Outbound Sales Sequence lets you execute a series of steps (email, call, SMS, and task) in the exact sequence you want. A step will get executed only after its previous step is executed. You can also run steps based on the outcome of the previous step. 

For example: If you want to schedule a phone call to your prospect only after they replied to an email or if you want to send an SMS if they have not opened your previous email, outbound sequence will help you automate these steps in the right order you want.

What is the difference between Outbound Sequence and other sequences?

How to create an Outbound Sequence?

• Outbound Sequences can be accessed from the Sales Sequence module. Go to the quick add button on the top navigation bar and hit on Create Sales Sequence. You can also access them from Profile settings → Sales sequence
• Give a name to your sales sequence and choose the record (Contact or Account) and list on which you want to run the sequence
• You can also set a limit of contacts entering the sequence at one go through Contact Throttling

• Contact Throttling feature is useful when a step involves a call or a task to a larger number of contacts. Your users could get overwhelmed with tasks or activities

  For example: If a sales person selects a contact list which has 1000 contacts, and adds a step to call them, since they can’t call all 1000 of them in one go, they can choose to add 20 contacts into the sequence every day

• Choose the sequence type as Outbound Sequence and choose the time for the sequence to run.

• Add the steps you want for your sequence
• Since only the contacts satisfying your set conditions will enter the sequence, the 1st step doesn’t have the condition section. Delay condition will be unchecked by default
• Each step will have a condition based on its configuration. (Email/Email reminder - if contact replies, Call/Task - based on a chosen outcome of the activity, SMS - will not have an exit condition)
• You can select additional exit conditions from advanced settings. For example: The contacts will be removed from the sequence if the email gets bounced or the email is unsubscribed

Note: If a step doesn't have a condition, it will execute (based on delay) after the previous step is executed

• You will not be able to reorder the steps. If you choose to delete steps, the rest will be renumbered as follows:

Consider we have 3 steps in the sequence

Step 1

Step 2

Step 3

If the first step is deleted:

When you delete Step 1, Step 2 will be reordered as Step 1. The previous conditions related to the Step 2 will be deleted as it becomes the first step of the sequence

If a step in between is deleted:

In this instance, if you click to delete Step 2,  Step 3 will be reordered as Step 2. The conditions related to the deleted step will be removed

If the last step is deleted:

Deleting the last step doesn’t affect the sequence

Note: You can switch the sequence type to classic or smart before saving the sequence. This will delete all the steps and exit conditions.

• Click Save and Start to start the Sequence after adding the required steps. You can also choose to Save and activate the sequence later

How to edit an Outbound Sequence?

You cannot edit an active outbound sequence. You need to make the sequence inactive to edit it.

For inactive sequences, Go to Profile Settings → Sales Sequences and click on the sequence you want to edit. You can edit the name, content, delays, conditions, and settings of the steps. You cannot switch between sequence types once selected and saved. You cannot change the order and delete a step.

How to deactivate an Outbound Sequence?

Go to Profile Settings → Sales Sequences and toggle the button on the left of the sequence you want to deactivate.  If the sequence has more than 50 contacts, this action might take a few minutes.

If you reactivate the sequence, only Contacts added(post activation) to the sequence will start with the first step.

Set up Outbound Sequence to automate communication in the specific order that is right for your prospects and your business.