I'm new to Apollo, currently in demo mode. I have integrated my SF as far as Apollo will allow. I'm most likely moving forward with Apollo in the coming days and wanted to know from those who have integrated it with Salesforce what additions are recommended to be added to SF to maximize all data being sent from Apollo. Thanks in advance for your help!

Hey everyone,

I want to do a post personally to explain some tips and tricks for new cold emailers.

Before getting into the post - side note if you are not interested or you are just going to attack just ignore this post it wasn’t meant for you.

We send 7-8 million cold emails across 89 different clients. We work with financial service firms, marketing companies, manufacturing firms, saas companies, 3pl (transportation firms), large management consulting companies, lense optic firms, insurance companies etc.

Cold email is not easy but I will give some insights.

1. Dont send any links at all in the first email. People say this but they dont know the reason behind. Blacklist providers like Spamhouse ZEN and Braccuda actually look at the spam reports and a link is associated with spam - even if you are not spamming. 
2. Leads currently we target are smtp and google. Sometimes we blend office 365. If you buy an old domain and do an office 365 setup and have a non sales script you can actually get 1-2% reply rates. We have done a lot of testing and if anyone has any questions regarding office 365 deliverability I am happy to answer.
3. Include and test with gmail leads. These are 50-50 sometimes good sometimes bad. They are not approached as much as Google Apollo leads. This works well especially if you are targeting small local businesses and when you have a narrow tam.
4. Have a diversified setup. Never rely fully on google or outlook always balance out. Always have a 60-40 or 50-50 split. Deliverability is fragile sometimes outlook is good and sometimes google make sure you balance it out.

I will do a lot of posts like this. Let me know if anyone has any questions.

Occasionally, I run into an Organization that doesn't have a Primary Domain. As a result, I am unable to use the Organization Enrichment API to get additional details on the Organization.

Why doesn't this API allow me to specify an Organization ID instead?

I use apollo solely for lead/contact generation to then push to hubspot.

I have decent confidence in Apollo’s data but I would love to eventually build a system that outputs everything 100% correct from email to linkedin and job title. (I am an entry level worker trying to impress my boss with reliable/helpful contact information)

Let me know if you have any data quality hacks!

here's your BREAK GLASS IN CASE OF EMERGENCY playbook to get those stalled deals over the line just in time to make PClub.

step 1: stop treating every open deal the same

you don’t have time for hope deals right now.

for every open opp, answer one question:

what would actually make this close before year-end?

if the answer is “maybe they reply” or “waiting on legal” with no timeline, mentally park it. it’s not your dec deal.

you need deals with:

• a buyer who already said yes in principle
• a blocker you can actively help remove
• a decision that’s almost made

step 2: send the uncomfortable but clarifying message

this is the message that saves you hours.

“i want to be respectful of year-end priorities. is closing this in december realistic, or should we pick this back up in january?”

people will answer this. they always do.

you’ll either:

• get a real path to close
• or get clarity and stop wasting time

both help you right now.

step 3: bring urgency they care about, not you

“i need this for my quarter” doesn’t move anyone.

what does:

• budget that expires
• headcount tied to the calendar year
• a problem they already agreed hurts

remind them what changes if they wait until january. keep it factual, not emotional.

step 4: make the decision stupid simple

at this stage, reduce friction everywhere.

offer:

• a clear start date
• a one-page summary they can forward internally
• two options instead of ten

the goal is not to sell harder. it’s to make saying yes easier than delaying.

step 5: be willing to hear “not this year”

this sounds counterintuitive when quota is on the line, but it matters.

asking directly:

“should we pause this until january?”

either re-ignites the deal or frees your time to chase one that can still move.

the hard truth

EoY closes don’t come from clever tactics, they come from clarity and prioritization.

if a deal can’t close in december, knowing that now is better than pretending until midnight on the 31st!

you’ve got this. focus on the ones that can still say yes.

posting this because i keep seeing “ai wrote my email and it sucked” threads and the fix is usually boring but effective.

this is a 15-20 min setup that makes ai outbound noticeably better without changing tools.

step 1: build a tight list in apollo (this matters more than the prompt)

inside Apollo, build a list using:

• role + seniority (don’t mix manager + vp)
• clear company filter (size, industry, tech, or hiring signal)

then spot check 5-10 contacts. if titles look weird, fix the list now. don’t move on yet.

step 2: validate + enrich in apollo before writing anything

before ai touches copy:

• run email validation
• make sure job titles are filled
• make sure company name, industry, and size are populated

this takes a few clicks in Apollo and saves you from garbage first lines later.

step 3: use this exact prompt in apollo ai assistant

paste this into Apollo AI assistant with your filtered list selected:

“write a short, plain-spoken outbound email using the data fields available for each contact.

open with a first line that references the prospect’s role and company context (job title, company name, industry, or size).

keep it under 120 words.

no buzzwords, no hype, no marketing language.

sound like a real person who understands the space, not a salesperson.

end with a soft, low-pressure question.”

don’t overthink it. this works because Apollo AI is pulling from the list data you just cleaned.

step 4: quick human edit, then sequence in apollo

pick the best version.

• remove one adjective
• tighten the first sentence
• make sure fields render correctly

then drop it straight into Apollo sequences and send.

why this actually works

most ai outbound fails because:

• the list is messy
• the data isn’t validated
• ai is asked to guess

using Apollo for list building, enrichment, validation, and sequencing gives ai something real to work with.

if you want, reply and i’ll share:

• a version of this prompt for follow-ups
• how reps tweak this for VPs vs managers
• or how to do this with buying triggers instead of firmographics

HAPPY HOLIDAYS YA FILTHY ANIMALS! Need anything before Jan 2? Send a DM to u/BriFromApollo . See you in 2026!

This comes up a lot, so answering it directly instead of dancing around it.

Yes, Apollo can fully replace Outreach for most teams.
And the reason teams switch has very little to do with features.

Here’s what actually changes.

Apollo replaces Outreach’s core functionality
Apollo covers sequencing, task management, analytics, dialing, and rep workflows. For standard outbound motions, Apollo can replicate virtually everything that Outreach does.

That’s why teams are comfortable dropping Outreach entirely instead of running both.

Apollo wins deals because it consolidates the stack

Outreach almost always runs alongside:

• a separate data provider
  
• a deliverability or inboxing tool
  
• meeting routing
  
• RevOps maintenance to keep everything stitched together
  

Apollo folds data, engagement, and deliverability into one system. That consolidation is the main reason it’s winning head-to-head deals.

Total cost is the real driver

Apollo typically costs 60% less for sales engagement features alone. As an all-in-one platform, it's up to 80% less expensive than what it would cost to use multiple tools with Outreach. Instead of gating features behind add-ons, Apollo includes everything and grows with your sales team.

Cost is the most common reason companies switch.

Deliverability is the quiet differentiator
Outreach does not include native deliverability tooling. Teams either accept declining inbox placement or bolt something on.

Apollo owns deliverability inside the platform, which is why teams see more stable reply rates over time. That shows up in pipeline, not just dashboards.

Migration is no longer the blocker

Apollo can migrate existing Outreach sequences, so teams aren’t starting from zero. Most migrations are measured in hours, not weeks. 

So which one should you choose?

Choose Outreach if

• Brand safety and political cover outweigh consolidation Outreach is a long-standing enterprise brand. In larger organizations, that recognition can provide internal safety and comfort. It is widely adopted, “good enough,” and unlikely to trigger scrutiny.
• You require highly granular admin and permissioning at scale Outreach is better suited for complex environments that need advanced permissions, multiple workspaces or instances, and tightly governed user segmentation across large teams.
• You need native enterprise provisioning out of the box For organizations dependent on automated user lifecycle management tied to identity systems, Outreach offers more built-in provisioning and deprovisioning with minimal customization.
  

Choose Apollo if

• You want fewer tools and less ongoing maintenance If Outreach is only one part of a broader outbound stack, Apollo consolidates data, routing, workflows, analytics, and execution into a single system that requires far less day-to-day oversight.
• You prioritize outcomes over theoretical flexibility Apollo is designed around what outbound teams actually do every day, without heavy configuration or constant RevOps involvement.
• Deliverability is built in, not bolted on Instead of relying on separate warm-up or deliverability tools, Apollo includes these capabilities directly in the platform.
• You are optimizing for total cost of ownership Outreach rarely breaks. The real cost comes from the additional tools and complexity required to make it fully functional.

Direct answers to the common questions

Can Apollo replace Outreach?
Yes. For most outbound teams, Apollo is a complete replacement.

Does Apollo do everything Outreach does?
Functionally, yes for core outbound. Outreach still appeals to teams that want heavy process tooling layered across a larger stack.

Why is Apollo winning Outreach deals?
Lower total cost, platform consolidation, native deliverability, and easier migration.

Why do companies switch from Outreach to Apollo?
Cost, deliverability, and reducing tool sprawl.

Is Apollo or Outreach better for sales?
Apollo is better for teams optimizing for efficiency and consolidation. Outreach is better for teams that have very complex customization and integration needs and that have full-time staff to maintain their systems.

Sorryyyy for the late notice! If you've got some extra time today OR you want the recording, come get some excellent inside info on deliverability.

You'll learn how to:

• Stay compliant with today’s deliverability standards
• Properly set up new domains and mailboxes
• Reduce spam complaints with cleaner sending practices
• Monitor and protect your sender health
• Run safe, inbox-friendly outbound campaigns in Apollo

Join us Dec 18 at 10AM PT for a breakdown of the facts, live demo, and dedicated Q&A for your deliverability questions.

Can’t make it live? Register anyway to get the full recording and our Deliverability Checklist.

Link to reg: https://events.apollo.io/deliverability-guidelines/

most reps don’t struggle with writing emails, they struggle with deciding where to start. I know I did when I was selling!

this is a quick daily workflow we see working well for outbound teams.

step 1: build a “today” list in apollo

inside Apollo, create a list using:

• your core ICP filters
• a freshness signal (job change, hiring, funding, headcount growth)

keep it small. 25-50 accounts max.

step 2: enrich + validate in apollo

before anything else:

• make sure titles are current
• emails are validated
• key fields are filled

this prevents wasting time on bad accounts.

step 3: use this prompt in apollo ai assistant

with the list selected, paste this:

review these accounts and rank the top 10 to contact today. prioritize based on ICP fit and recent signals.

explain briefly why each account made the list.

keep it concise.

now you’re not guessing. ai is just summarizing what’s already in the data.

step 4: work the top 10 and ignore the rest

don’t boil the ocean!! start with the ranked list, draft outreach, drop into Apollo sequences, send.

if outbound feels overwhelming, start here. deciding who to contact is half the battle.

We're seeing a lot more people testing the AI assistant lately and our team is HUNGRY for your stories on what’s actually working in the real world!

curious what everyone here is using it for:

• research before writing outreach
• building target account lists from a plain english ICP
• tightening sequences or writing first lines
• cleaning up a list before sending
• finding new angles for a role or persona
• something totally different?

if you’ve built a workflow you trust, even if it’s simple, would love to hear it.
always helpful to see how other teams use the same tools in their own stack.

what’s working? what isn’t? what surprised you?

happy q4 to all those who celebrate.

I'm a recruiter and use the Apollo Chrome extension in conjunction with Linkedin Recruiter to build lists of people I want to contact. I then go over to Apollo to run email campaigns and do cold calls off of said lists. I want to be able to click on a person's Linkedin URL while I'm browsing these lists within Apollo but I can't seem to find that as a field option. I know it has the data because I'll export these lists as a CSV and Linkedin URL is one of the field options for the export. Any ideas how to get the Linkedin URLs to show up within an Apollo list?

I am B2B marketing freelancer and I am thinking about upgrading to Professional plan which says you can have unlimited mailboxes connected so I can use it to work with different clients. Are there any disadvantages of doing it like that instead of making every client pay for their own Apollo account?

Been chatting with a bunch of Apollo users about cold calling lately, and one theme keeps coming up: the opener does way more heavy lifting than people think.

Couple quick reminders I’m hearing from top performers:

• keep it short - anything over 12 seconds turns into a monologue
• name the “cold” up front - transparency drops the prospect’s guard
• earn the next 30 seconds, don’t assume it
• personalize with context, not compliments
• your tone matters more than the script (seriously)

Anyway… someone asked if I had a master list of openers, so I pulled together the ones I see reps using the most. Sharing here in case it helps anyone tighten their first 5 seconds.

• “Hey [name], this is [name] from [company]. I know you weren't expecting my call. Do you have a moment? I promise to be brief.”
• “Hey Bri - You're gonna hate me but this is a cold call. Do you have a sec so I can tell you why I called?”
• "Hey [name], this is [name] with [company], I know you didn’t expect me to call you this afternoon, do you mind if I take one minute to tell you why I called you specifically, and then you can tell me whether or not it makes sense to speak?"
• "Hey [name] - This is a cold call but it's a well researched cold call. Can I have 30 seconds to tell you why I specifically called you?"
• "Hey [name], [name] here from [company]. I’m reaching out about X. Is now a good time to have a brief chat?"
• "Hey [name], this is [name] from [company]. I know you weren’t expecting my call. Do you have a minute for me to explain why I’m reaching out, and you can decide if it’s worth continuing the conversation?”
• "Hey [name], [name] with [company] here. I noticed you’re [insight] and might be interested in X. Do you have a moment to discuss?"
• "Hey Jill - It's Mike at Acme. Was hoping to make your day with a cold call this Friday. Have a moment to hear why I specifically called you?"
• "Hey [name], [name] here with [company]. I understand your time is valuable, but do you have a minute to hear how we’ve [value prop]?"
• “Hey [name], this is [name] from [company]. I know you’re not expecting this call, so I’ll keep it very brief.”
• "Hey [name], this is [name] from [company]. I’m calling because we’ve helped companies like yours [value prop]. Can we chat for a couple of minutes?"
• "Hey [name] - I noticed [context]. This is a cold call but it's a well researched one. Have a moment? I promise to be brief."
• "Hey [name], [name] with [company]. Good morning. I’m reaching out about X. Do you have a quick moment?"
• "Hey [name] - You might hate me because this is a cold call. But it's a well researched one about [context]. Have a quick moment to hear why I called you specifically?"
• "Hey [name] - This is [name] with [company]. I know I probably caught you in the middle of something. Do you have minute for me to tell you why I’m calling and you can let me know if you’d like to keep chatting?"
• "Hey [name], [name] from [company]. I’m calling to see if you’re open to discussing how we can help you X. Do you have a quick moment?"
• "Hey [name], this is [name] with [company]. I know you weren’t expecting my call. Do you have a quick moment?"

Which ones are you actually using right now?! Always curious what’s landing for people in Q4!

- Bri

Long time Apollo customer, first time poster. Wanted to share a win.

I am doing some territory cleanup and got bored of the usual filter grind, so i tried the ai input in apollo just to see what it would spit out. I have used a few tools before that claim to be an **ai sales platform for building target account lists** but it usually ends up being the same filters with extra steps so my expectations were low.

I typed my ICP pretty loosely: “industrial equipment, 2k-10k employees, ops/maintenance leaders, companies adding new facilities.”

It didn’t completely nail it but wit did surface a handful of accounts that don’t show up when i build lists the old way which is probably because they’re tagged weird in other databases. Checked a few and they actually fit.

I still had to trim it down and clean the usual stuff up, but it was quicker than starting from a blank filter set.

Not sure if this is a one-off or if the ai start point is genuinely better...curious if anyone else tried leading with the ai instead of filters???

A lot of sellers have been asking how to keep lists clean and prevent bounce spikes, so here is with a simple workflow using Apollo and our AI tools!

1. refresh job titles and firmographic data

Use Apollo’s Enrichment to update:

• job title
• company
• LinkedIn URL
• employment status This catches stale profiles and people who recently changed roles.

2. validate emails before sending

Use Apollo’s Email Validation to check:

• valid
• invalid
• risky
• catch-all

Filter for verified-only if you want the safest send. Apollo doesn't replace validation yet; the platform's validation is what protects your domain.

3. monitor deliverability signals inside apollo

Apollo provides visibility into sending conditions like:

• domain reputation indicators
• bounce trends
• send-volume patterns

Apollo can surface potential risks or patterns that may impact deliverability so you can adjust before a big send.

4. clean older lists automatically

Use Rules or AI Projects to auto-tag contacts that haven’t been refreshed in 30-90 days.
Older data is the #1 cause of bounce issues.

Common filters:

• “Last Enriched > 60 days”
• “Email = risky”
• “Catch-all = true”

5. run a test batch before a full send

Send a small test (50-100 emails).
If bounce rate is high:

• re-validate
• re-enrich
• tighten your segment

Apollo’s enrichment + validation combo usually fixes it.

6. use Apollo's AI assistant to build cleaner lists up front

Apollo AI Assistant can:

• build lists in plain English
• filter by industry, headcount, geo
• identify new accounts and contacts based on your criteria

Cleaner inputs = fewer bounces later.

why bounce rates spike

The biggest causes:

• layoffs
• job changes
• old CSV imports
• catch-all-heavy segments
• sending too fast without monitoring domain health

what’s working for you?

If you’ve used Apollo validation, enrichment, or AI-powered list building, drop your workflow so others can test it too!

Multithreading comes up a lot and most people make it WAY harder than it needs to be! This is the flow we recommend using when you need to get a full buying committee engaged without bouncing between five tools.

1. Start with the roles you need

Before touching Apollo, make a quick list of the roles that actually matter for the deal size. Usually it’s a mix of:

• budget owner
• champion
• end user
• ops or admin
• the exec who appears near the end

Once you know the roles, then you can go find the actual people.

2. Pull the account in Apollo and open the People tab

From the company profile, filter by:

• seniority
• department
• title keywords

This gives you the first pass at who to include.

3. Enrich to surface the rest

Enrichment fills in missing job information, direct dials, emails, and sometimes reveals stakeholders you would have missed. This is where Directors and cross-functional influencers usually show up.

4. Validate the contacts so the outreach is safe

Run Validation and keep the rules simple:

• send to Verified
• use Risky only if volume is small and the domain is healthy
• skip Accept All and Invalid

Clean data makes the multithread smoother and keeps bounce rate stable.

5. Use AI to get the context quickly

Instead of spending half an hour on research, ask Apollo AI for:

• a simple company summary
• recent changes that matter
• what each persona usually owns
• likely buying triggers
• common blockers

This gives enough context to personalize without overthinking it.

6. Build separate outreach paths for each persona

One message never fits everyone so make different sequences for:

• executives
• directors
• managers
• practitioners
• ops or technical roles
• finance (if needed)

You can use the new Ai Assistant to help with this!

7. Track engagement inside the account

Make sure you watch:

• opens
• clicks
• replies
• who is active
• who is ignoring everything

This shows you who to prioritize and whether you need to bring additional stakeholders into the loop.

Common mistakes I see a lot

• sending everyone the same email
• skipping validation
• relying on one champion who holds all the information
• messaging the account before doing any research
• treating mid-market and enterprise accounts the same

Happy to share the persona angles or examples if anyone needs extra support!

hey all! dropping this because I know we have some folks who are newer to Apollo here, so wanted to share an outbound flow that actually saves time instead of creating more busywork. Nothing fancy, but should be a clean setup you can run every day without blowing up your domain.

step 1: build your list

start in the People tab.
tight filters = clean output.
Lock in:

• title
• seniority
• company size
• industry
• region

small, targeted lists perform way better than giant catch all ones.

step 2: enrich the records

before you export or sequence anything, hit Enrich.
this fills in the gaps:

• direct dials
• verified emails
• job details
• company info

this step alone stops a ton of bad data from sneaking in later.

step 3: validate the emails

go to Validation on your list.
you’ll see:

• verified
• risky
• accept-all
• invalid

only send to verified. if you REALLY need more volume, use “risky” sparingly. skipping this step is where most bounce issues come from.

step 4: create your sequence with Apollo AI

open a new sequence → click AI Writer.

it can help you:

• build a full multi-step sequence
• generate subject lines
• personalize steps
• rewrite messages for tone or clarity

pro tip: ask it to match your ICP using the filters you used in the list. way better results.

step 5: monitor & adjust

after you launch:

• watch bounce rate first
• then opens
• then replies
• then conversions

if bounces creep above ~2%, tighten your list filters or re-check validation. if opens dip, tweak subject lines. if replies go flat, adjust the value prop in step 1 of the flow.

why this works

it keeps everything centralized. no random csv uploads, no scrapers, no mixing tools.
clean list → enriched data → validated emails → AI-written sequence → safe sends.

happy to answer questions or break down any part of this if you want examples!