So you’re running B2B sales and you know spray-and-pray cold emails don’t cut it anymore. You need to reach the right people, in the right places, without sinking hours into manual busywork or getting your team blocked by spam filters. Multi-channel outbound is the answer, but getting it going is… well, a headache if you’re not careful.
This guide is for sales teams who want to use Captaindata to set up smart, multi-channel outbound that actually gets responses — not just a bunch of “unsubscribe” clicks. We’ll go step-by-step, with some hard-won advice on what works and what’s just noise.
Why Multi-Channel Outbound (And Why Not Just Email)?
Here’s the short version: People ignore most cold emails. LinkedIn DMs, phone calls, even a well-timed Twitter follow — these can all cut through the noise if you do it right.
The problem? Doing it “right” takes coordination. That’s where tools like Captaindata come in: they let you orchestrate outreach across different channels, automate the boring stuff, and avoid rookie mistakes (like hitting someone’s inbox and LinkedIn with the exact same message five minutes apart).
But let’s be honest — no tool is magic. You still need to get your targeting, messaging, and timing right. Automation just helps you scale what already works.
Step 1: Get Your Data and Targeting in Shape
Don’t skip this. No amount of automation will save you if you’re messaging the wrong people.
What you actually need:
- A clear ICP (Ideal Customer Profile): Job titles, company size, industry, geography, etc.
- Good lead data: Names, emails, LinkedIn URLs, company info. Don’t trust a single source; cross-check when you can.
- Data hygiene: Remove duplicates. Remove obviously bad or outdated emails. If you’re scraping, don’t be sloppy — you’ll burn your domain or get blocked.
Real Talk:
Don’t just grab a giant list from Apollo, LinkedIn, or wherever and blast it out. You’ll get flagged as spam and annoy people who might’ve actually bought from you.
Step 2: Map Out Your Channels and Sequence
Multi-channel isn’t just “send the same message everywhere.” It’s about hitting people where they are, with the right nudge at the right time.
Common outbound channels:
- Email: Still king, but crowded.
- LinkedIn: Connection requests, DMs, profile views.
- Phone: More effort, but higher intent.
- Other: Twitter/X, SMS, (sometimes) WhatsApp — but don’t get weird.
How to map your sequence:
- Start with a touch map:
Example: - View LinkedIn profile
- Send LinkedIn connection request
- Wait 2 days
- Send personalized email
- Wait 3 days
- LinkedIn DM
-
Phone call
-
Space out your touches:
Don’t hit all channels on day one. Give people time to respond. -
Personalize (a bit):
Use snippets — “Saw your recent post on X” — but don’t fake it. People can tell.
Pro tip:
Start simple. Two to three channels is plenty for most B2B teams. More complexity = more stuff to break.
Step 3: Set Up Your Captaindata Workflows
Captaindata’s main value is connecting data sources and automating sequences across channels. Here’s how to put it to work for you.
3.1. Import and Clean Your Lead List
- Upload a CSV or connect your CRM — but make sure your data is clean (see Step 1).
- Captaindata lets you enrich data (think: finding missing LinkedIn URLs or emails), but don’t treat this as a silver bullet. Sometimes enrichment gets stuff wrong or outdated.
3.2. Build Your Workflow
- Pick a pre-built workflow (like LinkedIn + Email outreach) or build your own.
- Add steps for each channel:
- LinkedIn profile view
- Connection request (with a note)
- Email send (with fallback if connection not accepted)
- DM or InMail
- Use delays between steps. No one likes getting four touches in an hour.
- Set up conditional logic: e.g., If the connection is accepted, send a LinkedIn DM; if not, send an email.
What works:
Setting up branching based on responses is powerful. If someone replies, pause further outreach — don’t keep spamming them.
What doesn’t:
Overcomplicated workflows. Every conditional branch is a place for things to break. Test with a small batch first.
3.3. Personalize Your Messaging
- Use dynamic fields (like {{first_name}}, {{company}}) in Captaindata to personalize.
- Don’t overdo the fake personalization (“I see you went to [school]!”). It’s obvious and a little creepy.
- Keep messages short. Nobody reads long outreach, especially on LinkedIn.
Pro tip:
Write your cold messages like you’d write to a real person — because you are.
Step 4: Warm Up Your Sending Accounts
If you’re blasting cold emails from a brand-new domain or LinkedIn account, you’re begging for trouble.
How to avoid problems:
- Email: Use a domain warmup tool before real campaigns. Don’t send more than 30–50 cold emails/day/account to start.
- LinkedIn: Don’t exceed 20–30 connection requests/day. Avoid copy-paste DMs.
- Phone/SMS: Be extra careful — unsolicited cold calls or texts can get you blacklisted.
Ignore the hype: Tools that claim “unlimited sends with zero risk” are lying. Slow and steady is safer.
Step 5: Launch a Test Campaign (Don’t Go Big Yet)
- Start with a test batch — maybe 50 leads.
- Watch deliverability, open rates, and response rates closely.
- Look for weird stuff: wrong names, broken links, duplicate messages, or angry replies.
- Fix issues before ramping up.
Pro tip:
Always monitor replies — not just positive ones. If you get a bunch of “please remove me” messages, your targeting or messaging is off.
Step 6: Measure, Iterate, and Don’t Chase Vanity Metrics
Captaindata tracks open rates, clicks, replies, acceptance rates, and more. Great — but don’t get lost in the sauce.
What actually matters:
- Positive replies: If people are responding and booking meetings.
- Negative replies: If you’re annoying people, do less or change your approach.
- Deliverability: If your open rates drop, you might be flagged as spam.
- Channel performance: Maybe LinkedIn works better than email for your audience. Double down on what’s working.
Ignore:
- Huge open rates with zero replies (means your messaging isn’t landing).
- Fluffy “engagement” stats. Meetings and sales are what matter.
Common Mistakes and How to Dodge Them
- Too many channels, too soon: Start with two, add more after you’re getting replies.
- Ignoring replies: Always stop automations for people who respond (even if it’s “not interested”).
- Over-personalizing: You don’t need to mention someone’s dog’s name. It’s weird.
- Not testing: Run a small batch first. Fix issues. Then scale.
Keep It Simple, Iterate Fast
You don’t need to build a 12-step, AI-powered, “hyper-personalized” outbound monster. Start with a clean list, a simple two-channel sequence, and clear messaging. Use Captaindata to handle the grunt work, but don’t trust automation to fix bad outreach.
Iterate quickly, fix what’s broken, and keep things human. That’s how you’ll actually get results — not by chasing the latest growth hack or sending 10,000 emails into the void.