--- title: "HubSpot Sequences: How They Work and When to Use Them" description: HubSpot sequences send timed emails and tasks for every prospect. See how the sequences tool works, its limits, and when sales teams should use it. image: https://www.finemediabw.com/hubfs/Blog/Sales%20Performance/Refresh/HubSpot%20Sequences%20-%20How%20They%20Work%20and%20When%20Sales%20Teams%20Should%20Use%20Them/reasons-to-use-hubspot-sales-sequences-share-1200x630-v2.png --- [![Fine\_Media\_logo\_Set\_HubSpot Website Logo Stacked](https://www.finemediabw.com/hubfs/Fine_Media_logo_Set_HubSpot%20Website%20Logo%20Stacked.svg "Fine_Media_logo_Set_HubSpot Website Logo Stacked")](https://www.finemediabw.com/) - Solutions - [Inbound Marketing](https://www.finemediabw.com/inbound-marketing) - [Website Design](https://www.finemediabw.com/website-design-and-development) - [Sales Enablement](https://www.finemediabw.com/sales-enablement) - [Customer Success](https://www.finemediabw.com/customer-success) - [HubSpot Services](https://www.finemediabw.com/hubspot-services) - [Insights](https://www.finemediabw.com/blog) - [About](https://www.finemediabw.com/about-us) Show submenu for About - [About us](https://www.finemediabw.com/about-us) - [Meet the Team](https://www.finemediabw.com/our-team) - [Our Story](https://www.finemediabw.com/our-story) - Solutions - [Inbound Marketing](https://www.finemediabw.com/inbound-marketing) - [Website Design](https://www.finemediabw.com/website-design-and-development) - [Sales Enablement](https://www.finemediabw.com/sales-enablement) - [Customer Success](https://www.finemediabw.com/customer-success) - [HubSpot Services](https://www.finemediabw.com/hubspot-services) - [Insights](https://www.finemediabw.com/blog) - [About](https://www.finemediabw.com/about-us) Show submenu for About - [About us](https://www.finemediabw.com/about-us) - [Meet the Team](https://www.finemediabw.com/our-team) - [Our Story](https://www.finemediabw.com/our-story) - [Contact us](https://www.finemediabw.com/contact) - [Contact us](https://www.finemediabw.com/contact) ![HubSpot Sequences: How They Work and When Sales Teams Should Use Them. White and steel-blue type on a deep blue-grey ground, Propello.](https://www.finemediabw.com/hubfs/Blog/Sales%20Performance/Refresh/HubSpot%20Sequences%20-%20How%20They%20Work%20and%20When%20Sales%20Teams%20Should%20Use%20Them/reasons-to-use-hubspot-sales-sequences-share-1200x630-v2.png) Oct 4, 2022, 2:56:37 PM | [Sales Enablement](https://www.finemediabw.com/blog/tag/sales-enablement) # HubSpot Sequences: How They Work and When Sales Teams Should Use Them [Tumisang Bogwasi](https://www.finemediabw.com/blog/author/tumisang-bogwasi) Share - [mailto:?&subject=HubSpot%20Sequences:%20How%20They%20Work%20and%20When%20Sales%20Teams%20Should%20Use%20Them&body=HubSpot%20Sequences:%20How%20They%20Work%20and%20When%20Sales%20Teams%20Should%20Use%20Them%0A(https%3A%2F%2Fwww.finemediabw.com%2Fblog%2Freasons-to-use-hubspot-sales-sequences)](mailto:?&subject=HubSpot%20Sequences:%20How%20They%20Work%20and%20When%20Sales%20Teams%20Should%20Use%20Them&body=HubSpot%20Sequences:%20How%20They%20Work%20and%20When%20Sales%20Teams%20Should%20Use%20Them%0A(https%3A%2F%2Fwww.finemediabw.com%2Fblog%2Freasons-to-use-hubspot-sales-sequences)) - - - If you lead sales or revenue at a growing B2B company and your reps lose deals to slow, patchy follow up, this guide is for you. HubSpot Sequences is the tool that sends a timed series of emails and creates reminder tasks for each prospect, so no conversation goes quiet because someone forgot. You will learn what a sales sequence is made of, how the sequences tool runs a sequence once a contact is enrolled, how it differs from a workflow, where its limits sit, which sequence emails and steps are worth building, and what each revenue team gains when sequences are set up properly.   | **HubSpot Sequences** HubSpot Sequences is a sales tool that sends a series of timed email templates and creates follow-up tasks for a contact until they reply, book a meeting or reach the end. | | --- | ## A sales sequence is a timed series of emails and tasks A sales sequence is a planned run of touches to one prospect. Each touch is a step. Per the [HubSpot knowledge base](https://knowledge.hubspot.com/sequences/create-and-edit-sequences), the tool lets you "send a series of targeted, timed email templates to nurture contacts over time," and it can also create tasks for the person who owns the contact. For example, a rep who has just finished a discovery call can enroll the contact so the recap, the resource and the next call all arrive on schedule. Think of it as the follow up plan a good rep already keeps in their head, written down once and then repeated without the effort. Effective follow up usually needs several touches rather than a single message, and timely, consistent follow up is what keeps leads from falling through the cracks. A sequence handles the multi-step process automatically, so the rep's time goes to active conversations instead of admin. That makes a sequence a good fit for the work that happens after a first conversation: following up on an inquiry, chasing a proposal, or re-engaging an old lead who went quiet. Many people call this an email sequence, but a sales sequence is wider, because its steps can also be phone calls and general tasks. Email sequences remain the core, and they are a practical way to structure the outreach efforts of a small team and convert leads into meetings. ## How the sequences tool runs a sequence from start to finish ![Three stages of a HubSpot sequence in order: build the steps with their timing, enroll contacts, and stop when the prospect responds.](https://www.finemediabw.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Blog/Sales%20Performance/Refresh/HubSpot%20Sequences%20-%20How%20They%20Work%20and%20When%20Sales%20Teams%20Should%20Use%20Them/reasons-to-use-hubspot-sales-sequences-sequence-steps-flow-blog-1600x900.png?width=1600&height=900&name=reasons-to-use-hubspot-sales-sequences-sequence-steps-flow-blog-1600x900.png) Once you know the parts, the flow is simple. A rep builds the sequence, enrolls contacts, and HubSpot does the timing. ### Create an email sequence from steps On the Sequences page you use the create sequence button, then choose to start from scratch or from a pre-made template, according to the same [HubSpot guide](https://knowledge.hubspot.com/sequences/create-and-edit-sequences). You then add steps one at a time. An automated email step sends by itself. A manual email step is a task that reminds the rep to send a message. A call task and a general task remind the rep to phone the prospect or do something else, such as checking a company page before the next email. ### Set the timing between steps Every step after the first has a delay. HubSpot says automated emails can be delayed "up to 90 business days," and by default follow-up emails are sent only on business days. A task delay can be set to zero, which creates the task straight after the previous step. On the settings tab you also set an automated email send window, so sequence emails land inside a sensible part of the day instead of at midnight. ### Enroll contacts and let it run Enrolling happens from a contact record, the contacts index, a list, or the sequences tool itself. [HubSpot's enrollment guide](https://knowledge.hubspot.com/sequences/enroll-contacts-in-a-sequence) says each contact can only be in one sequence at a time and that users with the right permission can enroll up to 50 contacts at once. The same page notes HubSpot sends a maximum of three emails per minute, so a large batch of sequence emails may not send immediately. ### Stop when the prospect responds A sequence should end the moment the prospect acts. By default HubSpot unenrolls a contact when they reply to any sequence email or book a meeting through a meeting link in a step. That protects you from sending a cheerful reminder to someone who has already answered. ## Best practices for sales emails inside email sequences An automated email in a sequence is still one of your sales emails, so the basics of writing one still apply. The tool gives you a few features that make it easier to do well. Keep the initial email short and specific: one pain point, named in the buyer's own words, and one clear question. Write the body copy so it can be read on a phone in seconds. Heavy formatting makes a sales email read like bulk marketing emails, and people who receive emails that look like that tend to ignore them or mark them as spam. ### Create an email from templates for the repeatable parts Automated and manual email steps can use an existing template or a new template you create on the spot, and you can save an edited step as a new template. A shared library of email templates keeps the best wording in one place, so a new rep does not start from a blank page. Write each template to do one job. The first email introduces a reason to talk. Later emails add something new, such as a relevant example, instead of repeating the first. Each follow up email should give the reader a reason to answer, not just a nudge. ### Add personalization tokens so each message reads as written for one person Personalization tokens pull in details from the contact record, such as first name and company, so the message feels addressed to the reader. HubSpot notes you can also add tokens to task titles and notes, which helps the rep when a call is due. Personalize the first sentence, because it decides whether the rest gets read, and let the tokens carry the scalable details. A first name alone is generic personalization, and readers recognize it. Tokens are not a substitute for relevance. A token in a weak message still reads as a weak message. Pick a reason that fits the buyer's situation, and use the token to make it specific. ### Test subject lines and keep to one variable Subject lines decide whether the email gets opened. HubSpot lets you split sends evenly between two versions of a sequence email, and recommends running the test until at least 100 contacts have received each version. It also says tests work best when you change one variable at a time, according to the [A/B testing guide](https://knowledge.hubspot.com/sequences/automate-a-b-testing-emails-with-sequences). ## A sequence is not a workflow, and the difference matters ![A sequence belongs to a salesperson, a workflow belongs to the system, and the two work well together.](https://www.finemediabw.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Blog/Sales%20Performance/Refresh/HubSpot%20Sequences%20-%20How%20They%20Work%20and%20When%20Sales%20Teams%20Should%20Use%20Them/reasons-to-use-hubspot-sales-sequences-sequence-vs-workflow-blog-1600x900.png?width=1600&height=900&name=reasons-to-use-hubspot-sales-sequences-sequence-vs-workflow-blog-1600x900.png) People often treat these as the same tool. They both automate, but they do different jobs. A sequence belongs to a salesperson. Emails go out through the rep's connected individual work inbox, tasks are assigned to the user who enrolled the contact, and the aim is a personal conversation. HubSpot states that a team email address connected to the conversations inbox cannot be used to send sequence emails. A workflow belongs to the system. It acts on records at scale, such as updating properties, scoring leads or sending marketing emails to a whole list, without a rep in the loop. [HubSpot describes workflows](https://knowledge.hubspot.com/sequences/create-and-edit-sequences) as another automation tool that can enroll records in a series of actions. The two work well together. You can use a workflow to decide who should enter a sequence, and the sequence to carry the conversation. Enrolling contacts through workflows is limited to Enterprise accounts, so check your plan before you design around it. ## Know the limits before you design a sequence ![Five limits of HubSpot sequences to know before you build: plan and seat, ten templates, a daily send limit, one sequence per contact and a connected inbox.](https://www.finemediabw.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Blog/Sales%20Performance/Refresh/HubSpot%20Sequences%20-%20How%20They%20Work%20and%20When%20Sales%20Teams%20Should%20Use%20Them/reasons-to-use-hubspot-sales-sequences-sequence-limits-blog-1600x900.png?width=1600&height=900&name=reasons-to-use-hubspot-sales-sequences-sequence-limits-blog-1600x900.png) Tools like this have edges, and it is cheaper to learn them before you build. - **Plan and seat.** Sequences are available with Sales Hub or Service Hub Professional or Enterprise, and the user needs an assigned Sales or Service seat. - **Ten templates per sequence.** Each sequence is limited to 10 email templates, although you can add as many task reminders as you need. - **Daily send limit.** HubSpot says there is a limit to the number of sequence emails a user can send each day, and a contact will not enroll if the user goes over it. HubSpot cannot raise that limit. - **One sequence per contact.** A contact can only be in one sequence at a time, so overlapping campaigns need planning. - **Connected inbox only.** The sender needs a connected personal inbox, and your HubSpot account also caps how many sequences can be created. HubSpot points to its product catalog for that number. None of these is a reason to avoid sequences. They are a reason to keep each sequence short and to decide which prospects deserve a personal run. ## Dynamic sequences move prospects to a rep only when they engage A standard sequence follows the same path for everyone, much like a static drip campaign. A dynamic sequence changes the path. [HubSpot's dynamic sequence guide](https://knowledge.hubspot.com/sequences/create-and-edit-dynamic-sequences) says contacts start with automated emails, and manual tasks appear only for contacts who open or click an email. By default the rep-led path begins after two opens or one click, and you can change those signal counts. This suits teams with more leads than rep time. Automation carries the quiet contacts, and reps spend their hours on the people showing interest. HubSpot notes dynamic sequences do not support A/B testing for emails and are not available in the mobile app. ## Build three sequences most B2B sales teams need You do not need dozens. Start with the situations where follow up is most often dropped, keep to three or four email steps per sequence, wait two to three days between emails so you do not look like spam, and include at least two call tasks, because a phone call reaches people an email does not. These are working rules from practice, not HubSpot limits. A long email-only run wears readers out, so when you feel like adding another email, add a call or a task instead. Each follow up should serve its own purpose: a reminder, a resource, a question. 1. **New inquiry follow up.** A short run that starts the same day a prospect fills in a form. Speed matters here, and our guide to [speed to lead](https://www.finemediabw.com/blog/speed-to-lead) explains why the first reply counts. 2. **Post-meeting follow up.** A recap, the promised resource, a check on the decision, and a task to make one of your follow-up calls. It ends when the prospect books the next meeting. 3. **Re-engagement.** Three or four emails to a lead that went quiet, each offering something new. It ends on reply. Decide how leads reach each sequence as part of a wider [lead management process](https://www.finemediabw.com/blog/lead-management-process), so reps know who to enroll, when and why. ## Measure sequences by replies and meetings, then improve one thing at a time HubSpot tracks engagement for each sequence and each email, so you can optimize from evidence. Every sequence has a Performance tab. HubSpot defines reply rate as the percentage of contacts who replied at least once to any email sent from the sequence, and meeting rate as the percentage who booked a meeting while enrolled or up to seven days after they complete it. You can also see open, click, bounce and unsubscribe rates, and a step performance report shows where contacts drop out, per the [HubSpot analytics guide](https://knowledge.hubspot.com/sequences/analyze-sequence-enrollment-and-performance-data). HubSpot also offers a [sender score](https://knowledge.hubspot.com/sequences/understand-your-sequences-sender-score), calculated from reply rate and bounce rate. It needs at least 100 ended enrollments, and HubSpot says a good reply rate is between 7% and 13% and a good bounce rate is less than 3%. Use those as best practices for your own comparison, not as promises. Monitor results every week and identify the step where contacts stop replying. Adjust that step, changing one thing at a time, such as the subject line or the delay, wait for enough contacts, then keep the version that earns more replies and meetings. ## What you gain when this is done properly Sequences pay back when they sit inside a clear sales process, and the benefit reaches more than the person sending the email. ### Sales gets consistent follow up without extra admin Reps stop relying on memory and sticky notes. Every prospect gets the same minimum level of care, and the rep's time goes to calls and replies. Sales teams can copy the best-performing sequence instead of each person inventing their own, and new reps can run proven sales processes from their first week. ### Marketing sees what happens to the leads it hands over When follow up is recorded as steps, replies and meetings, marketing can see whether leads were worked and which messages led to conversations. That gives both teams a shared picture, which supports [sales enablement](https://www.finemediabw.com/blog/what-is-sales-enablement) work on messaging. ### Customer success keeps in touch at the right moments The same tool can run check-ins, renewal reminders and onboarding nudges for Service Hub users. Customers hear from you on a plan, not only when something breaks, and that steady communication helps customers see you as a partner. Teams that run calls and check-ins from the same task list also see what each customer last heard. ## Get sequences working with your CRM data A sequence is only as good as the contact data and process behind it. If lifecycle stages, owners and lead status are unreliable, the wrong people get enrolled and reps lose trust in the tool. Our guide to [what HubSpot is](https://www.finemediabw.com/blog/what-is-hubspot) shows how the CRM and its sales tools fit together. Propello is a [HubSpot partner](https://www.finemediabw.com/about-us) that designs and builds connected go-to-market (GTM) systems on HubSpot. If you want sequences tied to a clean pipeline, a GTM audit is the place to start. [Book a Propello GTM Audit](https://www.finemediabw.com/contact) ## Frequently asked questions What are HubSpot Sequences? HubSpot Sequences is a sales tool that sends a series of timed email templates and creates follow-up tasks for a contact. A rep enrolls a contact, and the sequence runs until the contact replies, books a meeting or completes the steps. What is the difference between a sequence and a workflow in HubSpot? A sequence is run by a salesperson from their own inbox and aims at a personal conversation, with tasks for the rep. A workflow runs in the background on records at scale, such as updating properties or sending marketing emails, without a rep involved. How many emails can a HubSpot sequence contain? HubSpot limits each sequence to 10 email templates, though you can add as many task reminders as you need. Automated emails can be delayed up to 90 business days, so ten well-spaced emails can cover a long sales cycle. Does a sequence stop when a prospect replies? By default, yes. HubSpot unenrolls a contact when they reply to any sequence email or book a meeting through a meeting link in a step. You can change which triggers apply, and add custom unenrollment rules from the automation tab. Which HubSpot plans include sequences? HubSpot says sequences are available with Sales Hub Professional or Enterprise and Service Hub Professional or Enterprise, and the user needs an assigned Sales or Service seat. Check the product catalog for the number of sequences your account allows. ![Tumisang Bogwasi](https://app.hubspot.com/settings/avatar/77d7e2eaad8ff71b24463dcc39a31e9e) ### Written By: Tumisang Bogwasi Tumisang Bogwasi is the founder and CEO of Propello, a HubSpot partner that designs and builds connected go-to-market systems. [mailto:tumib@finemediabw.com](mailto:tumib@finemediabw.com) ## You May Also Like ### [![Sales Enablement Statistics. Dark and slate type on a white ground, Propello.](https://www.finemediabw.com/hubfs/Blog/Sales%20Enablement/Consideration/4.%20Example/Stastistics/sales-enablement-statistics-share-1200x630.png) *Oct 6, 2022, 5:41:41 PM | Sales Enablement* Sales Enablement Statistics](https://www.finemediabw.com/blog/sales-enablement-statistics) ### [![Types of Sales Enablement Content to Grow Sales & Conversions. 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