How Many Steps Should You Have in Your HubSpot Outreach Sequences?

When was the last time you built a piece of flat-pack furniture? 

Did you follow the instructions to the letter? Or throw caution to the wind and try to figure it out yourself? 

We bet you did the latter – otherwise, there’s no way you’d be here reading this blog post. You’d still be stuck trying to assemble your new purchase. 

Funnily enough, exactly the same thing goes for outreach. You can follow a structured outreach sequence and watch the prospects roll in, or you can try a more free-wheeling approach…and still be working the same leads months later. 

Outreach sequences help sales pros like us and our friends in marketing maintain consistent communication with leads. Hello, better engagement and conversion rates. 

And if you’re a HubSpot user, you’ll enjoy outreach sequences that take these results to the next level: by automating certain steps, you can make sure every part of your strategy really hits the spot. Reading this blog post about how many steps each sequence should include is one way to just that 😉   

• What Makes an Effective Outreach Sequence?
• Key Components of a Successful Sequence
• Example Cadence for a Balanced Outreach Sequence
• How Many Steps Are Enough?
• Using Tools to Automate and Scale Your Sequences

Let’s get started. 

What Makes an Effective Outreach Sequence?

Follow a good outreach sequence, and you’ll end up where you want to: with leads coming out of your ears (figuratively speaking, of course). 

Follow a not-so-good outreach sequence, and you’ll feel a bit like you’re building a chair with instructions for building a table. 

Let’s find out how to make sure we’re building chairs, not tables – or following a good outreach sequence, not a bad outreach sequence, if you want us to be more literal. 

Balance and Timing 

Effective sequences will be persistent without, crucially, overwhelming prospects. If your prospects feel overwhelmed, they’re likely to back off – or worse, tell you to back off – which is hardly the start of a fruitful relationship. 

To mitigate the risk of a back-off situation, you should space your steps over about two-and-a-half weeks. This hits a nice balance between showing your interest without appearing too aggressive. 

Diversity of Touch-points 

How do you feel if you receive 10 missed calls in a row from someone? A bit freaked out, right? 

Now think about if someone got in touch 10 times, but it was over email, call, and LinkedIn (sending a connection request, commenting on a post, or sending a direct message, for example). That feels a bit less intense. 

Reach out to your prospects on multiple channels, and you’ll come across more naturally – and are far more likely to reach them where they want to be reached, too.

Key Components of a Successful Sequence

So, what does a successful HubSpot sequence actually look like? 

There are five key stages you’ll want to make sure your sequence hits: 

Stage 1: Initial Contact 

This could look like a personalized email introducing yourself and your reason for reaching out, a LinkedIn connection request, or an introductory phone call or voicemail. 

Stage 2: Follow-Up Call or Voicemail 

This is exactly what it says on the tin: a further call or voicemail to reinforce your message. 

Stage 3: LinkedIn Actions 

This could look like commenting thoughtfully on their recent post (yes, more than just ‘great post!!!’ – sorry) or engaging with them in a common interest group. 

Stage 4: LinkedIn DM

 Here you want to send a tailored direct message acknowledging their interests or challenges, and briefly explaining why your solution is the answer. 

Stage 5: Social Contact and Further Follow-Ups 

Add in a mix of social media interactions, emails, calls and voicemails over the next couple of days. 

Got it? Good! Let’s take a look at it all in practice.

Example Cadence for a Balanced Outreach Sequence

Here’s an example showing what your HubSpot outreach sequence could look like in practice 

• Day 1: Let’s begin! Send an introductory email and a personalized connection request on LinkedIn.
• Day 2: Make an AM call and leave a voicemail introducing yourself. 
• Day 3: Attempt a PM call and thoughtfully comment on their latest LinkedIn post. 
• Day 4: Send a LinkedIn DM referencing pain points and how you might be able to help. 
• Day 5: Send a second email reiterating how you might help with their problems. 
• Day 7: AM call and PM call. 
• Day 10: Attempt a call and leave a voicemail.
• Day 12: Final email with a clear call-to-action (for example, schedule a meeting).

By this point, you’ve hopefully got your prospect’s attention (in a good way, not a bad way). 

If not, you might want to consider breakup language. There’s no need to turn on the waterworks or start guilt-tripping your recipient – we’re at work, it’s not going to come across as sincere. That said, a simple ‘It seems like [pain point] isn’t a problem for you, but if that changes I’m free to chat any time’ can work wonders in eliciting a response. 

How Many Steps Are Enough?

The big reveal: how many steps should you have in your HubSpot outreach sequences? 

The exact number will vary according to your unique business, natch – consult your playbook for the answers if you’re an established business. If you’re still figuring things out, or the playbook isn’t working as well as it used to (which will happen at some point, btw!) 8-12 steps over 10-15 days is a good rule of thumb. 

Play around within those parameters, and you should land on a combination that works for you. 

On average, it takes 8 touches to reach a prospect – so don’t freak out at the thought of following up. Providing you’re not getting into pushy territory, and are tailoring the number of steps to your audience and industry, you’ll be good to go. 

Using Tools to Automate and Scale Your Sequences

HubSpot outreach sequences can be a game-changer when done right, but you’ve got to make sure they work for you as well as your prospects. 

After all, there’s no point in sending the perfectly crafted, personalized sequence if it’s going to take you half a day for each prospect. That’s not fun or clever. 

And here, our friends, is where automation tools come to play: 

Benefits of Automation 

The beauty of automation is that it allows you to scale outreach without sacrificing personalization. 

HubSpot lets you do this by building multiple outreach sequences – you could assign these to different personas, or trigger them after specific prospect actions, for example. The result? Emails that feel personal to everyone – even if they’re technically not written one-by-one.  

Surfe (hey!) is another good one here. It automates finding contact details for all your new leads and transfers everything it finds over to your CRM in the same click. That means you’ll always have exactly what you need to know about your prospects, without having to spend light years trawling through the internet for your info. 

Seamless Integration with LinkedIn 

Here’s a tip for you: integrate HubSpot with a LinkedIn Chrome Extension and you’ll make sending HubSpot outreach sequences even easier than they already are. 

If you’re wondering how, here’s the answer: Surfe. With Surfe, you can add new contacts to email sequences directly from LinkedIn in just a couple of clicks – pretty clever, right? 

This saves you time switching between tools and carefully transferring data around – do this manually, and you’ll struggle to maintain the pace you need to outreach effectively at scale. It also allows you to seamlessly combine email and LinkedIn outreach. Now that’s what we call a multi-channel outreach sequence made simple.

Let’s Wrap It Up!

Someone pass us a hammer – we’re nearly there! 

When you have the right HubSpot outreach sequence set up, you’ll be able to automate the bits that don’t need your attention and spend more of your time focussing on what matters: personalization and building relationships. 

Throw Surfe into the mix, and you’ll have a streamlined prospecting process that’s so easy to follow, you may as well have had someone do it for you. A bit like hiring a TaskRabbit to assemble your furniture, if you will. 

FAQs About HubSpot Outreach Sequences 

How Many Steps Are Ideal for HubSpot Outreach Sequences?

The sweet spot for HubSpot outreach sequences is typically 8-12 steps over 10-15 days. This balance ensures consistent communication without overwhelming prospects. Each step should be thoughtfully spaced to show your interest while giving your leads breathing room. Keep in mind that every business is different. Use these numbers as a guideline and make adjustments based on your audience’s preferences and response rates.

Why Should You Space Out HubSpot Outreach Sequence Steps?

Spacing out steps in your HubSpot outreach sequence is key to avoiding overwhelming prospects. A well-paced sequence, over about two to two-and-a-half weeks, creates a sense of steady communication rather than pushiness. This balance improves engagement while keeping your outreach professional and respectful – which is critical for building long-term relationships with leads.

What Channels Should You Use in Your HubSpot Outreach Sequence?

For best results, combine multiple channels like email, phone calls, and LinkedIn in your outreach sequence. This approach feels less intense and improves the chances of reaching your prospects where they’re most active. For example, pair a personalized email with LinkedIn comments or messages to create a more natural and effective outreach strategy.

How Can HubSpot Automation Help with Outreach Sequences?

HubSpot automation takes the time out of outreach by letting you scale sequences without losing personalization. You can automate steps based on prospect actions or assign different sequences to personas. Tools like Surfe also integrate HubSpot and Linkedin seamlessly, helping you to transfer data from LinkedIn to HubSpot in just one click. Hello, speedier processes! 

What’s the Best Way to End a HubSpot Outreach Sequence?

If your sequence isn’t getting a response, try breakup language in your final step. Avoid guilt-tripping – keep it professional. For example: “It seems like [pain point] isn’t a priority for you right now. If that changes, feel free to reach out. I’d be happy to chat.” This leaves the door open for future communication without being pushy.