If you’re trying to get more replies from your outreach—without turning your workday into Groundhog Day—automated email sequences are the way to go. This guide is for anyone who wants clear, no-nonsense instructions on setting up automated sequences in Flashintel. Whether you’re in sales, recruiting, or just want to avoid manually sending the same email 20 times, you’re in the right place.
Let’s walk through the real steps, with honest notes on what actually works, what doesn’t, and what to skip.
1. Get Your Basics in Order
Before you even log into Flashintel, make sure you’ve got a few things set:
- A verified email account: Your email needs to be warmed up and actually able to send. Don’t use your main Gmail or Outlook account unless you want to risk it being flagged. Use a subdomain if possible.
- Contacts list: Know who you want to email. You’ll need your leads in a spreadsheet or CRM, or you can use Flashintel’s lead database—but don’t just upload random lists.
- Your pitch: Have a rough idea of what you want to say. Don’t overthink it, but don’t wing it completely either.
Pro tip: Automated emails only work if your email actually lands in someone's inbox. If you’re new to this, Google “email warm-up” and start small.
2. Log In and Find the Email Sequences Tool
Once you’re ready, log in to your Flashintel dashboard. The interface changes now and then (frankly, sometimes not for the better), but as of right now:
- Look for a sidebar or main menu labeled “Sequences” or “Campaigns.” Sometimes it’s under “Outreach.”
- Click it. If you can’t find it, use the search bar at the top—Flashintel’s navigation isn’t always intuitive.
You should now see a screen showing your existing sequences (if you have any) or an option to create a new one.
3. Create a New Email Sequence
Here’s where the magic starts:
- Click “Create Sequence” or “New Campaign.”
- Give your sequence a clear name. Don’t call it “Test 1” unless you want to forget what it is in a week.
- Choose the type. Most folks want “Automated Email” or “Drip Campaign.” If you see options for LinkedIn or calls, just ignore those for now.
4. Add Your Contacts
Flashintel lets you add contacts in a few ways. Here’s what actually matters:
- Import from CSV: Easiest for most people—just upload your spreadsheet. Make sure columns are labeled “First Name,” “Last Name,” “Email,” etc.
- Add from Flashintel Database: You can find leads inside Flashintel, but don’t just add everyone. You want quality, not quantity.
- Manual entry: Only do this if you’re desperate.
What to skip: Don’t trust any “auto-find” feature that promises 1,000 leads in one click. Those lists are usually junk.
Once uploaded, Flashintel will ask you to map your columns. Double-check these—if “Company Name” gets mapped to “First Name,” your emails will look ridiculous.
5. Write Your Sequence (Don’t Overcomplicate It)
This is where most people get lost. You’ll be asked to create the series of emails that make up your sequence.
- Step 1: Write your first email.
Keep it short. Personalize with things like “Hi {{First Name}}”—Flashintel lets you insert these variables automatically. - Step 2: Add follow-ups.
You can add as many as you want, but 2-3 is plenty. Each one should reference the previous email, not just repeat it. ("Just bumping this up..." is fine once. Don't get cute.) - Step 3: Set delays.
Usually 2-4 days between emails is a good start. Flashintel lets you pick the number of days between each step.
Pro tips: - Don’t write a novel. People don’t read long emails from strangers. - Avoid attachments and too many links. They trigger spam filters. - Always send a test to yourself before launching. Flashintel has a “Send Test” button—use it.
6. Set Up Sending Rules
Flashintel gives you a few options that are easy to ignore—but you shouldn’t. Here’s what to pay attention to:
- Send windows: Set your emails to go out during business hours (think 8am–5pm in your recipients’ time zones). Nobody wants to get your email at 2am.
- Daily sending limits: Start low (maybe 30-50 emails/day) until you’re sure you won’t get flagged as spam.
- Stop on reply: Make sure the sequence stops if someone replies. Nothing kills credibility like emailing someone after they already responded.
What doesn’t matter: Open tracking is nice, but don’t obsess over it—open rates are unreliable, thanks to privacy features in Gmail, Apple Mail, etc.
7. Preview and Test Everything
This is the step everyone skips, and it’s where most mistakes happen.
- Preview each email with real contact data. Does “Hi {{First Name}}” actually fill in the first name, or do you see “Hi ,”?
- Send test emails to yourself. Check for formatting, typos, and anything that screams “automated.”
- Check your links. Make sure they aren’t broken or obviously tracked (some people hate ugly tracking URLs).
If something looks off, fix it. Don’t assume “it’ll be fine.”
8. Launch Your Sequence (But Monitor Closely)
Once you’ve double-checked everything, hit “Start” or “Launch.” But don’t walk away and forget about it.
- Watch the first batch of sends. If you see lots of bounces or get flagged for spam, pause immediately and figure out why.
- Check replies. Respond to any real responses quickly—people forget you fast.
- Adjust as needed. If your open or reply rates are terrible, tweak your subject lines or message. You’ll learn more in a week of sending than a month of planning.
What to ignore: Flashintel sometimes pushes extra features (“AI suggestions,” “enrich this contact,” etc.). Unless you know exactly what these do, skip them for now. Stick to the basics.
9. Track Performance and Make Small Improvements
Flashintel gives you dashboards for opens, clicks, replies, and more. Here’s how to actually use them:
- Focus on replies, not opens or clicks. Replies are what matter.
- Look for patterns. If everyone ignores your second email, try rewriting it.
- Don’t get obsessed with analytics. The goal is better conversations, not pretty charts.
Pro tip: If you’re getting a lot of “unsubscribe” or “report spam” clicks, your list or messaging needs work. Don’t just send more.
10. Keep It Simple and Iterate
Here’s the honest truth: flashy features and complicated sequences rarely beat a simple, personalized approach. Start small, see what works, and adjust.
- Don’t try to automate everything right away.
- The best sequences sound like a real person wrote them.
- Regularly clean your list—quality always beats quantity.
Wrapping up: Setting up automated email sequences in Flashintel isn’t rocket science, but it does pay to sweat the details. Keep your process simple, watch what actually gets replies, and don’t be afraid to change things up. The fastest way to get better is to launch, learn, and improve—not to chase every new feature or overthink your copy.
Now, go send some emails (and remember, nobody likes spam).