If your sales sequences feel like they're stuck on repeat—lots of activity, not enough closed deals—you're not alone. AI tools promise to fix this, but most end up being more flash than substance. This guide is for sales leaders, ops folks, and anyone actually running sequences who want practical, no-nonsense ways to genuinely improve results using Einstein CoPilot.
Let’s be clear: This isn’t magic. But if you use Einstein CoPilot thoughtfully, you can reduce busywork, spot where your sequences leak, and find real improvements. Here’s how to do it, step by step.
Step 1: Get Your Sales Data House in Order
Before you start pointing any AI at your sales process, you need clean, trustworthy data. If your CRM is riddled with half-baked contact records and sales stages, CoPilot will just automate your chaos.
What to check: - Are your leads and contacts up to date? - Do reps actually use the right sequence stages? - Is your activity data (emails, calls, etc.) complete and logged?
Pro Tip: Run a report showing last activity date by lead/account. If you see a ton of blanks or ancient dates, fix that first.
What to skip: Don’t spend months on “data hygiene.” Just get the basics right—recent activities, accurate stages, and clean contact info.
Step 2: Map (and Actually Write Down) Your Current Sales Sequences
You can't optimize what you can't see. Most teams run on tribal knowledge—“Oh, I usually send three emails, then a call…” That’s not a sequence; that’s a memory test.
Do this: - List every step in your main sales sequences. Be honest—what do reps actually do? - Note timing, channels (email, call, LinkedIn, whatever), and content themes. - Identify drop-off points: Where do prospects ghost you? Where do reps give up?
Tools that help: Whiteboards, spreadsheets, or the sequence builder inside Salesforce. Use whatever gets the real picture on one page.
What to ignore: Don’t obsess over “best practices” blogs—start with your real process, not an idealized one.
Step 3: Set Up Einstein CoPilot with Clear Goals
Now you can bring in Einstein CoPilot, but do it with a target in mind. The AI can't help if you just ask it to “make things better.” Be specific.
Decide on one conversion rate to move:
- New lead to first meeting set?
- Discovery call to proposal sent?
- Proposal sent to deal closed?
Pick one. Otherwise, you’ll end up with scattershot “improvements” that don’t show up in results.
Set up CoPilot: - Tell it which sequence to look at. - Define the key conversion point. - Make sure historical data for that sequence is solid (see Step 1).
Pro Tip: Start with your highest-volume or lowest-performing sequence. Don’t try to fix everything at once.
Step 4: Let CoPilot Analyze, But Don’t Blindly Trust Its Suggestions
Einstein CoPilot will chew through your data and spit out recommendations: “Send this email earlier,” “Try a call instead of email here,” “Use this subject line,” etc.
Here’s what actually matters: - Does the recommendation line up with what your best reps already do? - Is the AI suggesting changes just because they’re statistically significant, or because they actually make sense? - Are there recommendations that go against your gut? Don’t throw them out, but don’t swallow them whole, either.
What works: - Testing sequence timing changes (e.g., shorter gaps between steps). - Optimizing subject lines and call scripts. - Identifying “dead zones” where deals stall.
What doesn’t:
- Over-personalized messages that sound robotic or forced. If a CoPilot suggestion makes you cringe, your prospect will too.
- Generic advice (“send more emails”). More isn’t always better.
Step 5: Test Changes in Small Batches
Don’t roll out AI-driven sequence changes to your whole team at once. Use A/B testing—run the new version side-by-side with your old one.
How to do it: - Split a batch of similar leads into two groups: old sequence vs. CoPilot-tweaked sequence. - Track the conversion rate for each step, not just the final outcome. - Give it enough time (and volume) to see real results. A week and ten leads won’t cut it.
What to watch for: - Are you seeing more meetings booked, or just more email replies? - Are prospects getting annoyed by more touchpoints? - Are deals moving through the funnel faster, or just getting stuck in new places?
Pro Tip: Talk to your reps. Sometimes, the data says one thing, but prospects are giving feedback that’s not in the CRM. Listen.
Step 6: Fine-Tune and Repeat—But Don’t Chase Every Shiny Metric
Once you see what’s working, roll out the winners. But don’t chase every uptick—look for real, repeatable improvements.
What matters: - Actual conversion rates at each stage. - Fewer deals stalling out. - Rep adoption (if reps hate the new sequence, it won’t stick).
What doesn’t: - Open and click rates. These are vanity metrics. Focus on meetings booked and deals closed. - Micro-optimizations. Don’t waste time testing “Should the email be sent at 8:01 or 8:02?” Get the basics right first.
Step 7: Watch Out for AI Gotchas
Here’s where most teams trip up with AI-powered sales tools:
- Garbage in, garbage out: If your CRM is a mess, CoPilot will make it worse.
- AI hallucinations: Sometimes, CoPilot suggests things that sound plausible but are just... weird. If it recommends a 15-step sequence or a subject line that sounds like a bot, question it.
- Rep resistance: If your team feels like the robots are taking over, roll out changes gradually and ask for feedback.
- Compliance and privacy: Make sure AI-generated content doesn’t cross privacy lines or violate your company’s policies.
Pro Tips for Real-World Results
- Start small, scale up: Optimize one sequence at a time. It’s better to have one killer sequence than five mediocre ones.
- Use AI for grunt work: Let CoPilot handle analysis and draft suggestions, but keep a human in the loop for final tweaks.
- Document what you change: Keep a changelog. When performance jumps (or tanks), you’ll know why.
- Review regularly: AI isn’t set-it-and-forget-it. Check results monthly, not yearly.
Keep It Simple—And Iterate
Sales isn’t a science experiment. The best teams use tools like Einstein CoPilot to make good processes a little better—not to chase magic bullets. Start with clean data, clear goals, and a healthy dose of skepticism. Make small changes, see what works, and keep moving.
Don’t overthink it. The fastest way to higher conversion rates is to start simple and keep tweaking. Let the AI help, but keep your head in the game.