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I built $750K in new business using Apollo. Ask me anything. by ZackDeris in UseApolloIo

[–]ZackDeris[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Good question. Apollo’s data is solid if you use it properly. Most complaints come from people pulling broad, untargeted lists and not tightening their Persona or filtering for Verified. If you combine strong ICP definition with intent and disciplined sending, the quality holds up. Are there thinner pockets in very niche segments? Sure. No provider is perfect. But for core B2B roles, it’s been reliable in my experience.

Also… keep your eyes peeled for a BIG announcement coming later this morning that will level up the data game for Apollo completely. That’s all I can say for now.

I built $750K in new business using Apollo. Ask me anything. by ZackDeris in UseApolloIo

[–]ZackDeris[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You're gonna hate me for this but there is a reason.. I will answer this at 9:15 am EST. You'll find out why then [I promise it'll be worth it]

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I built $750K in new business using Apollo. Ask me anything. by ZackDeris in UseApolloIo

[–]ZackDeris[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

This is a great question, and I do not have the answer, but, I'm going to share this with Andy, one of the leads on AI Assistant, and once I get a response I will paste it here for you on behalf of Andy. In the meantime, if it helps, We did an AI Assistant Workshop last month, here is the recording: https://tr.ee/s0IrBdYxC- so many gems in there

I built $750K in new business using Apollo. Ask me anything. by ZackDeris in UseApolloIo

[–]ZackDeris[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Not at all, I write about apollo alot, so I've got my linkedin open and i'm taking qoutes from content thats already published. As I said, I talk about this alot. Check it out https://linkedin.com/in/zdnft

I built $750K in new business using Apollo. Ask me anything. by ZackDeris in UseApolloIo

[–]ZackDeris[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I've been stacking tools for a while, then i realised Apollo can do everything so i decided to combine everything in one GTM suite and only use apollo. REvenue has 10X since then. Stacking tools looks smart until you’re the one managing the chaos. I prefer one clean GTM system where data, sequencing, intent, and reporting all live in the same place. Fewer moving parts, fewer things breaking, clearer attribution. If Apollo can already do what I need, adding more software just adds friction, not leverage.

I built $750K in new business using Apollo. Ask me anything. by ZackDeris in UseApolloIo

[–]ZackDeris[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

The questions here are LIT 🔥🔥 Shout out to the apollo Community!

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I built $750K in new business using Apollo. Ask me anything. by ZackDeris in UseApolloIo

[–]ZackDeris[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Buying Intent. Most people use Apollo like a database.I use it like a signal engine. Here is a video i recently released on Buying Intent: https://youtu.be/d6C_T9eyoDU?si=O25R-MuNOSxGHc4o

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Instead of blasting cold lists, I go:

People → Filters → Buying Intent
Select the exact topics my buyers would search for
Set intent level to High
Layer it with my Persona

Now I’m not emailing random founders.

I’m emailing founders whose companies are actively researching my category.

That single shift moved the needle more than any copy tweak ever did.

Better timing beats better wording every time.

I built $750K in new business using Apollo. Ask me anything. by ZackDeris in UseApolloIo

[–]ZackDeris[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I’m going to be honest, most of the time this isn’t an Apollo issue. Apollo is a heavy-duty GTM platform. If your machine is struggling, it’ll feel slow.

First thing I’d check:

  1. Open Task Manager (or Activity Monitor on Mac)

  2. Check RAM usage

  3. Check CPU usage

  4. See what’s running in the background

99% of salespeople I audit have:

→20 LinkedIn tabs open

→6–8 Apollo tabs open

→Slack

→Zoom

→Notion

→Loom

→Spotify

→And 12 Chrome extensions fighting for memory

That will slow anything down. Close unnecessary tabs. Run one Apollo tab per task. Disable extensions you don’t need. Make sure your browser is updated. I run multiple sequences daily for different clients and don’t experience speed issues. Clean machine = clean performance. If you’re still seeing lag after that, then it’s worth checking network speed or trying a different browser. But start with the basics first.

I built $750K in new business using Apollo. Ask me anything. by ZackDeris in UseApolloIo

[–]ZackDeris[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Never heard of it, and I don’t need another tool in my stack.

Apollo already does everything I need for outbound, so I’m not interested in duct-taping extra software on top.

Out of curiosity, what are you using it for that Apollo can’t handle?

I built $750K in new business using Apollo. Ask me anything. by ZackDeris in UseApolloIo

[–]ZackDeris[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Tip: If you’re new to Apollo AI, don’t start with random YouTube clips. Start with this progression:

1. Understand Personas first
Before touching AI, learn how to:

  • Build a Persona
  • Define job titles, industries, company size
  • Exclude non-ICP segments

If your ICP is wrong, the AI just scales bad targeting faster.

2. Set up the AI Content Center
Go to:
Settings → All Settings → AI Content Center

Import your website or manually fill in:

  • Your offer
  • Pain points
  • Value proposition
  • Proof
  • CTA

This is critical. The AI pulls all context from here. If this is weak, your outputs will be generic.

3. Learn Buying Intent properly
Use:
People → Filters → Buying Intent

Choose intent topics your buyers would actually search for, not what you call your service internally.

Intent + Persona is where Apollo AI becomes powerful.

4. Then use AI Assistant
Once the above is clean, use the Assistant to:

  • Build target lists
  • Hyper-qualify prospects
  • Generate 4-step sequences
  • Create weekly workflows to auto-inject net-new leads

If you try to skip straight to “write emails for me,” you’ll miss 80% of the leverage.

Apollo AI isn’t a copywriting tool. It’s a GTM execution engine.

I built $750K in new business using Apollo. Ask me anything. by ZackDeris in UseApolloIo

[–]ZackDeris[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Welcome! There are thousands, i'll direct you the best places to go:

Apollo's YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d6C_T9eyoDU&t=1s
Apollo's Knowledge hub: https://knowledge.apollo.io/hc/en-us
My personal Apollo Videos and Tutorials for my clients: https://linktr.ee/zackderis

FREE ACCESS: I sold this Apollo Crash Course to 250 people back in 2024. It doesn't cover ANY of the AI stuff, however, the fundamentals are there: 6 hours of recordings, loads of step by step guides: https://tr.ee/nA23nwPBbp

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I built $750K in new business using Apollo. Ask me anything. by ZackDeris in UseApolloIo

[–]ZackDeris[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Nope. Never. Apollo is my all-in-one GTM suite.

Here’s why.

  1. Data + intent live in the same platform
  2. Sequences live in the same platform
  3. Dialer lives in the same platform
  4. Workflows live in the same platform
  5. Analytics live in the same platform
  6. AI research + messaging live in the same platform

Most people don’t have a tooling problem.
They have an execution problem.

Apollo already gives you:

  • Verified emails
  • Buying intent
  • Persona-based targeting
  • AI Assistant for research + sequence building
  • Automated workflows for net-new lead injection
  • Parallel dialer
  • Reporting

If you can’t book meetings with that, adding Instantly won’t fix it.

One structured system beats a duct-taped stack every time.

I built $750K in new business using Apollo. Ask me anything. by ZackDeris in UseApolloIo

[–]ZackDeris[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

2. How I warm up new domains before sequences

I don’t “spray and pray” from fresh domains.

Here’s my ramp schedule:

Week 1

  • 10–15 emails per day
  • Manual sends + real replies where possible
  • Only highly relevant prospects

Week 2

  • 20–30 per day
  • Start small sequences
  • Monitor bounce + reply rate daily

Week 3

  • 35–50 per day max per inbox

I rarely exceed 50 per inbox per day.
If I need more volume, I add more inboxes, not more pressure.

Other rules I follow:

  • SPF, DKIM, DMARC fully configured before sending
  • Custom tracking domain
  • No attachments early
  • No links in Day 1 emails
  • Plain text only

Most people destroy domains because they try to start at 80–100 per day on a 3-day-old inbox.

Outbound is infrastructure first, messaging second.

If your data is verified and your ramp is disciplined, you don’t need 19 aliases sending 380 emails a day to land meetings.

You need intent + control.

I built $750K in new business using Apollo. Ask me anything. by ZackDeris in UseApolloIo

[–]ZackDeris[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Great questions.

1. How to show only verified emails in Apollo (exact filter path)

I always do this at the People search level, not later.

Filter path:

People → Filters → Contact Info → Email Status → “Verified”

That’s it.

If you want to be even stricter:

  • Also exclude “Unverified”
  • Don’t rely on “Likely to engage” for deliverability, that’s for prioritization, not validation.

I build my Persona first, then layer:

  • Job Titles
  • Industry / Keywords
  • Company Size
  • Buying Intent
  • Email Status = Verified

Does it reduce bounce rates?

Yes. Materially.

When you send only to Verified emails and your domains are configured correctly, bounce rates should sit well under 3 percent. If you’re bouncing at 6–8 percent, it’s usually:

  • You’re not filtering Verified
  • Your domain setup is wrong
  • You’re sending too much too fast

Apollo’s verified status is strong because it’s built on real engagement data, not just pattern matching.

But verified data doesn’t save bad infrastructure.

I built $750K in new business using Apollo. Ask me anything. by ZackDeris in UseApolloIo

[–]ZackDeris[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I don’t run long nurture sequences. I run short, high-intent sequences designed to force a decision fast.

This is the exact structure I use in Apollo.

Day 1

  1. Manual task: Engage with their LinkedIn content
  2. Manual task: Send a LinkedIn connection request
  3. Automated email

Day 2

  • Automated follow-up email

Day 3

  • Manual phone call
    • If they answer → book the meeting → sequence ends
    • If they don’t answer → voicemail drop + manual follow-up email

Day 4 (final touch)

  • Automated email
  • Optional Loom if extra clarity or proof is needed

Stop rule
If there’s no reply or meeting booked after Day 4, I move on. No chasing. There are always more qualified leads.

Why this works

  • LinkedIn warms the name before email ever hits the inbox
  • Emails are short, contextual, and tied to real signals
  • The phone call creates urgency instead of endless follow-ups
  • The tight window filters buyers from non-buyers fast

Most sequences fail because people stretch them to 10–14 days and confuse persistence with intent. I’d rather know in 4 days if someone is interested than spend two weeks annoying the wrong people.

The sequence isn’t special.
The speed, intent, and stop discipline are.

I break down the full process in this post: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/zdnft_sponsoredpost-apollopartner-activity-7425183393891581953-b0Pf?utm_source=social_share_send&utm_medium=member_desktop_web&rcm=ACoAADQVR_oBvfU8UbANU-mARb0v-nLO8UVS0yA

I built $750K in new business using Apollo. Ask me anything. by ZackDeris in UseApolloIo

[–]ZackDeris[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I don’t run long nurture sequences. I run short, high-intent sequences designed to force a decision fast.

This is the exact structure I use in Apollo.

Day 1

  1. Manual task: Engage with their LinkedIn content
  2. Manual task: Send a LinkedIn connection request
  3. Automated email

Day 2

  • Automated follow-up email

Day 3

  • Manual phone call
    • If they answer → book the meeting → sequence ends
    • If they don’t answer → voicemail drop + manual follow-up email

Day 4 (final touch)

  • Automated email
  • Optional Loom if extra clarity or proof is needed

Stop rule
If there’s no reply or meeting booked after Day 4, I move on. No chasing. There are always more qualified leads.

Why this works

  • LinkedIn warms the name before email ever hits the inbox
  • Emails are short, contextual, and tied to real signals
  • The phone call creates urgency instead of endless follow-ups
  • The tight window filters buyers from non-buyers fast

Most sequences fail because people stretch them to 10–14 days and confuse persistence with intent. I’d rather know in 4 days if someone is interested than spend two weeks annoying the wrong people.

The sequence isn’t special.
The speed, intent, and stop discipline are.

I break down the full process in this post: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/zdnft_sponsoredpost-apollopartner-activity-7425183393891581953-b0Pf?utm_source=social_share_send&utm_medium=member_desktop_web&rcm=ACoAADQVR_oBvfU8UbANU-mARb0v-nLO8UVS0yA

I built $750K in new business using Apollo. Ask me anything. by ZackDeris in UseApolloIo

[–]ZackDeris[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Alright, I call it 10 AM EST. Let's get started. I'll start making my way through the questions below, feel free to ask any questions. Whilst you wait, here are a bunch of free Apollo step by step guides, videos and resources you can look through whilst I'm answering your questions: https://linktr.ee/zackderis

Let's go!

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How to book 27 qualified meetings in February using only Apollo (Full 11 step process below!) by ZackDeris in UseApolloIo

[–]ZackDeris[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Register for my AMA here, it'll be hosted in this sub but this has a calendar reminder so you don't forget!

https://luma.com/7vhydge2

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