Assigning Stages in the sequence settings gives you visibility into where a prospect stands in a sequence and overall sales cycle.
When are Stages Assigned?
Outreach will automatically update the prospect's stage when a certain event takes place. These events are:
- An email bounces
- A prospect opts out
- A prospect is first added to sequence
- The first email is delivered or call completed
- A prospect replies to a sequence email or a User logs a call with an Answered disposition
Note: Depending on your Ruleset settings, booking a Meeting with a Prospect or receiving a reply to an SMS Message can also mark a Prospect as Replied - A prospect is marked as finished with no reply
- Prospect completes sequence, with no reply after a specified amount of time
As these events occur, the prospect stage will be updated. The prospect stage is a label that can be seen on the prospect's profile and throughout Outreach. These stages can be filtered, giving you the ability to quickly find prospects at a particular stage in the sales process.
Where can I add stage assignments?
Stage assignments can be assigned through the sequence ruleset or by triggers. To update your ruleset, you can do the following:
- Click on the initials on the bottom left hand corner of the Outreach platform.
- Under "System Config" select "Rulesets".
- If you have permission to make adjustments to rulesets, find the section labeled "Update Prospect Stage When..." and select the stage appropriate to the event that occurs.
Note: Outreach provides boiler plate stage assignments. You can add new stages, delete stages, or edit existing stages by following these steps.
Stages and Salesforce: Salesforce statuses and Outreach stages must match 1:1, including spacing and capitalization. For example, if a prospect replies to an email, their stage or status would update to the stage created in either Outreach or Salesforce. Additionally, you must use the exact string to map the Lead and/or Contact status between Outreach and Salesforce. You can learn more here.