Using Sequences in Dynamics 365 Sales

Sequences are a powerful Sales Insights feature in Dynamics 365 Sales, enabling sales managers and their teams to automate outreach activities like sending email, scheduling tasks, making phone calls, etc.

While the basics of the Sequence tools are very easy to use, there are also some advanced options like conditional that require more effort to use well but can empower your team to meet more ambitious revenue goals.

Table of Contents

• What Is a Sequence in Dynamics 365 Sales?
• Who Has Access to Sequences?
• How to Create and Use Sequences
• Branching Logic in Sequences with Condition Steps
• Viewing Metrics for Sequences

What Is a Sequence in Dynamics 365 Sales?

A Sequence is a set of planned activities to be performed by a sales user for a lead (or an opportunity, contact, or account) within a prescribed amount of time.

Sequences can be created to support a general sales process or to facilitate a more focused effort on a specific sales promotion. A sales team may have multiple Sequences active at any given time, depending on the organization’s sales strategy.

Here is an example of a Sequence used for outbound sales to engage with new Leads and qualify them. The record’s Designer tab shows the steps in the sales process.

The Connected tab shows which Lead records are being targeted in the outbound sales process.

Sequences provide salespeople with a consistent method to engage with their customers and prospects, qualify them and increase their chances of closing a sale. Sales Managers can rely on them to guide sellers through proven steps toward success.

Who Has Access to Sequences?

Whether or not you can create and modify sequences depends on your D365 Sales license type, and your security roles/permissions. You must have a Dynamics 365 Sales Enterprise or Dynamics 365 Sales Premium license. You must also have the System Administrator role or one of these other predefined Sales security roles assigned to you:

• Vice President of Sales
• Sales Manager
• Salesperson
• Sequence Manager

Working with Sequences depends on privileges related to these tables: Sequence, Sequence Target Entity, Sequence Target Step Entity, Sequence Stat, and Sequence Template.

How to Create and Use Sequences

Sequences and Sequence Stats are features that must be enabled in your system. Once they are enabled, and you have the appropriate security role assigned to you, open the Sales Hub app, go to the bottom of the left navigation pane and change the area from Sales to the Sales Insights settings area. Next, select Global Settings in the left navigation menu, then click on Sequences under the Sales accelerator section.

You will see two tabs: 1) the All sequences tab displays a list of both active and inactive Sequences; 2) the Sequence stats tab displays high-level information about each Sequence.

Click the + New sequence button to get started. A series of onscreen prompts will guide you through the setup process.

1. Create a Sequence: You can opt to Use a template with steps designed for common sales efforts, such as Webinar follow up, or you can Start from blank.

2. Define Sequence Properties: Enter a Sequence name, Description and select the Record type the sequence is for, if it has not already been prefilled based on the template you have chosen. If you’re starting from blank, you will be able to create a Sequence for a Lead, Opportunity, Account, or Contact. After you click Next, the next screen will open in the Designer tab and display your Sequence and Action steps.

3. Confirm Sequence Assign to: Click the Properties button of the Sequence and review the Assign to. By default, this will be set to Record Owner. This means that the actions in the sequence, such as sending emails, making phone calls, and performing research, will be assigned to the owner of the connected records. You may change it to one of these other options:

• Team member specified in a field – someone other than Owner on the connected records, such as Created By, or Modified By
• Current user – assigned to the user who connects the records to the Sequence
• Owner team
• Access team

4. Inspect/Add Actions: If you created the Sequence from a template, from the Designer tab, click into each Action step and inspect the properties for each one, adjusting as desired. Each + sign in the Sequence diagram represents a place where it is possible to add one or more Action Steps, Conditions, Commands, or LinkedIn Actions.

Steps:

• Send an email
• Send an automated email
• Send a text message
• Send an automated text message
• Make a phone call
• Complete a task
• Set wait time
• A/B Testing (requires a Premium license)

Conditions:

• Email open
• Link click
• Recipient reply
• Attachment download
• Advanced email conditions
• Field value
• Business process stage

Commands:

• Advance to another sequence
• Update field

LinkedIn:

• Complete the research
• Get introduced
• Get connected
• Send InMail

5. Save: After inspecting and/or adding Actions, click the Save button to save your Sequence.

6. Activate Sequence: Click the Activate button when you are ready to start using the Sequence.

7. Connect segments and/or records: After you have Activated your sequence, you will be able to connect one or more Segments or manually choose the records you wish to include in the sales effort.

As you work in other areas of the Sales Hub app, you will also be able to connect records to your sequence from a view or an open record. In the Command bar, look for the Sequences button. Clicking on that will allow you to Connect or disconnect a sequence from the open record or selected record in a view. If you are working from within an open record, you will also see an option to View connected sequences for that specific record.

Branching Logic in Sequences with Condition Steps

Condition steps allow you to build branching logic into your sequence, so that your salesperson actions are dependent on the outcome of a previous Action step. For example, in the Advanced email conditions step, you can send the salesperson down one pathway depending on whether a recipient clicks a link or replies (the Yes path), or down another if no interaction takes place (the No path).

It is also possible to build in conditions related to other customer interactions, like received phone calls, when a specific field value is set on the connected record, or if the connected record reaches a particular business process stage.

Viewing Metrics for Sequences

On the main Sequences screen, the Sequence stats tab displays information about each Sequence and the overall progress of Connected records in it.

You can also open a Sequence and view the progress of individual Connected records to gauge how successfully prospects and customers are interacting.

Sequences are one of many powerful features in Dynamics 365 that can help customer-facing teams work more efficiently and transparently. If you’d like assistance with Dynamics 365 training, support, implementations, or integrations tailored to your specific needs, please contact us. We’d be happy to talk.