']
  });
  return response.results;
}

// Get deal pipeline
async function getDeals() {
  const response = await client.crm.deals.basicApi.getPage(100, undefined, [
    'dealname', 'amount', 'dealstage', 'closedate'
  ]);
  return response.results;
}

module.exports = { searchContacts, getDeals };

Install the HubSpot SDK:

cd ~/.openclaw/workspace
npm install @hubspot/api-client

Test It​

Message your AI:

"Look up John Smith in our CRM"

It should search HubSpot and return matching contacts.

Part 6: Your First Automation (10 minutes)​

Let's set up a daily pipeline summary that runs automatically.

Create the Cron Job​

OpenClaw uses cron jobs for scheduled tasks. Add to your config:

# ~/.openclaw/config.yaml
cron:
  - name: "Daily Pipeline Summary"
    schedule: 
      kind: cron
      expr: "0 9 * * *"  # 9 AM daily
      tz: "America/Chicago"  # Your timezone
    payload:
      kind: systemEvent
      text: |
        Generate a morning pipeline briefing:
        1. Check HubSpot for deals closing this week
        2. List any deals that haven't been updated in 7+ days
        3. Highlight the top 3 deals by value
        4. Send summary to the sales channel
    sessionTarget: main

Restart to Apply​

openclaw gateway restart

Tomorrow at 9 AM, your AI will automatically generate and send a pipeline summary.

Test It Now​

Don't want to wait? Trigger manually:

openclaw cron run "Daily Pipeline Summary"

Part 7: Common GTM Workflows​

Here are ready-to-use workflows for sales teams:

Prospect Research on Demand​

When someone messages:

"Research [Company Name]"

Your AI will:

  1. Search the web for company information
  2. Find recent news
  3. Check for relevant job postings
  4. Summarize findings

Pre-Call Briefing​

When someone messages:

"Prep me for my call with [Name] at [Company]"

Your AI will:

  1. Research the person and company
  2. Check your CRM for history
  3. Generate talking points
  4. Suggest opening questions

Email Draft​

When someone messages:

"Draft an email to [Name] at [Company] about [topic]"

Your AI will:

  1. Research the prospect
  2. Draft a personalized email
  3. Suggest subject lines
  4. Format for copy-paste

Deal Alert​

Set up an alert for stale deals:

cron:
  - name: "Stale Deal Alert"
    schedule:
      kind: cron
      expr: "0 10 * * 1-5"  # 10 AM weekdays
    payload:
      kind: systemEvent
      text: |
        Check HubSpot for deals not updated in 7+ days.
        For each stale deal, send an alert with:
        - Deal name and value
        - Days since last activity
        - Suggested next action
    sessionTarget: main

Troubleshooting Common Issues​

"Command not found: openclaw"​

Make sure Node.js is in your PATH:

export PATH=$PATH:$(npm bin -g)

WhatsApp QR Code Won't Scan​

  1. Make sure you're scanning with WhatsApp (not camera app)
  2. Try regenerating: openclaw whatsapp link --force
  3. Check your phone has internet

AI Not Responding​

  1. Check the gateway is running: openclaw gateway status
  2. Check API key is set: echo $ANTHROPIC_API_KEY
  3. Check logs: openclaw gateway logs

HubSpot Integration Not Working​

  1. Verify token: curl -H "Authorization: Bearer $HUBSPOT_ACCESS_TOKEN" https://api.hubapi.com/crm/v3/objects/contacts?limit=1
  2. Check scopes in HubSpot private app settings
  3. Ensure token isn't expired

What's Next?​

You now have a working AI SDR foundation. Here's how to expand:

Week 1 additions:

  • Add more team members to the WhatsApp/Slack channel
  • Create 2-3 custom prompts for common requests
  • Set up one more automated daily report

Week 2 additions:

  • Add email integration for outbound drafts
  • Create a competitor research template
  • Build an objection handling reference

Week 3 additions:

  • Add Salesforce or other CRM if needed
  • Create multi-step workflows
  • Train team on best prompts

Resources​

  • OpenClaw Docs: docs.openclaw.ai
  • Community Discord: discord.com/invite/clawd
  • GitHub: github.com/openclaw/openclaw
  • Skill Library: clawhub.com (pre-built automations)
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Want a Head Start?​

MarketBetter builds on OpenClaw's foundation with pre-built GTM workflows, native HubSpot integration, and a complete SDR playbook—no setup required.

Book a Demo to see how we've productized the best of OpenClaw for sales teams.

Related reading:

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