Deliverability
Part of Sales development operations
Recording sequence changes and their results
Keep a usable sequence change log, preserve stop rules and interpret results with comparable groups and clear limits.
Record every sequence change as a dated version with a reason, a defined audience and a plan for reviewing outcomes. Without a record, a difference in replies could reflect new wording, a different account mix, a changed sender route or simply more time for the earlier group to respond.
Write the change record before editing
Keep a short register outside the editable sequence text. Give the old and proposed versions stable IDs. Record the owner, approval date, first eligible enrolment date and the decision the change is meant to inform.
| Field | Question to record |
|---|---|
| Reason | What problem or uncertainty prompted the edit? |
| Exact change | Which audience, message, timing, channel, route or exit rule changed? |
| Exposure | Which contacts stay on the old version, move or leave the sequence? |
| Stop controls | How will replies, declines, opt-outs and active conversations affect queued steps? |
| Review | Which group and cut-off date will be used, and who decides what happens next? |
Save the previous wording and configuration before activation. Check how the intended tool and configuration treat steps already queued for enrolled contacts before deciding whether to move them. Distinguish the version assigned at enrolment from any later manual intervention.
Define what the result can show
Use the same reporting unit for each version, such as first-enrolled accounts or contacts, and state it. Compare groups with similar eligibility rules, observation periods and outcome definitions.
Report attempted sends, delivery failures, human replies, useful conversations, declines and opt-outs separately. A reply can be a referral or a request to stop.
When only wording changed and the audience and route were broadly comparable, the review can investigate whether wording plausibly mattered. A simple before-and-after count still cannot establish causation.
If audience, route and timing changed too, record each change and do not attribute the outcome to copy alone. Assignment across comparable groups can support a stronger comparison when the design and remaining limits are set out before launch.
Keep pending outcomes visible. Recently enrolled contacts have had less time to respond. An unfinished sequence is not a failure solely because the reporting cut-off arrived.
Preserve stop decisions
A new version must carry forward opt-outs and other decisions to stop contact. For commercial electronic messages, check the applicable Australian requirements before sending. Process unsubscribe requests promptly and cancel relevant queued marketing without delay.
If an edit changes eligibility or the sending route, check those controls before restarting.
Close with a decision
At the review date, record what was observed, what remains uncertain and whether to retain, revise, revert or continue observing the version. Keep that decision beside the change record even after a reversion. The record should show which contacts were assigned to which version and why the next version was chosen.
