If you’re in sales, you already know following up is where deals either move forward or die quietly. But remembering to send every “just checking in” email? Nobody’s got time for that. This is for anyone who wants to stop letting prospects slip through the cracks—without spending their day glued to reminders or yet another spreadsheet.
This guide shows you, step by step, how to set up automated follow-ups for prospects in Humanlinker. We’ll get into what works, what’s worth skipping, and how to actually make automation help (not annoy) your pipeline.
1. Get Your House in Order: Prep Humanlinker for Automation
Before you start automating, let’s be real: automation only works if your data isn’t a mess. Garbage in, garbage out. Here’s what you need to check:
- Contacts are up to date: If you’re bringing in leads from LinkedIn, scraping, or uploading CSVs, make sure you’ve got correct emails and names. Typos or blanks will break your sequences or make you look sloppy.
- Deal stages make sense: Are your prospects actually in the right place in your pipeline? If you’re chasing “closed lost” leads, you’re just spamming.
- Tags or segments: Humanlinker lets you segment prospects. Use these to group by product interest, territory, or whatever matters for your follow-up logic.
Pro tip: Spend 15 minutes cleaning up your lists first. Automation won’t fix a messy process—it’ll just make things messier, faster.
2. Map Out Your Follow-Up Sequence (Don’t Skip This)
Automation is only useful if your follow-ups are actually useful. You don’t want to be “that person” — the one whose automated emails keep coming long after your prospect has said no.
Ask yourself: - How many touchpoints is too many? (Hint: More isn’t always better.) - What channels matter for your prospects—email, LinkedIn, calls? - Does every step actually add value, or are you just “bumping this to the top of your inbox”?
A simple, effective sequence: 1. Initial outreach 2. Friendly nudge (2-3 days later) 3. Value-add follow-up (share a resource, answer a relevant question) 4. “Breakup” email (“Should I close your file?”)
What to avoid: - Sending 8+ emails over 3 weeks. That’s just annoying. - Generic templates. If your sequence reads like a robot wrote it, expect it to land in the trash.
Write your steps in a doc or even on a sticky note. You’ll use these in the tool.
3. Build Your Sequence in Humanlinker
Now for the nuts and bolts. Humanlinker calls these “sequences” or sometimes “cadences”—either way, it’s where the automation lives.
a. Create a New Sequence
- Go to your Sequences dashboard.
- Click “New Sequence” (the button is usually top right).
- Give it a clear name. (“Outbound SaaS Prospects Q2” is better than “Sequence 3.”)
b. Add Your Steps
For each step: - Choose the type: Email, LinkedIn message, call reminder, or task. - Write your message. Use merge fields for names, company, etc. - Set your delay: e.g., “Wait 2 days after last step.” - Add conditions if needed (e.g., only send if no reply).
Humanlinker’s editor isn’t fancy, but it does the job. Don’t overcomplicate it with endless branches unless you really need them.
Pro tip: Preview your sequence using a test contact. Typos or broken merge fields are embarrassing, and you can’t unsend them.
4. Add Prospects to Your Sequence
- Go to your contacts or leads list.
- Filter or select the prospects you want to enroll.
- Click “Add to Sequence” and pick the sequence you just made.
Bulk enroll is fine, but double-check your list. Accidentally enrolling your best customers in a cold outreach? That’s a fast way to lose trust.
What works:
- Starting with a small batch (10-20) to spot issues before scaling up.
- Using filters to avoid adding people who already replied or booked a call.
What doesn’t:
- Dumping your entire database into a sequence “just in case.” That’s not targeted—it's lazy.
5. Fine-Tune Sending Settings
Automation tools live and die by their settings. Here’s what to watch out for in Humanlinker:
- Sending window: Set your emails to go out only during business hours. Nobody wants a sales email at 2am.
- Daily send limits: Avoid tripping spam filters by limiting how many emails go out per day per account.
- Throttling: Space out your sends. Humanlinker has basic throttling settings—use them.
Ignore:
- Overly complex scheduling. Most prospects don’t care if your email arrives at 9:02 or 10:17. Focus on not being weirdly off-hours.
6. Personalize (But Don’t Waste Hours)
Automation is great, but the best follow-ups still sound human. Here’s how to strike a balance:
- Use short snippets: Add a line specific to the company or prospect. Even 20 seconds per contact helps.
- Humanlinker lets you add “personalization fields” before launch. Use them.
- If you’re sending to hundreds, at least segment your messaging (by industry, role, etc.).
Don’t bother:
- Trying to write a mini-essay for each prospect. You’ll never launch.
- Using generic “Hi {{FirstName}}—just circling back.” You’re better off not sending anything.
7. Monitor Results (and Kill What’s Not Working)
Here’s where most folks get lazy: They set up automation, hit “go,” and never look back. Don’t do that.
Check your sequence stats: - Open rates: If they’re under 30%, your subject lines need work—or you’re landing in spam. - Reply rates: If nobody’s biting, your message isn’t resonating. - Bounce/unsubscribe rates: High numbers here mean your list is stale or your messaging is off.
What to tweak: - Subject lines and first lines if opens are low. - Message timing if replies are slow. - Remove steps that get zero engagement.
Ignore:
- Vanity metrics like “impressions” or “deliveries.” Focus on replies and meetings booked.
8. Handle Replies (Don’t Be a Robot)
Automation should stop when a real person responds. Double-check that Humanlinker is set to pause sequences on reply—it usually is by default, but verify. Nothing kills trust faster than a prospect replying “I’m interested,” then getting another three follow-up emails.
Set aside time daily to check for responses. Automation gets attention, but your human reply is what books meetings.
9. Stay Compliant and Respectful
Automated follow-ups can cross the line from helpful to spammy fast. A few quick reminders:
- Make sure you’re following GDPR or CAN-SPAM if you’re emailing people in regulated regions.
- Always include a clear opt-out or unsubscribe.
- Don’t hammer people who’ve said no. Remove them from sequences.
Humanlinker does some of this automatically, but the responsibility’s on you.
Real Talk: What Works, What Doesn’t
What Works
- Clean data and clear targeting.
- Short, useful emails that get to the point.
- Following up 2-3 times, max, with something genuinely helpful.
What Doesn’t
- Long, automated sequences with no real value.
- Relying on automation to replace human effort entirely.
- Ignoring replies or not checking stats.
Keep It Simple—Iterate as You Go
Setting up automated follow-ups in Humanlinker isn’t rocket science, but it’s not “set and forget,” either. Start simple, watch what actually gets replies, and don’t be afraid to kill what’s not working.
You don’t need a 10-step branching sequence or the fanciest templates. Just clean lists, clear messaging, and enough automation to save your sanity. If you keep tweaking as you go, you’ll have a system that works—and you’ll spend more time talking to real prospects, not chasing reminders.