Apollo.io Cheat Sheets — Solanasis Prospecting Guide

Version: 1.0 Date: 2026-03-25 Author: Claude Code, commissioned by Dmitri Sunshine Purpose: Hands-on reference for using Apollo.io free plan to prospect across all ICP segments, with sales cycle intelligence and Q2 2026 priority guidance Companion doc: deep-plan-apollo-evaluation-outreach-2026-03-25.md

Quick-Start Setup
Free Plan Limits — Cheat Card
Credit System Decoded
Q2 2026 Priority Matrix — Where to Focus First
ICP Search Filters by Segment
Sales Cycle & Lead Time by Segment
Quick-Close Segments — Get Revenue NOW
Sequence Templates for Apollo
Export Strategy — Making 10 Credits Count
Data Quality Evaluation Rubric
Email Infrastructure Reference

1) Quick-Start Setup

Account Checklist

Apollo.io free account created
API key generated: Settings > Integrations > API > Create New Key > name it solanasis-eval
API key stored in Infisical: python C:\_my\_solanasis\infisical\manage_secrets.py set APOLLO_API_KEY <key> -f solanasis-data
Chrome extension installed (for LinkedIn prospecting — doesn’t burn search credits)
Gmail mailbox connected (use the solanasis.com warming domain workspace)
Buying intent topic set to: cybersecurity OR IT services (you get 1 free topic)

Action	Where in Apollo
Search for people	Search > People (left sidebar)
Search for companies	Search > Companies
View saved lists	Lists (left sidebar)
Manage sequences	Engage > Sequences
Check credits remaining	Settings > Plans & Billing (or top-right credit counter)
Export contacts	Select contacts > Export button > CSV
Set up intent topics	Buying Intent (left sidebar)
Manage mailbox	Settings > Email

2) Free Plan Limits

Print this. Tape it to your monitor.

Resource	Monthly Limit	What It Means
Email credits	~10,000 (fair use)	Reveal work email addresses inside Apollo
Mobile credits	5	Reveal direct phone numbers
Export credits	10 ⚠️	Take contacts OUT of Apollo (CSV, CRM, API) — THIS IS THE BOTTLENECK
Data credits	100	In-app email/mobile reveals
Active sequences	2	Two outreach campaigns at a time
Daily email send	250 (start at 20)	Emails sent through Apollo sequences
API calls	600/day, 50/min	Programmatic access
Intent topics	1	Buying intent signal tracking
Mailbox	Gmail only	Cannot connect Zoho/Outlook on free plan

Credits do NOT roll over. Use them or lose them each month.

3) Credit System Decoded

Apollo’s credit system is intentionally confusing. Here’s the plain-English version:

You can BROWSE unlimited contacts for free
                    ↓
You can REVEAL their email (costs 1 email credit — you have ~10,000/mo)
                    ↓
You can SAVE them to an Apollo list (free — no credits)
                    ↓
You can SEND them emails via Apollo sequences (free — 250/day)
                    ↓
You can EXPORT them to CSV ← THIS costs 1 export credit (you have 10/mo)

What’s Free (Do All You Want)

Browsing search results
Reading company profiles
Saving contacts to Apollo lists
Sending emails via sequences (up to 250/day)
Using the Chrome extension on LinkedIn
Running API search queries (returns masked emails)

What Costs Credits

Action	Credit Type	Cost
Reveal email in Apollo UI	Email credit	1
Reveal phone number	Mobile credit	1
Export to CSV	Export credit	1 per contact
API enrichment (reveal)	Export credit	1 per contact

The Hack

You don’t need to export to do outreach. Build your lists and run sequences entirely inside Apollo. Only export when you need data in your external CRM/pipeline. For evaluation purposes, you can screenshot or manually copy the 10-15 most important contacts without burning export credits.

4) Q2 2026 Priority Matrix — Where to Focus First

🔴 URGENT — Act This Week

Segment	Why NOW	Close Timeline	Revenue
Financial Advisors / RIAs	SEC Reg S-P deadline is June 3, 2026 — 10 weeks away. Smaller RIAs (< $1.5 B A U M) m u s t ha v e in c i d e n t res p o n se p ro g r am s, b re a c hn o t i f i c a t i o n p roce d u res, an d s a f e gu a r d s d oc u m e n t a t i o n . M an y ha v e n^{'} t s t a r t e d . L a r g er R I A s ($ 1.5B+ AUM) were already required to comply by December 3, 2025.	1-4 weeks	$5 K -$ 10K per assessment

This is the single highest-urgency opportunity across all segments. A hard regulatory deadline with financial penalties for non-compliance. Solanasis can offer a “Reg S-P Readiness Assessment” as a productized engagement. Pitch strengthener: “Your larger competitors were already required to comply six months ago. Your deadline is June 3.”

🟡 HIGH PRIORITY — Start in April

Segment	Why Q2	Close Timeline	Revenue
SMB Executives (CEO/CTO/COO)	Q2 is peak B2B closing season before summer slump. Event-driven buyers.	2-8 weeks	$5 K -$ 12.5K
CPAs / Accounting Firms	Post-tax-season (after April 15) is THE window. They just survived the grind and are evaluating improvements.	3-8 weeks	$5 K -$ 12.5K or referral partnership
Estate Planning Attorneys	Post-filing-season bandwidth. ABA ethics obligation + malpractice insurance renewal season (Q2-Q3).	2-6 weeks	$5 K -$ 12.5K

🟢 STEADY — Build Pipeline in Q2

Segment	Why Q2	Close Timeline	Revenue
MSP Partnerships	No seasonal driver but every month delayed = lost referrals. Aim for 2-3 by end of Q2.	4-12 weeks (partnership)	$30 K -$ 100K/yr per MSP
Nonprofits (July-June FY)	Budget planning for next FY happens now (March-May). Approach before budgets are locked.	4-12 weeks	$3 K -$ 8K
PE Operating Partners	Q1/Q2 deal activity = portfolio companies in 100-day assessment window. Relationship play.	4-16 weeks	$15 K -$ 75K per portfolio co

⚪ LATER — Nurture for Q3/Q4

Segment	Best Window	Notes
Foundations (calendar FY)	July-September (budget planning for next year)	Board approval required — slow
Healthcare practices	March-June (post-open-enrollment)	HIPAA angle; regulatory urgency
Tech startups	Post-fundraising (variable)	Price-sensitive but fast decisions

How to Use These

Go to Apollo > Search > People
Apply the filters listed below
Review results — note total count and data quality
Save promising contacts to a List (free)
Only reveal emails for contacts you plan to actually outreach

Search 1: Financial Advisors / RIAs (🔴 URGENT — Reg S-P)

Why they buy: SEC Reg S-P amended rules require written incident response programs, 30-day breach notification to clients, 72-hour vendor notification clauses, and 5-year recordkeeping. Deadline: June 3, 2026. Penalties: SEC enforcement, fines, reputational damage. Many smaller RIAs lack dedicated compliance teams.

Filter	Value
Location	Colorado, United States
Seniority	C-Suite, VP, Director
Title keywords	`CEO`, `Managing Partner`, `Chief Compliance Officer`, `CCO`, `Principal`, `Wealth Advisor`, `Financial Advisor`, `Operations Director`
Company headcount	1-10, 11-50
Industry	Financial Services, Investment Management, Capital Markets, Wealth Management
Keywords (company)	`registered investment advisor`, `wealth management`, `financial planning`, `RIA`

Decision maker: Principal/Owner or CCO Signature authority: Owner can approve $5 K -$ 12.5K immediately Opening hook: “June 3 is 10 weeks away. Have you completed your Reg S-P gap analysis?” Offering: Reg S-P Readiness Assessment ( $5 K -$ 7.5K) — gap analysis, incident response program template, vendor contract review, remediation roadmap

Search 2: Estate Planning Attorneys

Why they buy: ABA Model Rule 1.6(c) — ethical duty to make “reasonable efforts” to protect client data. Only 34% of law firms have a formal incident response plan (ABA 2023 TechReport). Malpractice insurers increasingly requiring cybersecurity attestations. Estate data = SSNs, financial accounts, beneficiary details.

Filter	Value
Location	Colorado, United States
Seniority	C-Suite, Owner, Partner
Title keywords	`Managing Partner`, `Partner`, `Attorney`, `Of Counsel`, `Firm Administrator`
Company headcount	1-10, 11-50
Industry	Law Practice, Legal Services
Keywords (company)	`estate planning`, `trusts`, `probate`, `elder law`, `wealth transfer`

Decision maker: Managing partner Signature authority: Unilateral on sub-$15K (no partner vote needed at this size) Best window: May-June (post-filing), Sept-Oct (insurance renewal) Avoid: Jan-March (tax/filing rush), Nov-Dec (year-end estate crunch) Opening hook: “When was your last real data protection review? ABA Rule 1.6(c) requires reasonable efforts — can you document yours?”

Search 3: CPAs / Accounting Firms

Why they buy: IRS WISP (Written Information Security Plan) is mandatory — IRS Pub 4557/5708. FTC Safeguards Rule (16 CFR Part 314) with penalties up to $100K per violation. PTIN revocation risk.

Filter	Value
Location	Colorado, United States
Seniority	C-Suite, Owner, Partner, Director
Title keywords	`Managing Partner`, `Partner`, `CPA`, `Firm Administrator`, `Tax Director`, `Compliance Partner`
Company headcount	1-10, 11-50
Industry	Accounting, Financial Services
Keywords (company)	`CPA`, `accounting`, `tax preparation`, `audit`

Decision maker: Managing partner or firm administrator Signature authority: Managing partner: unilateral on sub-$15K Best window: May-June (they just survived tax season and are evaluating improvements) ABSOLUTE BLACKOUT: January 1 - April 15 (tax season — do NOT outreach during this period) Opening hook: “Tax season’s over. What broke? Let’s make sure it doesn’t happen again — starting with your WISP.” Dual angle: Client (buy our assessment) AND referral partner (their clients need us too)

Search 4: SMB Executives (Fractional CIO Targets)

Why they buy: No internal IT leadership. Reactive to security incidents, insurance questionnaires, and compliance requirements. 98% of tech buying decisions at SMBs come from top executives.

Filter	Value
Location	Colorado, United States
Seniority	C-Suite, VP, Director
Title keywords	`CEO`, `CTO`, `COO`, `CIO`, `Founder`, `President`, `IT Director`, `Operations Director`, `VP Operations`, `VP Technology`
Company headcount	11-50, 51-200
Industry	Information Technology & Services, Computer Software, Financial Services, Healthcare, Professional Services, Manufacturing
Exclude keywords	`Consulting` (to avoid other consultants)

Decision maker: CEO or owner Signature authority: Same-week on sub-$15K — no committee, no RFP Best window: Q1-Q2 (before summer slump); Q4 (budget planning) Opening hook: “What happens to your business if your IT person quits tomorrow? That’s the problem a fractional CIO solves.”

Search 5: MSP Partners (Referral Channel)

Why they partner: MSPs handle day-to-day IT (helpdesk, patching, monitoring) but lack strategic advisory and security assessment capability. Their clients ask about security — MSPs can’t deliver. Solanasis fills the gap without competing.

Filter	Value
Location	Colorado, United States (expand to national later)
Seniority	C-Suite, Owner, VP
Title keywords	`Owner`, `CEO`, `President`, `VP Sales`, `VP Business Development`, `Director Client Success`
Company headcount	5-10, 11-50
Industry	Information Technology & Services, Computer & Network Security, Computer Networking
Keywords (company)	`managed services`, `MSP`, `managed IT`, `IT services`, `help desk`

Decision maker: MSP owner This is a PARTNERSHIP, not a sale: Solanasis assesses + plans, MSP implements + manages. 10-15% referral fee. Opening hook: “Your clients are asking about security assessments. You don’t want to say no — and you don’t have to. Let’s partner.”

Search 6: Nonprofit / Foundation Decision Makers

Why they buy: Grant compliance, donor data protection, FEMA Nonprofit Security Grant Program (up to $200K per location for cybersecurity). Board fiduciary duty of care.

Filter	Value
Location	Colorado, United States
Seniority	C-Suite, Director
Title keywords	`Executive Director`, `CEO`, `Operations Director`, `Program Director`, `CFO`, `Chief Operating Officer`
Company headcount	11-50, 51-200, 201-500
Industry	Nonprofit Organization Management, Philanthropy, Civic & Social Organization, Fund-Raising
Keywords (company)	`foundation`, `nonprofit`, `501c3`, `community`, `charitable`

Decision maker: Executive Director (but may need board approval for > $5 K -$ 10K) Budget timing:

Calendar FY (64% of nonprofits): Budget planning Sept-Nov, new budget Jan
July-June FY: Budget planning March-May, new budget July Opening hook: “What happens if your donor database goes down tomorrow? How long until you can process donations?” Special angle: FEMA NSGP grants can fund the engagement — position Solanasis as the grant-readiness advisor

Search 7: PE Operating Partners (Long Game)

Why they buy: 90% of PE firms create 100-day plans post-acquisition that include IT assessment. Operations drive 47% of PE value creation. Average breach cost: $4.88M. Need specialist external advisors.

Filter	Value
Location	Colorado, United States (OR national — PE is less geographically constrained)
Seniority	C-Suite, VP, Director
Title keywords	`Operating Partner`, `VP Operations`, `Value Creation`, `Technology Operating Partner`, `Managing Director`, `Principal`
Company headcount	11-50
Industry	Venture Capital & Private Equity, Investment Management, Financial Services
Keywords (company)	`private equity`, `portfolio`, `operating`, `lower middle market`

Decision maker: Operating Partner Signature authority: Discretionary on portfolio company assessments ( $5 K -$ 25K) Relationship timeline: 3-6 months to first engagement, but one PE relationship = 5-15 portfolio company deals Revenue potential: $120 K -$ 1.6M per PE relationship over 3 years Opening hook: “When you acquire a company, how do you assess their IT risk in the first 100 days? That’s what we do.”

Search 8: Insurance Brokers (High-Leverage Referral)

Why they partner: Cyber insurance carriers now require proof of technical controls. Clients face denial/non-renewal. Brokers need someone who can help clients pass the cybersecurity bar. 1 broker = 50-200+ SMB clients.

Filter	Value
Location	Colorado, United States
Seniority	C-Suite, VP, Director, Manager
Title keywords	`Producer`, `Account Executive`, `Risk Advisor`, `Broker`, `VP Commercial Lines`, `Cyber Insurance`
Company headcount	5-50, 51-200
Industry	Insurance
Keywords (company)	`insurance`, `commercial lines`, `cyber insurance`, `risk`, `broker`

Decision maker: Producer or agency owner This is a PARTNERSHIP: Broker refers clients needing cyber insurance readiness → Solanasis assesses → client gets coverage → broker earns commission → Solanasis earns assessment fee. Win-win-win. Opening hook: “Your clients are getting denied for cyber insurance because they can’t document controls. I fix that.”

Search 9: Fractional CTOs/CIOs (Referral Partners)

Filter	Value
Location	Colorado, United States (OR national — remote-friendly)
Seniority	C-Suite, VP
Title keywords	`Fractional CTO`, `Fractional CIO`, `Fractional CSO`, `Fractional COO`, `Virtual CTO`, `Part-time CTO`, `Interim CTO`
Company headcount	1-10
Industry	Information Technology & Services, Management Consulting

This is a PARTNERSHIP: Reciprocal referrals. They refer security assessment needs, you refer strategic advisory needs. Growing market: 120K+ fractional leaders, 14% annual growth Opening hook: “Your clients need security assessments and you’re at capacity. Let’s split the work.”

Search 10: Healthcare Practices (Q3 Priority — Filters Ready for Opportunistic Use)

Why they buy: HIPAA Security Rule (updated Feb 2026) — MFA, encryption, 24-hour incident reporting now required. Patient data breach recovery costs: $120 K -$ 1.24M. Cyber insurance for healthcare increasingly mandatory.

Filter	Value
Location	Colorado, United States
Seniority	C-Suite, Owner, Director
Title keywords	`Practice Owner`, `Administrator`, `Operations Manager`, `IT Director`, `Office Manager`, `Managing Partner`
Company headcount	11-50, 51-200
Industry	Hospital & Health Care, Medical Practice, Health, Wellness and Fitness
Keywords (company)	`dental`, `optometry`, `urgent care`, `clinic`, `medical`, `chiropractic`, `dermatology`

Decision maker: Practice owner or administrator Signature authority: Owner can approve $5 K -$ 15K Best window: March-June (post-open-enrollment) Opening hook: “The updated HIPAA Security Rule requires 24-hour incident reporting. Can your practice do that today?” Offering: HIPAA-specific ORB — Patient Data Protection Verification ( $5 K -$ 12.5K)

6) Sales Cycle and Lead Time by Segment

Quick Reference — Sorted by Speed to Close

Rank	Segment	Typical Cycle	Fastest Possible	What Speeds It Up
1	Financial Advisors/RIAs	2-6 weeks	1-2 weeks	Reg S-P June 3 deadline. Hard regulatory forcing function.
2	SMB Executives	2-8 weeks	1-2 weeks	Referral intro, breach at a peer, insurance questionnaire requiring assessment
3	Estate Planning Attorneys	2-6 weeks	1-2 weeks	Malpractice insurance questionnaire, ABA ethics obligation awareness
4	CPAs (as clients)	3-8 weeks	1-3 weeks	Post-tax-season (May-June), managing partner authority, WISP requirement
5	MSP Partnerships	4-12 weeks	2-4 weeks	Prior relationship, demonstrated non-competitive value
6	Insurance Broker Partnerships	4-8 weeks	2-3 weeks	Client with active denial/non-renewal; immediate referral need
7	Fractional Exec Partnerships	4-8 weeks	2-4 weeks	Active client need they can’t fill
8	Nonprofits (small, 10-50)	4-12 weeks	2-3 weeks	ED has budget authority, no board approval needed
9	Healthcare Practices	6-12 weeks	3-4 weeks	HIPAA audit trigger, post-breach urgency
10	PE Operating Partners	8-24 weeks	3-6 weeks	Warm intro, active portfolio company need
11	Nonprofits (large, 50-200)	6-16 weeks	4-8 weeks	Multiple stakeholders slow decisions
12	Private Foundations	8-24 weeks	4-8 weeks	Board meeting cadence is the bottleneck

Decision-Making Structures — Who Actually Signs

Segment	Decision Maker	Approves Up To	Board/Committee?
Financial Advisors/RIAs	Principal/Owner or CCO	$5 K -$ 15K unilaterally	No (independent RIAs)
SMB Executives	CEO/Owner	$15K+ unilaterally	No
Estate Planning Attorneys	Managing Partner	$15 K -$ 25K unilaterally	Rarely (small partnership vote >$25K)
CPAs	Managing Partner	$10 K -$ 15K unilaterally	Rarely
MSPs	Owner	Partnership decision	No
Nonprofits (small)	Executive Director	$5 K -$ 10K (varies)	Sometimes (over ED threshold)
Nonprofits (large)	ED + Finance Committee	$5 K -$ 10K ED; above = board	Yes, quarterly board meetings
Private Foundations	ED or Board	$2.5 K -$ 10K ED; above = board	Yes — quarterly meetings. Miss one = wait 3 months.
PE Operating Partners	Operating Partner	$25K+ for portfolio companies	Rarely for assessments

Budget Cycle Timing — When Money Is Available

Segment	Fiscal Year	Budget Planning Window	Best Approach Window	Blackout Period
Financial Advisors	Calendar (Jan-Dec)	Q4 (Oct-Dec)	NOW through May (Reg S-P)	None currently
Estate Attorneys	Calendar	Informal / ad-hoc	May-June, Sept-Oct	Jan-March (filing)
CPAs	Calendar	Informal / ad-hoc	May-June (post-tax)	Jan 1 - April 15 (ABSOLUTE)
SMB Executives	Calendar	Q4 or none (reactive)	Q1-Q2 (before summer)	Late Dec, August
Nonprofits (Cal FY)	Jan-Dec	Sept-Nov	Q4 “use it or lose it”, Q1 new budget	Major fundraising events
Nonprofits (Jul-Jun FY)	Jul-Jun	March-May	NOW (budget planning)	None specific
Foundations (Cal FY)	Jan-Dec	Sept-Nov	Q3 (for next year) or Q1 (current year)	Aligned to board schedule
Foundations (Jul-Jun FY)	Jul-Jun	March-May	NOW (budget planning)	Aligned to board schedule
PE Firms	Fund cycle	Post-acquisition (100-day)	Deal-dependent	None

7) Quick-Close Segments — Get Revenue NOW

If you need to close a deal in April 2026, focus here (in priority order):

Priority 1: RIAs — Reg S-P (Closes in 1-4 weeks)

The pitch: “The SEC’s amended Reg S-P rules take effect June 3. You need a written incident response program, 30-day breach notification procedures, and 72-hour vendor notification clauses — all documented. Have you started?”

Productized offering: “Reg S-P Readiness Assessment” — $5 K -$ 7.5K

Deliverables: Gap analysis, incident response program template, vendor contract review checklist, remediation roadmap
Timeline: 5-7 business days
Upsell: Ongoing compliance monitoring, annual reassessment, DR verification

Where to find them in Apollo: Search 1 (above)

Close accelerator: Mention that SEC FY2026 examination priorities explicitly target cybersecurity and Reg S-P compliance. This isn’t theoretical — examiners are actively looking for this. Larger RIAs ($1.5B+ AUM) were already required to comply by December 2025 — smaller firms are next.

Priority 2: SMB Executives — Security Assessment (Closes in 2-8 weeks)

The pitch: “When was your last real restore test? Not a backup check — an actual test where you restored your systems and verified everything worked.”

Offering: ORB — 10-Day Operational Resilience Baseline — $5 K -$ 12.5K

Decision maker: CEO (signs same-week if urgency is clear)
Accelerator: Cyber insurance renewal questionnaire, peer company breach, compliance audit

Priority 3: Estate Planning Attorneys — Post-Filing-Season (Closes in 2-6 weeks)

The pitch: “ABA Rule 1.6(c) requires reasonable efforts to protect client data. Your malpractice insurer is going to ask what you’ve done. A completed assessment is documented proof.”

Timing: Reach out in May after filing season ends. They have bandwidth and are thinking about operational improvements.

Priority 4: CPAs — Post-Tax-Season (Closes in 3-8 weeks)

The pitch: “Tax season’s over. What broke? The IRS WISP requirement isn’t optional — and your E&O insurer knows it.”

Timing: First week of May. They’re exhausted, reflective, and have budget for improvements.

8) Sequence Templates for Apollo

You get 2 active sequences. Here’s how to use them.

Sequence 1: Reg S-P Readiness (Financial Advisors)

Target: RIA principals, CCOs, and firm administrators under $1.5B AUM in Colorado

Step	Day	Type	Subject / Action
1	Day 0	Email	Subject: “June 3 — 10 weeks to Reg S-P compliance”
			Body: Short, direct. Reference the SEC deadline. Ask if they’ve completed their gap analysis. Offer 15-minute call to assess readiness.
2	Day 3	Manual task	LinkedIn connection request with note: “Noticed [firm name] — wanted to connect as I’m helping Colorado RIAs prepare for the June Reg S-P deadline.”
3	Day 7	Email	Subject: “What the SEC examiners are looking for in 2026”
			Body: Share 2-3 specific Reg S-P requirements (incident response program, 72-hour vendor notification, 5-year recordkeeping). Position Solanasis as the solution. Include link to Calendly.
4	Day 14	Email	Subject: “Quick question about [firm name]‘s incident response plan”
			Body: Ask a specific, answerable question that demonstrates expertise. E.g., “Do your vendor contracts include the new 72-hour breach notification clause Reg S-P requires?“
5	Day 21	Email	Subject: “Last note — June 3 is 7 weeks away”
			Body: Graceful exit. Reiterate the deadline. Leave door open. Include Calendly link one final time.

Sequence 2: Security Assessment / DR Verification (SMB + Professional Services)

Target: SMB CEOs/CTOs, estate planning attorneys, CPAs (post-April 15)

Step	Day	Type	Subject / Action
1	Day 0	Email	Subject: “When was your last real restore test?”
			Body: 3-4 sentences max. The question IS the hook. Don’t explain what a restore test is — if they don’t know, that proves the point. End with: “If the answer is ‘I’m not sure’ — that’s exactly why we should talk.”
2	Day 4	Manual task	LinkedIn connection request
3	Day 8	Email	Subject: “67% of backups fail on restore” (or relevant industry stat)
			Body: Share a specific statistic relevant to their industry. For attorneys: “66% of law firms lack a formal incident response plan.” For CPAs: “FTC Safeguards Rule penalties can reach $100K per violation.” Then: “A 10-day assessment gives you documented proof of resilience — or tells you exactly where the gaps are.”
4	Day 15	Email	Subject: “Free 30-minute assessment call”
			Body: Offer a no-commitment 30-minute discovery call. Frame it as valuable whether or not they engage: “In 30 minutes, I’ll give you the 3 most critical things to check. No pitch, no pressure.”
5	Day 22	Email	Subject: “Closing the loop”
			Body: Graceful exit. “I’ll assume the timing isn’t right. If it ever is, here’s my calendar.”

Sequence Setup Tips

Sending schedule: Business days only, 8am-11am MT (matches Colorado working hours)
Daily limit: Start at 20/day, increase by 5/week up to 50/day max (ignore Apollo’s 250 limit — deliverability matters more than volume)
Tracking: Apollo free plan has basic reply tracking — use it to monitor responses
Personalization: Use Apollo’s merge fields: {{first_name}}, {{company}}, {{title}}

When Someone Replies

When a prospect replies to a sequence email, Apollo automatically pauses the sequence for that contact — they won’t get the next automated email. Here’s what to do:

Check your connected Gmail daily for replies (Apollo sends from your Gmail, so replies land there)
Respond personally — never from within the sequence. This is now a 1:1 conversation.
If positive: Move to a personal follow-up cadence. Book a call via Calendly.
If negative/unsubscribe: Mark the contact as “Do Not Contact” in Apollo. Remove from all sequences.
If “not now”: Note the timing preference. Create a manual task in Apollo to follow up on their timeline.
If out-of-office: The sequence is paused — you can resume it manually when they’re back, or reach out personally.

9) Export Strategy — Making 10 Credits Count

You get 10 exports per month. Do NOT waste them on evaluation.

Week 1 (Evaluation): ZERO exports

Browse, search, evaluate data quality
Save promising contacts to Apollo lists (free)
Screenshot or manually copy the most interesting prospects
Use the data quality rubric (Section 10) to score Apollo’s coverage

Week 2+: Strategic exports ONLY

Export a contact only if ALL of these are true:

Verified email (green checkmark in Apollo)
Matches ICP exactly (right title, right company size, Colorado)
NOT already in your existing pipeline (foundation/fCTO CSVs)
You plan to outreach them within the next 2 weeks
They are in a quick-close segment (RIA, SMB exec, estate attorney, CPA)

Export Procedure

Select contacts (checkbox)
Click Export > Export to CSV
Choose fields: First Name, Last Name, Email, Title, Company, Company Size, Industry, LinkedIn URL, Phone
Download CSV
Save to: C:\_my\_solanasis\solanasis-data\apollo\exports\apollo_export_YYYY-MM-DD.csv

Alternative to Exporting: Keep Everything in Apollo

Since Apollo lets you send sequences from within the platform (250/day, connected to your Gmail), you may not need to export at all for outreach. Export only when you need data in your external pipeline/CRM.

10) Data Quality Rubric

Run each ICP search (Section 5) and score Apollo’s data quality:

Per-Segment Scorecard

Metric	How to Measure	Score (1-5)
Coverage — How many results?	Total matches for the search	1=<20, 2=20-50, 3=50-100, 4=100-250, 5=250+
Email verification — What % have verified emails?	Green checkmarks in results	1=<20%, 2=20-40%, 3=40-60%, 4=60-80%, 5=80%+
Data freshness — Are people still at listed companies?	Spot-check 5 contacts vs LinkedIn	1=<40%, 2=40-60%, 3=60-80%, 4=80-90%, 5=90%+
Title accuracy — Are titles current and correct?	Spot-check vs LinkedIn	1=<40%, 2=40-60%, 3=60-80%, 4=80-90%, 5=90%+
Value-add — Does Apollo have data we don’t already have?	Compare to existing pipeline CSVs	1=none new, 2=<25% new, 3=25-50%, 4=50-75%, 5=75%+

Overall Scoring

Total Score	Verdict	Action
20-25	Excellent	Upgrade to Basic ( $49/ m o ann u a l,$ 59/mo monthly) immediately
15-19	Good	Upgrade and use as primary prospecting tool
10-14	Mixed	Keep free plan; use for specific segments only
5-9	Poor	Don’t upgrade; stick with existing pipelines

Run this scorecard for each segment separately. Apollo might be great for SMB executives but terrible for nonprofits. Segment-level data is what matters.

11) Email Infrastructure Reference

Confirmed Setup

Primary business email: Google Workspace (solanasis.com)
Cold outreach sending: Separate solanasis.com Google Workspace (warming since ~early March 2026)
Apollo mailbox connection: Connect the cold outreach workspace Gmail to Apollo
Why separate: If cold emails get flagged as spam, it does NOT affect the primary business domain reputation

Deliverability Checklist (Before First Send)

SPF record configured for sending domain
DKIM record configured for sending domain
DMARC record set (minimum p=none for monitoring)
Sending mailbox warmed for 2+ weeks (regular send/receive) — started March 2026, should be ready
Apollo sending limit set to 20/day initially (NOT 250)
Custom tracking domain configured in Apollo (Settings > Email > Tracking Domain)
Test email sent to yourself — confirm it lands in inbox, not spam
Unsubscribe link included in all sequences (CAN-SPAM compliance)
Reply-to address monitored (don’t miss responses)

Warming Schedule

Since the domain has been warming since early March (~3 weeks), it should be approaching readiness. Conservative ramp:

Week 1 on Apollo: 20 emails/day
Week 2: 30 emails/day
Week 3: 40 emails/day
Week 4+: 50 emails/day max (stay here for deliverability)

Never exceed 50/day for cold outreach regardless of Apollo’s 250 limit. The platform allows it; your reputation can’t sustain it.

Appendix A: Apollo Keyboard Shortcuts

Shortcut	Action
`/`	Open search
`Shift + S`	Save to list
`Shift + E`	Add to sequence
`Shift + A`	Add to account

Appendix B: API Quick Reference

If Claude Code needs to run searches programmatically:

API Key location: Infisical > solanasis-data > APOLLO_API_KEY
Base URL: https://api.apollo.io/v1
Rate limit: 600 calls/day, 50/min
Search endpoint: POST /mixed_people/search (free — no export credits)
Enrich endpoint: POST /people/match (costs export credits)

Search returns masked emails but full name, title, company, LinkedIn URL, and company data. Useful for building lists and cross-referencing against existing data without burning credits.

Last updated: 2026-03-25 | Next review: After initial Apollo evaluation (target: April 8, 2026)

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