ZapBounce

ZapBounce and Reply.io

Reply.io sequences mix email, calls, LinkedIn and SMS in one flow. That structure turns a verification verdict from a filter into a routing decision.

An address nobody can confirm is not a dead prospect. It is a prospect whose first touch should not be an email.

Dropping unconfirmable prospects throws away reachable people

In an email-only tool, an address that cannot be confirmed is a binary: send anyway or drop the prospect. Both waste something.

A multichannel sequence has a third option. The company is real, the person is real, and only the mailbox is unverifiable, which is exactly what a call step or a LinkedIn step is for.

Around 28% of a B2B list sits on accept-all domains, so this is not an edge case. It is roughly a quarter of the addressable prospects in a typical campaign.

How the data moves

  1. Verify before the prospect enters a sequence

    The verdict has to exist before routing, because routing is what it is for here.

  2. Store the verdict in a custom prospect field

    Reply.io conditions read custom fields, so a sequence can branch on the verdict at the first step.

  3. Branch rather than filter

    Confirmed addresses start on email. Unconfirmable ones start on LinkedIn or a call task in the same sequence.

  4. Compare reply rates per branch

    Over a quarter, that tells you what the catch-all segment is actually worth, which is a number very few outbound teams have.

Setting it up

  1. Create a custom prospect field for the verdict and one for the check date.
  2. Verify the list before importing and map the verdict during import.
  3. Build a sequence whose first step branches on the verdict field.
  4. Send email first to confirmed addresses; open with LinkedIn or a call for the rest.
  5. Track reply rate per branch rather than per sequence.
  6. Re-verify prospects that have been in a queue for more than a month.

Reply.io: common questions

Should unconfirmable prospects be dropped?

Not in a multichannel tool. The company and the person are real; only the mailbox is unverifiable, which is what a call step is for.

Where does the branch go?

At the first step, so the sequence opens on the right channel rather than switching after a bounce.

Is the catch-all segment worth pursuing?

Measure it. A branch and a quarter of data will tell you for your market, which is better than anyone's general answer.

Reference

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