How to use Apollo.io for B2B sales (the practical playbook)
How do you use Apollo.io for B2B sales?
Short answer: as a single platform that handles list building, contact data, sequencing, mailbox warmup, and pipeline analytics. Apollo is the lowest-friction end-to-end prospecting stack for B2B teams under £10M ARR. Used well, it replaces 3–5 separate tools and produces enough infrastructure to run a real outbound motion.
MAVEN is an Apollo certified partner. The reason: Apollo, configured properly, is the closest thing to an "off-the-shelf go-to-market engine" available to mid-market B2B.
TL;DR — what Apollo actually does
| Function | Where it sits |
|---|---|
| Prospecting + contact data | Search + filters |
| Email verification | Built-in |
| Sequencer (email + LinkedIn + calls) | Engagement |
| Mailbox warmup | Deliverability |
| CRM (light) | Plays + Workflows |
| Pipeline + analytics | Reports |
| Integrations (HubSpot, Salesforce) | Settings |
For founders at £500K–£5M ARR, Apollo can be the only sales tool you run. For larger teams, it pairs with a dedicated CRM (HubSpot or Salesforce).
The searches that produce pipeline
The single biggest Apollo skill is filter combinations. A naïve search produces a generic list. A precise search produces a working pipeline.
Filters that matter:
| Filter | What it does |
|---|---|
| Industry | Standard ICP definition |
| Employee count | Size band |
| Revenue | Size + maturity |
| Founded year | Maturity band |
| Technologies used | Technographic fit |
| Recent hiring | Trigger signal |
| Funding | Trigger signal |
| Department headcount | Buyer-side maturity |
| Job postings | Active hiring signal |
| Geography (city level) | Regional targeting |
A typical strong filter combination:
Industry: IT services
Employee count: 30–250
Revenue: $3M–$25M
Geography: UAE + KSA
Technologies: HubSpot OR Pipedrive
Recent hiring: "Sales Director" OR "Head of Sales" in last 6 months
Has hired in Sales department in last 90 days
That returns roughly 200–400 named accounts. Each one has a documented trigger. The conversion rate on this list is 3–5× a generic ICP list.
Sequence setup
Apollo's sequencer handles email + LinkedIn + phone touches.
| Best practice | Description |
|---|---|
| Persona-specific sequences | One per role (CEO, COO, VP Sales) |
| Multi-step (5–8 touches) | Cold + follow-up + breakup |
| Multi-channel | Add LinkedIn touches between emails |
| Send-time scheduling | 8–11am recipient timezone |
| Pause on reply | Always enabled |
| A/B testing | Test subject + first line variants |
A standard mid-market sequence: 5 emails + 2 LinkedIn touches over 21 days, with breakup as touch 5.
Mailbox warmup configuration
Apollo includes mailbox warmup — its own warmup network that builds sending reputation.
Standard setup:
- Connect 2–4 sending mailboxes (on a secondary domain — not your main one).
- Enable Apollo Mailbox Warmup on each.
- Run warmup-only for 14–21 days.
- Start cold sends at 10/mailbox/day, ramp by 5 per week to 30–40/mailbox/day.
- Monitor inbox placement weekly.
The warmup is reliable but not best-in-class. For aggressive volume, supplement with Mailreach or Warmbox.
Integrations
Apollo integrates with HubSpot and Salesforce bidirectionally. The standard setup:
- Apollo handles prospecting + sequencing + first-touch.
- Replied contacts and booked meetings auto-sync to the CRM.
- The CRM becomes the system of record for opportunities.
For teams under £2M ARR, Apollo alone can serve as light CRM. Above that, the HubSpot or Salesforce integration is essential.
Pricing
Apollo's pricing scales by user and tier:
| Tier | Cost (per user/mo) | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | Trial / very small teams |
| Basic | ~$59 | Solo founders / SDRs |
| Professional | ~$99 | Most mid-market teams |
| Organisation | $149+ | Larger teams |
For a 3-person sales team, expect $300–450/month total. Worth it.
For UAE & KSA teams
- MENA filters work but are weaker than US data. Riyadh and Dubai coverage is good; Doha, Kuwait City, Amman are weaker.
- Use city-level filters not just country. "UAE" pulls in too many adjacent results; "Dubai" + "Abu Dhabi" is cleaner.
- Combine Apollo with LinkedIn Sales Navigator for senior contacts. The combination produces stronger MENA coverage than either alone.
- Adjust send-time scheduling for GCC timezones. Default settings are US-centric.
- Configure Etisalat- and du-friendly authentication. Apollo's defaults work but verify SPF/DKIM/DMARC explicitly.
What MAVEN does about it
We are an Apollo.io certified partner. The Apollo Quick-Start is a 4-week installation that gets the platform fully configured — accounts, domains, warmup, sequences, CRM integration. The Sales Process Program builds on top with the broader sales operating system.
Book a virtual coffee if you want a sanity check on your current Apollo setup.
Frequently asked
Apollo or ZoomInfo?
Apollo for mid-market and cost efficiency. ZoomInfo for enterprise with bigger budgets.
Apollo or HubSpot?
Both, not either. Apollo handles outbound; HubSpot handles inbound + CRM. Integrate them.
Can Apollo replace my CRM?
For teams under ~£2M ARR with simple sales motions, yes. Above that, pair it with HubSpot or Salesforce.
How long until Apollo produces pipeline?
Setup: 1 week. Warmup: 2–3 weeks. First sends: weeks 4–5. First meetings: weeks 5–7. First closed-won: months 3–5 depending on cycle.
Is the data accurate?
The verified tier is ~90–95% accurate. The guess tier is much lower. Always verify before send.
Post 32 of our outbound + sales OS series.
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