Outbound playbook

Choose one group of people and a specific reason to contact them. Start with contacts already in your CRM, then use the results to decide what to try next. Build your first sequence covers setup and launch.

Check the requirements

Email sequences are on Pro, Growth and Enterprise. LinkedIn steps need Growth and Enterprise. Owners, admins and members can build sequences. See Sequences.

Structured prospecting to find new companies and people is a separate feature, on Growth and Enterprise. A plan with sequences does not automatically include prospecting. You can use existing CRM contacts or import a list instead. Researching a named company or person on the web is a separate task; see People search.

Start with a specific reason to reach out

Audience	Reason to contact them	Example request
Closed-lost opportunities	You shipped something that addresses their original problem	“Find closed-lost deals where reporting was the blocker. Draft a short sequence explaining the reporting change.”
Current customers	A need from a past conversation now has a solution	“Find customer accounts that asked about renewal reporting. Draft a follow-up explaining the new report.”
Past champions	You have a relevant reason to reconnect	“Find past champions in these accounts and help me draft a check-in.”
Event attendees	You met them or have a relevant invitation	“Draft a two-message follow-up for the contacts on the Q3 dinner list.”
Imported or researched prospects	Their company and role match a specific offer	“Review this list against our buyer description and draft a sequence for the best-fit contacts.”

Use a separate sequence when the audience or reason to contact them changes. Before enrolling, ask the agent to check for existing customers, open opportunities and contacts already in another sequence.

Choose a channel

Use your connected work inbox for small lists of existing contacts. If you need separate mailboxes for outbound, follow Sending safely before you send.

Use LinkedIn steps when your plan includes them and the person is someone you want to contact there. Keep the invite and Wait for connection steps even for existing connections; see LinkedIn steps.

A warm audience already knows your company. A warmed mailbox is an account prepared for sending outbound email. These describe different things.

Write one clear message at a time

• Give each message one reason to contact the person and one ask.
• Use a specific signal only when you have evidence for it. Tell the agent what to do when it cannot find one.
• Add a new reason or useful detail in a follow-up instead of repeating the first message.
• Give the agent examples of emails you have written so it can follow your tone.
• Test several contacts before publishing to check that the message fits each person.

Estimate message capacity

Sending limits count messages, including follow-ups. They do not count only new contacts.

At a default limit of 20 emails a day, one connected mailbox has capacity for about 400 emails across 20 sending days. A three-email sequence needs up to three sends per contact, so that capacity is not 400 new contacts. Replies and skipped steps change the actual total. Other sequences using the same sender share its daily limit.

Check the sending limits and send window before estimating when a list will finish. Keep the default limits unless you have a specific reason to change them.

When to use another tool

Use a sequence for a series of messages to individual contacts. For a process started by a schedule or record change, use an automation. For a newsletter or designed marketing campaign, use your marketing email tool.

When the sequence is live, follow Running and troubleshooting to review drafts, replies and contacts that need attention.