A beginners guide to setting up automated email sequences in Persana for sales teams

If you’re working in sales, you know how easy it is for follow-ups to fall through the cracks. You also know there’s no shortage of tools that promise to “revolutionize” your outreach. Here’s the truth: most of them are either too complicated or too basic. If you’re looking to actually get automated email sequences running—without a degree in computer science—this guide is for you. We’re going to walk through setting up sequences in Persana, with zero fluff and a focus on what matters: getting replies.

Why bother with automated sequences?

If you’re still sending every follow-up manually, you’re wasting hours each week. Automated sequences:

  • Keep you top of mind (without nagging people)
  • Save you tons of time
  • Make sure no one slips through the net

But don’t expect miracles. Automation won’t magically make people reply if your message stinks, or if you’re chasing the wrong leads. Treat it as a tool—not a silver bullet.

Before you start: What you actually need

Let’s keep it simple. Here’s what you need before diving in:

  • A list of prospects you want to email (with real, working addresses—not scraped garbage)
  • A clear idea of what you want: Are you booking meetings? Sharing info? Just “checking in” is useless.
  • Access to Persana, with permissions to set up sequences
  • A bit of patience—especially if it’s your first time

If you’re missing anything here, get it sorted first. The fanciest automation in the world won’t help if you’re aiming at the wrong targets.

Step 1: Cleaning and uploading your prospect list

Don’t skip this. Bad data is the #1 killer of email campaigns.

  1. Format your list. You’ll need a CSV or spreadsheet with at least:

    • First Name
    • Last Name
    • Email
    • [Optional but handy] Company, Role, LinkedIn, etc.

  2. Check for duplicates and typos. There’s no point emailing the same person twice—or worse, sending to a dead address.

  3. Upload to Persana.

    • In Persana, go to the “Prospects” or “Contacts” section.
    • Look for an “Import” or “Upload” button (they move this sometimes).
    • Map your columns correctly—Persana’s pretty forgiving, but double-check.

Pro Tip: If your data’s messy, fix it before you upload. Persana can’t read your mind, and “Jonh Smitth” isn’t going to read your email.

Step 2: Crafting your email sequence

This is where most people overthink things. Here’s what matters:

  • Keep it short. If you wouldn’t read it, they won’t either.
  • Personalize where it counts. First names, company names, something relevant—don’t go overboard with “custom variables” if you don’t have the data.
  • Plan your sequence. Most sales teams use 3–5 emails:
    • Initial outreach
    • A quick nudge (“Did you see my last email?” is lazy, try better)
    • Something with value (case study, insight, resource)
    • A last call (“Should I close your file?” works better than you think)
    • [Optional] A final check-in, but don’t be annoying

Creating the sequence in Persana

  1. Navigate to Sequences. Find the “Sequences” tab in Persana’s sidebar.
  2. Click “New Sequence”. Give it a clear name—avoid “Q3 Sales Blast” unless you want to confuse your future self.
  3. Add steps.
    • For each step, write your email, choose delay (e.g. “Send 3 days after last step”), and add any personalization fields.
    • You can add conditional steps (e.g. “If they replied, stop sequence”) but don’t get fancy unless you know why.

What works: - Clear, honest subject lines - A single ask per email - Tone that sounds like a human, not a robot

What doesn’t: - Wall-of-text emails - “Just checking in” with no value - Gimmicks (“Re:” in the subject when you’ve never spoken)

Step 3: Setting up sending rules

This is where you avoid looking spammy—or worse, getting your domain blacklisted.

  • Set reasonable sending limits. Persana can send hundreds of emails a day, but don’t. 25-75/day per sender is safer.
  • Use your real email address. Not a burner account. If you’re worried about deliverability, warm up your domain first (there are tools for this, but Persana doesn’t do it for you).
  • Schedule sending windows. Weekdays, business hours. No one wants to get your pitch at 2 AM.
  • Pause on replies. Make sure Persana stops the sequence automatically if someone replies. Otherwise, you’ll look foolish.

Ignore: “Best time to send” charts unless you have real data. Most people overthink this. Just avoid weekends and weird hours.

Step 4: Testing your sequence (before you hit ‘go’)

You’d be amazed how many teams skip this and blast out broken emails.

  1. Send test emails. Use Persana’s “Send Test” feature to see exactly what your email looks like.

  2. Check for:

    • Broken personalization (e.g. “Hi ,”)
    • Weird formatting
    • Spelling mistakes (they matter)
    • Any links or attachments working

  3. Test the whole sequence. Not just the first email—make sure every step looks right.

Pro Tip: Send to a colleague (or yourself) with different email clients—Outlook, Gmail, mobile. What looks OK in one might be a mess in another.

Step 5: Launch and monitor

Okay, so you’ve double-checked everything. Now:

  1. Start the sequence. Hit launch, but don’t walk away.
  2. Monitor the first batch. In Persana’s dashboard, watch for:
    • Bounce rates (should be <5%)
    • Replies (hopefully, more than zero)
    • Weird patterns (sudden spike in bounces means your data’s bad)
  3. Pause if things go sideways. If you see lots of bounces or angry replies, stop and figure out what’s wrong.

What to ignore: Vanity metrics like “opens”—these are getting less reliable thanks to privacy settings. Focus on replies and meetings booked.

Step 6: Iterate and improve (don’t “set and forget”)

You won’t nail it on your first try. Here’s what actually matters:

  • Look at replies, not just sends. Are you getting real conversations, or just crickets?
  • Tweak subject lines and body copy. Small changes can make a big difference.
  • Update your list. Remove bad addresses, add new prospects regularly.
  • Don’t spam. Resist the urge to add more steps just to “stay visible.” Annoying people isn’t a strategy.

Pro Tip: Ask a colleague to review your sequence—or better yet, your target customer. Fresh eyes catch things you won’t.

Common pitfalls (and how to dodge them)

  • Overcomplicating it. Start with a basic 3-4 step sequence. You can always add more later.
  • Using bad data. If your list is old or scraped, you’ll get flagged as spam fast.
  • Sending too frequently. Space out your emails. No one wants three pitches in a week.
  • Ignoring replies. Automation should make you more responsive, not less.

Keep it simple and iterate

There’s no magic formula for the perfect sales sequence. The best teams keep things simple, pay attention to what’s working, and tweak as they go. Don’t get distracted by shiny features or “AI-powered” nonsense—focus on sending clear, relevant messages to real people.

Start small, pay attention, and improve one thing at a time. That’s how you actually win with automation.