What are sales sequences? How to configure a sequence?

Posted by Nishi on 19 December 2022

This feature will allow you to set up automated email sequences, personalize emails, track the effectiveness of the sequence and follow up with prospects based on their behavior.

In this guide, we will talk about

Who can access sales sequences
Limits and Scope
Types of sales sequences
Overall flow of a sales sequence
Execution of a sales sequence
Import your audience
Create your first sequence

1. Who can access Sales Sequences?

Users with 'View Sales Sequences' permissions enabled on their roles can access Sales Sequences. However, to create a sequence, the user should have 'Create Sales Sequences' permission enabled.

Recommended: Users should connect their emails to send emails using their custom SMTP for better deliverability.

2. What are the limits and scope?

Email limits specific to sales sequence emails are given below -

Sales sequences have user scope. This means users will be able to view and edit only their sequences.

3. Type of sales sequence

There are two types of sequence -

Classic Sequence: Classic sequence allows you to automatically run a sequence of actions for a set of audiences on specific days. A typical example would be of a prospecting campaign for an outbound sales team wherein the sales agent sends a set of emails and adds follow-ups on specific days till the prospect responds.

Smart Sequence: Smart sequence allows you to automatically run the most relevant steps at fixed intervals in the sequence based on the behavior of the audience. An example of Smart Sequence would be customer onboarding or retention sequence where the sales agent wants to send an email based on what the audience has done or not. This will send the relevant email at the right time.

4. Overall flow of Sales Sequence

Define Audience: The audience is a set of contacts, or accounts, who will enter the sequence. You can add filter conditions on the property of contacts to add them as an audience. When accounts are added, all related contacts whose primary sales account matches the conditions will be added to the sequence. Additionally, you can also add saved views to the sales sequence.
Choose sequence type: Choose a type between Classic sequence and Smart sequence depending on whether you want to run the sequence based on time or based on behavior.
Add steps to be executed: Steps are the actions to be performed as part of the sequence. There are 4 types of actions that can be done - Add Email, Add Call Reminder, Add Follow up, and Add SMS. These actions will be executed when the conditions of the step match.
Define exit criteria: Exit criteria is the set of condition to match for contacts, or accounts to exit the sequence at any point.

5. Execution of sales sequence

A sales sequence will run at a specified time/interval at the given time and timezone. The entry conditions will be checked every time the sequence runs to add a new audience. The metrics will be updated at the same time.
In classic sequence, if a step condition is not matched and the specific step is not executed, the contact will continue to run in the sequence by skipping the step and executing the next step at the next specified day.
If an email template is modified in a step, the sequence will send the modified email the next time it runs. The same applies to modified step conditions or day.
All sales sequence are independent. If sequence A is running on a specific contact, sequence B can also run on the same sequence unless specified explicitly.

6. Import your sequence audience

You can either filter the contacts or accounts already present in the or import your audience list before creating a sequence. Refer to our solution articles to import contacts and accounts

Recommended: Create a custom field such as ‘SDR sequence’ or ‘Import Name’ and populate a tag for every import you do. This will help you identify your records easily and add to audience criteria. You can also make use of the sequence default field.

7. Create your first sequence

Usecase - Run a sequence to qualify a contact in outbound sales. A set of emails sent and follow-ups are done on specific days until the prospect responds back.

This is a typical use case of a classic sequence.

To create a new sequence, click the quick add button on the top navigation bar and click Create Sales Sequence.

You can also access the sales sequences from Profile settings > Sales sequence. This is the list view for all your sequences. Click the

button on the top right side.

Give a name to your sales sequence. This name will be used in the filters to get the list of contacts in a particular sequence.
Next, define your audience. Choose the record (Contact or Account) on which you want to run the sequence. To add records to the campaign, you can choose one of two ways.

- Choose filtered views to add to the campaignYou can preselect from a list of contact views on which the campaign must run.

- Set filter conditions to detect and add records to a campaignIf none of the contact views suit your requirements, you can add specific contacts, or accounts, to the campaign by setting up filter conditions.Click 'Add by conditions'. This brings up the filter conditions overlay.

You can add up to 8 filter conditions.

If your 'email address' field has not been made unique, click the checkbox to prevent duplicates from being added to the Sales Sequence.

Note:In the absence of entry conditions, the steps will be executed for only those Contacts/Accounts that are manually added to the sequence.

Choose the sequence type. The prospecting emails will go on specific days so it is best to choose Classic sequence. Select the time and timezone when the emails should go to the audience. This timing is used for all steps.
You can also choose to exclude weekends from the campaign by selecting the checkbox.
Next, you add the steps to be executed. There are 5 types of actions we support. You can Add EmailAdd Email reminderAdd Follow up Add Call reminderAdd SMS
Add Email
Add Email reminder
Add Follow up
Add Call reminder
Add SMS

To add an email step, click on Add Email. This will open an overlay to add the email.
Select the day you want to send the email.
You can add conditions to execute the step. These conditions can be on email activity or record property. You can add up to 8 conditions.
Select the email template to be sent. You can personalize the emails by using placeholders in your email template. Learn more about email templates.
You can further customize the email step under Advanced Settings.You can:- Send the email as a new thread or choose to send it as a reply to the previous step.- Choose the From, Reply to, CC, and BCC information- Track the opens and clicks- Include a link to unsubscribe
To personalize or review your emails before sending them, click on Email reminder to open up an overlay to add an email reminderYou will be able to view the list of reminders in the activities dashboard. You can filter to find a particular email and personalize it before sending it across. You can also view the reminders in the contact details page
To add a follow-up step, click on Add Task. This will open an overlay to add the follow-up.

Similarly, you can add a Call reminder as below.
You may also choose to send SMS in the following manner.

6. Define exit criteria: There are 4 default conditions for a contact, or account to exit the sequence. Click the checkbox to enable the conditions.

All the steps are executed
When the contact replies to the email
When the contact has unsubscribed
Email has bounced

Additionally, you can also add the filter conditions based on the properties to further select the specific contacts or accounts you want to run the sequence on.

Note: You can add upto 8 filter conditions.

Important fields:

‘Last contacted mode’ is a field that captures information about the last activity done with the contact, or account. This can be ‘Not yet contacted’, ‘No reply’, ‘Opened but no reply’, ‘Replied’, ‘Incoming call’, ‘Outgoing call’, ‘Chat’, ‘Sales Activity’.

Similarly, the ‘Last Activity Type’ is another field that captures information about the latest activity type that involved the contact. This could be any of the default activities– Call, Phone, Chat, Task, SMS, or Meeting– or any custom sales activity such as Lunch, Coffee, InMail etc.

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