What is a Sales Email Sequence?

A sales email sequence is a coordinated series of emails that are sent from a salesperson or sales team to a prospect over a specific period of time. Typically, sales email sequences are sent using a sales automation platform that manages who receives the emails, when, and when they stop.

The Goal of a Sales Email Sequence

The most common primary goal of a sequence is to garner a response from the recipient. A secondary objective is to gain clicks, website visits, or interactions with content.

These goals are accomplished through the use of strategic messaging and content offers. For best results, the messaging and content should be directly aligned with the reason the prospect began receiving the sales email sequence.

For example, if the prospect downloaded a certain piece of content, the email sequence should reflect similar value propositions, discuss related topics, and provide other downloads within the same topic area.

Sales Email Automation

The most efficient and effective manner to use sales email sequences is to employ some type of automation platform. Since these emails are distributed on a set schedule to hundreds if not thousands of prospects, it would be impossible for a sales rep to manage their sends as well as perform their typical daily activities.

Intelligent sales email automation applications contain several features that are crucial to the successful deployment of email sequences. Namely, the ability to enroll and remove prospects from the list based on certain activities. If a prospect makes contact with a sales rep either within or outside of the sequence, the platform should automatically remove them from the list. This creates a better buying experience.

Apps should also be able to enroll prospects based on the actions they take on your website. Ideally, a sales team should create multiple sequences that align with actions.

Email Sequence Structure

Email sequences typically consist of anywhere between five to nine emails and are usually used in conjunction with a sales call sequence to form a sales outreach strategy.

These emails usually being with an intro or welcome email, if launched from a content download, this can be the item itself, or the piece of information that was requested. What follows are several emails containing related follow-up content that gradually get more specific in their value proposition. Usually, the later emails turn more towards the desired action, like a conversation with a sales rep or a demo. The current trend is to have the final email ask the prospect if they wish to continue receiving emails and warning that it is the last one.

Sales Emails and Calls

As stated before, the most effective sales outreach campaigns contain both sales email sequences and sales call sequences. Generally, these are referred to as a sales sequence. Both sales calls and sales emails should be scheduled in coordination with one another for optimum performance. Sales teams can use platforms that automatically send emails and remind reps when it is time to place a call for maximum effect.