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Cold Outreach Automation Flow

Purpose: Document the automated cold outreach workflow connecting TwentyCRM, n8n, Apollo, and Notifuse.

Last Updated: January 2025

Overview​

This document outlines the complete flow for automating cold outreach campaigns, from company research to email delivery. The system integrates multiple tools to create a seamless workflow that can be triggered from within the CRM.

System Components​

  • TwentyCRM: Customer relationship management system
  • n8n (NHM): Automation platform for workflow orchestration
  • Apollo: Contact enrichment and discovery platform
  • Notifuse: Email delivery and campaign management
  • Tech Stack API: Custom service for company technology analysis

High-Level Flow​

Detailed Workflow Steps​

1. Get Tech Stack for Company​

Trigger: User toggles "Get Tech Stack" field on a company in TwentyCRM, or company record is updated.

Process:

  • TwentyCRM workflow detects field change
  • Triggers n8n flow via webhook
  • n8n calls Tech Stack API with company information
  • Tech Stack API analyzes company and returns report
  • n8n adds report as a note on the company record in TwentyCRM

Output: Company note containing tech stack analysis

2. Get Contacts from Apollo​

Trigger: User runs "Get Contacts" action on a company in TwentyCRM.

Process:

  • User selects company and triggers "Get Contacts" workflow
  • Can specify parameters:
    • Maximum number of contacts (default: 5-10)
    • Job title keywords
    • Custom instructions for Apollo search
  • n8n queries Apollo API for contacts matching criteria
  • For each contact found:
    • Check if contact already exists in CRM
    • If not, create person record linked to company
    • Enrich with Apollo data (email, job title, LinkedIn, etc.)
  • Add note to company indicating contacts found/added

Output: Person records added to CRM, linked to the company

3. Generate Cold Email Sequence​

Trigger: User runs "Generate Cold Email Sequence" on a person in TwentyCRM.

Process:

  • User selects person(s) and triggers email generation
  • Can specify:
    • Number of emails in sequence (3-5 typically)
    • Custom instructions for personalization
  • n8n gathers context:
    • Person information (name, job title, company)
    • Company tech stack (from previous note)
    • Company information
  • n8n calls AI service (via n8n) to generate personalized email sequence
  • Each email is unique (even for people in same company)
  • Generated sequence added as markdown note on person record
  • User can review and edit emails before sending

Output: Markdown note on person record containing email sequence

Email Sequence Format:

# Cold Email Sequence for [Name]

## Email 1: Initial Outreach
Subject: [Generated subject]
Body: [Generated personalized email]

## Email 2: Follow-up
Subject: [Generated subject]
Body: [Generated personalized email]

## Email 3: Final Follow-up
Subject: [Generated subject]
Body: [Generated personalized email]

4. Send Cold Email Sequence via Notifuse​

Trigger: User runs "Send Cold Email Sequence" on a person in TwentyCRM.

Process:

  • n8n reads the email sequence note from person record
  • If user has edited the note, uses the edited version
  • n8n syncs contact to Notifuse (if not already synced)
  • n8n creates/updates contact in Notifuse with:
    • Name, email, company
    • Email sequence content (Email 1, Email 2, Email 3, etc.)
  • Notifuse "hydrates" the sequence template with contact data
  • Emails are queued and sent according to rate limits
  • Each email sent is tracked in Notifuse

Output: Emails sent via Notifuse, tracked in both Notifuse and TwentyCRM

Complete System Architecture​

State Diagram: Person Journey​

Automation Triggers in TwentyCRM​

The system uses TwentyCRM workflows to trigger n8n flows. Each workflow can be:

  1. Field-based trigger: Toggle a boolean field (e.g., "Get Tech Stack" = true)
  2. Form-based trigger: Fill out a form with parameters when running the action
  3. Manual action: Custom action button that appears when selecting records

Workflow Configuration​

Email Sequence Flow in Notifuse​

Data Flow: Events Back to CRM​

Key Features​

1. Visual Workflow Management​

  • All automations visible in TwentyCRM workflows
  • Easy to see what's running and when
  • Less need to dig into n8n code

2. Progressive Steps​

  • Each step is independent and can be run separately
  • Allows for manual review and editing between steps
  • Can rerun individual steps if needed

3. Bulk Operations​

  • Can select multiple companies/people
  • Run workflows in bulk
  • Rate limiting prevents email sending issues

4. Personalization​

  • Each email is unique, even for people in the same company
  • Uses company tech stack and person information
  • AI generates contextually relevant content

5. Tracking & Analytics​

  • All email events tracked in Notifuse
  • Events synced back to CRM timeline
  • Lead scoring based on engagement

Configuration Options​

Get Contacts Parameters​

  • Max Contacts: Number of contacts to retrieve (default: 5-10)
  • Job Title Keywords: Filter contacts by job titles
  • Custom Instructions: AI-powered Apollo search customization

Generate Email Sequence Parameters​

  • Number of Emails: 3-5 emails in sequence
  • Custom Instructions: Additional context for email generation
  • Template Selection: Choose from different email templates

Send Email Sequence Configuration​

  • Rate Limiting: Emails per minute/hour/day
  • Email Service: SendGrid or Gmail via Notifuse
  • Tracking: Opens, clicks, replies, unsubscribes

Future Enhancements​

  1. Lead Scoring: Automatic scoring based on email engagement
  2. A/B Testing: Test different email variations
  3. Automated Follow-ups: Trigger additional sequences based on behavior
  4. CRM Integration: Deeper integration with TwentyCRM fields and workflows
  5. Analytics Dashboard: Visualize campaign performance
  • TwentyCRM: See tools/twentycrm.md for CRM documentation
  • n8n: See tools/n8n.md for workflow documentation
  • Notifuse: See tools/notifuse.md for email platform documentation
  • Apollo: See Apollo integration guide (if documented)