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Sequencing Setup: Autobound’s Outreach Integration
Sequencing Setup: Autobound’s Outreach Integration

This article explains integrating Autobound with Outreach for AI-driven personalization in sales sequences, including setup and management.

Kyle Schuster avatar
Written by Kyle Schuster
Updated this week

Overview

Autobound's integration with Outreach allows you to leverage existing Outreach sequences with AI-driven personalization. This powerful combination enables you to work within the Outreach UI while benefiting from Autobound's advanced content generation capabilities.

1. Getting Started: Authenticating Autobound to Outreach

To begin using Autobound's sequencing capabilities with Outreach:

  1. Log in to your Autobound account.

  2. Navigate to the Settings section.

  3. Look for the Outreach integration option.

  4. Click on "Connect" or "Authenticate" next to Outreach.

  5. Follow the prompts to log in to your Outreach account and authorize the connection.

You'll be asked to authorize your account.

Once authenticated, Autobound will be able to access your Outreach sequences and enhance them with AI-powered personalization.

2. Creating a Sequence

To create a new AI-enhanced sequence using Autobound and Outreach:

  1. Go to Autobound's sequence page.

  2. Click on "Create new AI sequence".

  3. Select an existing Outreach sequence that isn’t already connected to Autobound to clone and personalize. You can tell which sequences are already connected because they should start with “Autobound:”

    • Autobound will use the content in your sequence templates as a basis for writing personalized emails.


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  4. Choose which steps of the sequence you want Autobound to personalize:

    1. For each step you want to personalize, click the "Personalize with AI" button on the right side of the step.
      ​

    Important note: If you have instructions in your templates that were meant for a human to review using comment variables that have the “!” at the beginning like this {{! comment}}, an AI won’t understand them. Instead replace them with instructions for an AI. Keep reading to learn more.
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  5. Set your content review preferences:

    1. First, decide whether you want the AI-generated content to be reviewed at all.

    2. If you choose to review, select whether to review in Autobound's web app or directly in Outreach.

  • Option 1: "Direct Push OFF: Generate and edit content in Autobound UI before pushing to sequence.

    1. Generated content is held in Autobound for review before adding prospects to the sequence. You’ll have the option to review and approve content before it’s pushed into Outreach

    2. This allows you to check and edit emails within Autobound's interface prior to adding to the sequence.

    3. Important: If you review in Autobound, it doesn't make sense to review again in Outreach. Therefore, any emails Autobound is personalizing should be set as "automated" emails in Outreach instead of manual. Otherwise, reps will be tasked to review the emails again when the task comes up in Outreach according to the sequence structure.
      ​

  • Option 2: "Direct Push ON: Generate and send to sequence without reviewing content in Autobound UI"

    1. Prospects are added to the sequence immediately after content is generated, without review in Autobound.

    2. For Outreach users with manual email steps, content can still be reviewed in Outreach before sending. We recommend configuring any Autobound emails to be “manual emails” in Outreach if you want users to review the content before it’s sent.

    3. Warning: With automated email steps, emails will be sent without review.

  • You can set this preference: a) When creating the sequence at the top of the page b) In the sequence settings c) After you've created the sequence

6. Click the link on the popup that tells you to go to the sequence in Outreach. You you will be required to turn on each Email step on the right-hand side, and activate the sequence for it to work.

Learn more about Direct Push ON & OFF in the “Approving and Sending Content” section further down in this guide.
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What to Expect When Saving a Sequence:

  • When a sequence is saved, Autobound will create a new sequence in Outreach labeled "Autobound:..." followed by the name of your existing sequence. Similar to cloning the sequence you imported, with a one major change.

  • Any step you asked Autobound to personalize will look different in Outreach than in your previous templates.

  • You'll see subject lines and the body of the emails replaced with {{custom}} variables labeled custom 141-150.

  • Similar to how variables such as {{first_name}} are dynamically populated with the prospect's first name when an email is sent, Autobound will dynamically populate these custom variables with unique content for each prospect based on what was generated and approved by the user (or automatically if Direct Push ON).

Important Notes on Sequence Creation:

  • Users need permission to create shared sequences, as all sequences are created as shared and should not be made private.

  • After creating a sequence, you can edit the foundational templates powering it by clicking back into the sequence.

  • It's highly recommended to click into one of the steps Autobound is supposed to personalize and check the Tips section on the right-hand side (see below). This section provides guidance and examples, as well as a video which you can watch directly within the interface. These tips will teach you how to use advanced instruction prompting using [square brackets] within the template. More details can be found in the Advanced Sequencing Strategies article. You can also learn more by watching the video below.

3. Adding Prospects to a Sequence

There are four main methods to add prospects to your AI-enhanced sequences:

Below is an overview of each. If you want to dive into the user flow in more detail, check out these articles:

Option 1: Using the AI Sequence Button (requires Autobound Chrome extension)

This is the preferred route. Read this guide for a step by step overview.

You can add prospects to an AI-enhanced sequence in the following ways:

a) For multiple prospects from Outreach or Salesforce:

  • From Salesforce:

    • Select prospects in Salesforce.

    • Click "Import to Outreach".

    • In the Outreach extension, select the imported prospects.

    • Click the "AI Sequence" button.

This method allows you to select many prospects at once.

  • From the Prospects tab in Outreach:

    • Go to the Prospects tab in Outreach.

    • Select check boxes next to the prospects you want to add to a sequence.

    • Click the blue "AI Sequence" button.

b) For a single prospect:

  • Go to the contact profile in Outreach (or in the outreach extension).

  • You'll see a blue "Autobound Add to AI Sequence" button right next to the normal "Add to Sequence" button.

  • Click the "Autobound Add to AI Sequence" button to add this prospect to a sequence.

In Salesforce using the Outreach Extension.

In Outreach:

After clicking the "AI Sequence" button (for any of the above methods):

  1. Choose to add prospects to a previously created Autobound sequence or create a new one.

  2. You'll be presented with options to select your value prop, use sales assets, choose writing style, language, and word count.

    • Note: If selecting multiple prospects, consider using AI to choose the value props and sales assets, as it will use the best one based on the information available.

  3. Click "Generate Content".

  4. Depending on your manual review settings:

    • If Direct Push is OFF, you'll need to approve the content on the next screen.

    • If Direct Push is ON, the content will be pushed into Outreach once generated.

Option 2: Adding Prospects Directly in Outreach

  1. This method requires an Outreach admin to be authenticated in the user's account.

  2. Add prospects to sequences normally through Outreach.

  3. As long as you add them to an Autobound-connected sequence and an admin is connected, Autobound will receive the signal and begin content generation.

  4. The workflow after adding prospects depends on your manual review settings in Autobound.


Option 3: Using Third-Party Prospecting Tools

  1. Use tools like Apollo, ZoomInfo, Lusha, or similar platforms that allow you to add prospects directly to Outreach sequences.

  2. This is typically done from Sales Navigator or LinkedIn.

  3. Similar to Option 2, this requires an Outreach admin to be authenticated for Autobound to get the signal.

  4. The workflow after adding prospects is the same as described in Option 2, depending on your manual review settings.

For a detailed overview of this Flow, read this article - Sequencing workflow: Zoominfo/Apollo/lusha/Something similar + Outreach
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Option 4: Using the Autobound Chrome Extension for Individual Prospects

  1. Open the Autobound Chrome extension for a specific prospect.

  2. Choose to generate singular content or add the prospect to a sequence.

  3. Select the desired Outreach sequence and confirm the addition.

4. Approving and Sending Content

The approval and sending process depends on your chosen review settings:

If Direct Push is OFF:

  1. Review AI-generated content in Autobound's interface.

  2. Edit content for individual prospects as needed.

  3. Approve prospects individually or in bulk.

  4. Address any failed prospects or prospects with missing details (those for whom content couldn't be generated).

If Direct Push is ON:

  1. Autobound will begin content generation and add the prospect to the Outreach sequence once it completes.

  2. For manual email steps in Outreach: Review content within Outreach before sending.

  3. For automated email steps: Emails will be sent automatically without human review.

5. Content Editing, Regeneration, and Handling Missing Details

After content is generated, Autobound provides several options to refine and improve your emails:

Chatting with Autobound for Content Editing

Users have the option to chat with Autobound to edit the generated content. This feature allows for quick adjustments and refinements based on your specific needs.

Regenerating Content

If you're not satisfied with the initial output, you can regenerate the content. When regenerating, you have the option to:

  1. Reselect the insights used to generate the content

  2. Adjust the persona and value proposition

  3. Modify sales assets

  4. Change the writing style

  5. Add additional information for the AI to leverage

You can choose to regenerate either:

  • The email you're currently viewing

  • All emails in the sequence

Handling Missing Prospect Details

Sometimes, when adding prospects to a sequence, Autobound may warn you about missing prospect details. To ensure the highest quality output:

  1. Look for warning signs next to the prospects or the "Add Missing Details" button.

  2. Add the missing details as prompted.

  3. Regenerate the content to incorporate the new information.

Tips for Maximizing Autobound Sequencing with Outreach

  • Regularly update your Outreach templates to ensure Autobound has the most current information to work with.

  • Experiment with different levels of personalization to find the right balance for your audience.

  • Use Autobound's analytics to track the performance of your AI-enhanced sequences and refine your approach over time.

Troubleshooting

  • If prospects aren't generating content, check the "failed" section in Autobound to see why and address any issues.

  • If prospects are in a failed state in the sequence in Outreach, double check your content review settings to see if you need to manually approve in Autobound. If Direct push is on, then allow Autobound some additional time to continue generating content. If that doesn’t work, contact support at support@autobound.ai.

    • NOTE: This could take from 35 seconds up to 1 minute to generate. Refresh before troubleshooting.

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