Follow-Up Sequences

Orchestrate multi-channel follow-up sequences across Email, WhatsApp, LinkedIn, and Telegram -- with AI-generated context-aware messages, timing rules, and full CRM tracking.

When to Use

• "Set up follow-up sequences" or "create a nurture campaign"
• "Who needs follow-up today?"
• "Re-engage stale leads"
• "What's the follow-up cadence?"
• "Generate follow-up message for [lead]"
• After a batch of leads enters the pipeline

Channel Priority

Priority	Channel	Best For	Response Rate
1	Email	First touch, formal, proposals	5-15%
2	WhatsApp	Israel-based leads, warm leads	30-50%
3	LinkedIn DM	B2B professionals, after connection	15-25%
4	Telegram	Existing bot contacts	20-30%

Channel Selection Logic

function selectChannel(lead, touchNumber) {
  // Always start with email
  if (touchNumber === 1) return 'email';

  // Israel-based: WhatsApp after email
  if (lead.geo === 'IL' && lead.has_phone) {
    if (touchNumber === 2) return 'whatsapp';
    if (touchNumber === 3) return 'email';
    if (touchNumber === 4) return 'linkedin';
  }

  // International: LinkedIn after email
  if (touchNumber === 2) return 'linkedin';
  if (touchNumber === 3) return 'email';
  if (touchNumber === 4) return 'whatsapp';

  return 'email'; // fallback
}

Timing Rules

Rule	Value
Min gap between touches	2 days
Max touches per week	3
Business hours only	8am-6pm recipient timezone
Blackout days	Friday (Israel), Saturday-Sunday (International)
Cool-off after sequence complete	30 days before re-entering

Optimal Send Times

Channel	Best Time	Worst Time
Email	Tue-Thu 9-11am	Friday afternoon, weekends
WhatsApp	Sun-Thu 10am-2pm (Israel)	After 8pm
LinkedIn	Tue-Wed 8-10am	Weekends
Telegram	Anytime (async)	-

Sequence Templates

New Lead Sequence (3 touches)

Goal: Qualify and book discovery call

Touch	Day	Channel	Message Type
1	0	Email	Value-first intro + relevant insight
2	3	WhatsApp/LinkedIn	Short follow-up, reference email
3	7	Email	Case study + CTA for call

Qualified Lead Sequence (5 touches)

Goal: Move to proposal/meeting

Touch	Day	Channel	Message Type
1	0	Email	Personalized pain point + solution
2	2	WhatsApp	Quick voice note or short text
3	5	Email	Case study from their industry
4	8	LinkedIn	Share relevant content + soft ask
5	12	Email	Direct ask for meeting + Calendly

Proposal Sent Sequence (4 touches)

Goal: Close or get feedback

Touch	Day	Channel	Message Type
1	2	Email	"Any questions about the proposal?"
2	5	WhatsApp	Quick check-in, offer to walk through
3	8	Email	Add urgency (limited availability)
4	12	Email	Breakup: "Is this still a priority?"

Stale Lead Re-engagement (2 touches)

Trigger: 14+ days no interaction

Touch	Day	Channel	Message Type
1	0	Email	New value: fresh case study or insight
2	5	LinkedIn/WhatsApp	"Saw this and thought of you" + relevant link

AI Message Generation

Context-Aware Prompt

You are writing a follow-up message for {{channel}}.

Lead context:
- Name: {{firstName}} {{lastName}}
- Company: {{companyName}}
- Role: {{role}}
- Industry: {{industry}}
- Previous interactions: {{interaction_summary}}
- Last message sent: {{last_message_summary}}
- Days since last touch: {{days_since_last}}
- Sequence type: {{sequence_type}}
- Touch number: {{touch_number}} of {{total_touches}}

Brand voice: {{brand_voice_description}}

Rules:
- {{channel}} format constraints (email: subject + body, WhatsApp: max 3 sentences, LinkedIn: max 300 chars)
- Reference previous interaction if applicable
- Include one clear CTA
- Sound human and conversational
- No generic filler
- If final touch: use breakup angle (respectful close)

Output format:
Subject: (email only)
Message: [the message]

Brand Voice Descriptions

Brand	Voice
guydvorkin.com	Authoritative but approachable. Expert who simplifies complexity. Direct, confident, no fluff.
exportarena.com	Practical and trade-focused. Speaks the language of importers/exporters. Data-driven, results-oriented.
afarsemon.com	Warm and relatable. Hebrew-first. Conversational, uses local references. Trustworthy advisor.

CRM Field Updates

Fields Updated Per Touch

Field	Value
last_outreach_date	Current timestamp
sequence_status	active / paused / completed / replied
sequence_type	new_lead / qualified / proposal / re_engagement
sequence_step	Current touch number
interaction_count	Increment by 1
next_followup_date	Calculated based on timing rules

Status Transitions

pending → active (first touch sent)
active → replied (lead responds on any channel)
active → completed (all touches sent, no reply)
active → paused (manual pause or rate limit)
replied → (exit sequence, manual handling)
completed → re_engagement (after 30-day cool-off)

n8n Orchestrator Workflow

Schedule Trigger (daily 8am)
  → Attio Query: leads where next_followup_date <= today AND sequence_status = active
  → Loop each lead:
    → Determine channel (Code Node)
    → Fetch interaction history from Attio
    → AI Generate message (Gemini Flash via OpenRouter)
    → Switch by channel:
      → email: Send via Smartlead API
      → whatsapp: Send via WhatsApp Business API
      → linkedin: Queue for manual send (compliance)
      → telegram: Send via Telegram Bot API
    → Update Attio: touch sent, next date, step increment
    → If final touch: set sequence_status = completed
  → Telegram summary: "Follow-ups sent: 8 email, 3 WhatsApp, 2 LinkedIn queued"

Reply Detection

Smartlead Webhook (reply received)
  → Parse reply email
  → Match to Attio record by email
  → Update sequence_status = "replied"
  → Notify via Telegram: "Reply from {{name}} at {{company}}"
  → Create Attio note with reply content

Quick Reference

Task	Method
Check who needs follow-up	Attio MCP: filter by next_followup_date
Generate follow-up message	AI prompt with lead context
Send email follow-up	Smartlead API
Send WhatsApp follow-up	WhatsApp Business API
Pause a sequence	Attio MCP: update sequence_status = "paused"
Re-engage stale leads	Filter 14+ days inactive, start re-engagement sequence
View sequence history	Attio MCP: get_record_details + list_notes

Error Handling

• Lead replied but not detected: daily scan for unmatched replies in Smartlead
• WhatsApp delivery failed: fall back to email, note failure in CRM
• AI message too long for channel: truncate and add "..." or regenerate with stricter constraint
• Rate limit on any channel: pause channel, continue others, alert via Telegram
• Sequence stuck (no status update in 7 days): flag for manual review
• Duplicate sequence: check sequence_status before starting, skip if already active