If you’re a B2B sales lead wrangling a team (or just trying to wrangle your own pipeline), you know the headache: LinkedIn, phone, email, maybe even the odd DM—all flying around, all needing to be tracked. And if you’re using SureConnect, the promise is clear: multichannel outreach, all in one place. But let’s be honest—promise and reality are often miles apart. This is for the folks who want real, practical advice on getting multichannel tracking right, without turning their CRM into a graveyard or their team into data-entry zombies.
Why bother with multichannel tracking?
Here’s the thing: nobody closes deals by just sending cold emails anymore. Prospects bounce between channels (and ignore half of them). If you’re not tracking your outreach across the board, you’ll either annoy people with repeats, or worse, miss chances entirely. The goal isn’t more data—it’s useful data. The kind your team can actually use to close deals, not just pad out weekly reports.
So, let’s break down what actually works in SureConnect—and where you can skip the fluff.
1. Set up your channels—properly (and skip what you don’t use)
Before you even think about tracking, get ruthless about which channels matter. SureConnect supports the usual suspects (email, phone, LinkedIn, SMS, sometimes more). Don’t get suckered into turning on every possible integration “just in case.”
What to do: - List your real channels: Where does your team actually talk to prospects? If you never use Twitter DMs, don’t bother. - Configure integrations wisely: SureConnect’s integrations are only as good as their setup. Double-check permissions, test each channel with a dummy account, and make sure messages sync both ways. - Documentation matters (sometimes): If you’ve got a playbook, update it to match your actual workflow. Otherwise, your team will ignore it.
Pro tip:
If a channel feels clunky in SureConnect (e.g., LinkedIn messaging often does), consider tracking touchpoints manually for that channel, rather than fighting the system.
2. Standardize activity logging—don’t leave it to chance
Multichannel tracking falls apart when everyone logs things differently. One rep’s “call” is another’s “attempted call.” Get everyone speaking the same language.
How to make it work: - Define what counts: What is a “touch”? Does a LinkedIn connection request count? What about a voicemail? - Create simple activity types: Don’t go overboard with 20+ options. Stick to basics: email sent, call made, LinkedIn message, meeting booked, etc. - Use templates for manual logs: If SureConnect doesn’t auto-log a certain type of outreach, make a quick template your team can copy/paste to keep things uniform.
What to skip:
Don’t make your team log every single interaction (“liked a post,” “opened an email,” etc.). Focus on meaningful touchpoints that move deals forward.
3. Automate tracking where you can—but don’t blindly trust it
SureConnect does a solid job pulling in emails and (if you’re lucky) some calls and LinkedIn activity. But automation isn’t perfect. Sometimes things slip through the cracks, especially with third-party channels.
How to squeeze the most out of automation: - Test, don’t assume: Send yourself messages across all channels and see what SureConnect actually tracks. - Set up alerts for failures: If an integration drops (common with LinkedIn), someone should know right away—not at the end of the quarter. - Train your team on the gaps: Make it clear which activities they need to log manually, and give them a fast process to do it.
What not to do:
Don’t assume “set it and forget it” works here. Review your tracked activities regularly—otherwise, you’ll get nasty surprises in your pipeline reviews.
4. Use sequences and cadences—just don’t let them get robotic
SureConnect’s sequence tools let you plan multichannel outreach (e.g., email, call, LinkedIn message, repeat). This is great for consistency, but it can backfire if everyone uses the same, stale templates.
Best practices: - Mix up your steps: Don’t just alternate email and call. If LinkedIn is working, double up there. If SMS is a dud, drop it. - Customize touchpoints: Encourage reps to personalize, especially on non-email channels. - Review sequence performance: See which steps actually get replies. Cut the dead weight.
Watch out for:
“Zombie outreach”—when sequences keep firing even after a prospect responds on another channel. Make sure SureConnect pauses outreach across all channels if someone replies.
5. Don’t drown in reporting—focus on actionable metrics
SureConnect offers a lot of reports, but not all of them are worth your time. The key is to track what actually helps you coach your team and improve results.
What to track (and what to ignore): - Response rates by channel: Are people more likely to reply on LinkedIn vs. email? Use this to tweak your sequences. - Touchpoints per deal: Is your team giving up too soon (or spamming too much)? - Time to first response: How fast are leads moving through your funnel?
Skip these:
- Vanity metrics (e.g., “emails sent” without context)
- Overly granular activity logs (e.g., “opened email at 2:17pm”)
Pro tip:
Set up a regular (weekly or biweekly) review where you look at these numbers, make one or two changes, and move on. Don’t let reporting become a full-time job.
6. Keep your data clean—garbage in, garbage out
No CRM, including SureConnect, can save you from bad data. If your contacts are all over the place, your tracking will be too.
How to keep things tidy: - Deduplicate contacts: Merge duplicates in SureConnect so outreach history is accurate. - Update contact info regularly: Out-of-date emails or phone numbers mean wasted effort and faulty reporting. - Archive dead leads: If someone’s not a fit, mark it and move on. Don’t keep “nurturing” ghosts.
What to avoid:
Don’t make cleaning data a monthly “cram session.” Build it into your regular workflow (e.g., review new contacts every Friday).
7. Train your team—once, then check in often
Even the best setup fails if your team isn’t on board. Training isn’t glamorous, but it’s essential.
What works: - Short, focused sessions: Don’t do a two-hour deep dive. Cover what’s new, what matters, and answer questions. - Real examples: Show the team what good tracking looks like (and what to avoid). - Ongoing feedback: Check in regularly, look at actual data, and tweak your process as needed.
Don’t bother with:
Fancy slide decks or endless documentation. Most reps won’t read them—show, don’t tell.
Quick-fire: Mistakes to watch out for
- Overtracking: Logging every digital breath is a waste of time and burns out your team.
- Undertracking: If you’re missing key touchpoints, your reporting and coaching will be useless.
- Ignoring context: Not every “touch” is equal—a personalized email beats a generic LinkedIn pitch every time.
- Relying on magic: No CRM, including SureConnect, automagically solves bad outreach.
Wrapping up: Keep it simple, review often
Multichannel tracking isn’t rocket science, but it does take discipline. Start with the basics: track only what matters, automate where you can, and make it easy for your team to do the right thing. Review your setup every so often, cut what’s not working, and don’t be afraid to ditch channels that are just noise.
Remember, the goal isn’t a perfect database—it’s more closed deals and less chaos. Keep it simple, keep iterating, and don’t let “best practices” get in the way of what actually works for your team.