Support parallel working with multiple sequences in Dynamics 365 Sales

A guide for sales managers and sellers who want to improve their customer engagement and collaboration with multiple sequences now available across Dynamics 365 Sales

Productivity and efficiency are important to sales teams. Improving customer engagement, as well as collaboration when multiple team members work on an account, can be key to securing deals faster, and bringing better business results. With the support of multiple sequences in Dynamics 365 Sales, this now becomes easier than ever.

In this blog, we will show you how you can streamline parallel sales processes, coordinate your sales efforts, and optimize your customer interactions. You will also learn how to create, manage, and monitor multiple sequences in Dynamics 365 Sales. Whether you are a sales manager or a seller, we will cover some useful tips and best practice to make the most of this powerful feature.

What are sequences and why do you need them?

Sequences are steps that sellers follow to engage customers consistently and effectively.

They include activities like emails, calls, and tasks, helping automate sales processes and reduce manual work.

When multiple team members work on the same record, multiple sequences prevent conflicts by allowing each seller to have their own set of activities.

This way, an account manager and a solution architect can collaborate seamlessly on the same opportunity, enhancing customer engagement and improving business outcomes.

How to connect multiple sequences to a record?

There are two ways to connect multiple sequences to a record: manually and automatically.?

Manually connecting a record to a sequence

Connect a record to a sequence by using the connect sequence button on the record page to launch the connect sequence dialog. You can connect multiple sequences to a record at the same time, as long as the record owner or the sequence owner has the relevant permissions to do so. You can also disconnect a sequence from a record manually, by selecting the disconnect sequence button on the record page.?

Automatically connecting a record to a sequence

Connect a record to a sequence by using the segmentation feature.

Segmentation allows you to define criteria for a group of records that qualify for a sequence. For example, you can create a segment for all the opportunities that have a high probability of closing in the next quarter.

You can then associate a sequence to that segment, so that whenever a record meets the criteria, it is automatically connected to the sequence.

How to assign a sequence to a different user than the record owner?

By default, when a record is connected to a sequence, the sequence is assigned to the record owner.

However, you may want to assign a sequence to a different user, depending on their role and responsibilities.

For example, you may want to assign a sequence to a specialist role for a record, such as a solution architect or a technical consultant.?

To do this, you can use the sequence assignment feature. Sequence assignment allows you to select a field in the record entity or a related entity that can be used to assign the sequence.

For example, if you have a field called opportunity_rep in the opportunity entity, you can assign the sequence to the user who is specified as the opportunity rep for that record.

You can also use the properties pane to assign the sequence to the account owner, or owner/access team with capability to assign the sequence to a user with a specific role in the respective team.?

How to view the connected sequences and users for a record?

Once you have connected multiple sequences to a record, you may want to view the connected sequences and the users who are working on them.

This can help you get a better understanding of the customer engagement and collaboration happening on the record and what work is left to execute.

To see the sequences and users that are linked to a record, you can select the sequence title from the Up next widget which will take you to the preview pane that shows all the sequences that are related to the record.

The sequence preview gives you a full overview of the sequence, including the progress and activities for different paths.

To see a sequence, choose the name of the sequence in the Up next widget. The sequence opens in a pane showing the list of activities that have been set up within it.

You can also use the sequence stats report to see status, progress, and performance of each sequence. In addition, you can see the number of completed, overdue, and upcoming activities, as well as each email’s open rate, click rate, and conversion rate in the sequence.

How to view sequence steps in a record using the Up next widget?

In cases where a record is associated with multiple sequences, you may want to efficiently plan the execution by accessing all the available steps of these sequences.

The new enhancements empower you to achieve precisely that! Now, the sequence name showcased on the Up next widget transforms into a clickable link.

Upon clicking, it reveals a comprehensive list of all steps associated with that specific sequence.

This feature facilitates the simultaneous viewing of both executed and upcoming steps in a single pane, streamlining the planning process for the subsequent steps.

Conclusion

Multiple sequences in Dynamics 365 Sales enhance customer engagement and collaboration.

By connecting multiple sequences to a record, you optimize the sales process and leverage the skills of different sellers.

Assigning sequences to different users ensures the right person handles the right activity. Viewing connected sequences and users provides insight into customer interactions.

This capability drives better business outcomes and gives you a competitive edge.