The Modern Outbound Data Stack: Clay + Instantly/Lemlist Architecture

The outbound playbook has changed. The days of buying a ZoomInfo license and blasting emails are over.

Today’s best outbound teams run a modern data stack—a coordinated system of specialized tools that work together to find, enrich, and engage prospects at scale.

This guide breaks down exactly how to build one.

The Modern Outbound Stack Architecture

Here’s what the stack looks like:

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│                          DATA LAYER                                 │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│                                                                     │
│   ┌─────────────┐    ┌─────────────┐    ┌─────────────┐           │
│   │   SOURCE    │    │   ENRICH    │    │   VERIFY    │           │
│   │  LinkedIn   │ →  │    Clay     │ →  │ NeverBounce │           │
│   │  Apollo DB  │    │  Waterfall  │    │  ZeroBounce │           │
│   │  Sales Nav  │    │             │    │             │           │
│   └─────────────┘    └─────────────┘    └─────────────┘           │
│                                                                     │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
                              │
                              ▼
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│                       ENGAGEMENT LAYER                              │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│                                                                     │
│   ┌─────────────┐    ┌─────────────┐    ┌─────────────┐           │
│   │   OUTREACH  │    │   WARMUP    │    │   INBOX     │           │
│   │  Instantly  │ ←  │  Instantly  │    │  Google/    │           │
│   │  Lemlist    │    │   Warmup    │    │  Outlook    │           │
│   │  Smartlead  │    │             │    │             │           │
│   └─────────────┘    └─────────────┘    └─────────────┘           │
│                                                                     │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
                              │
                              ▼
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│                         CRM LAYER                                   │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│                                                                     │
│   ┌─────────────┐    ┌─────────────┐    ┌─────────────┐           │
│   │    CRM      │    │  PIPELINE   │    │  REPORTING  │           │
│   │ Salesforce  │    │   Stages    │    │ Attribution │           │
│   │  HubSpot    │    │             │    │             │           │
│   └─────────────┘    └─────────────┘    └─────────────┘           │
│                                                                     │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

Let’s break down each layer.

Layer 1: Data Sourcing

Where to Find Prospects

You have several options for building target lists:

LinkedIn Sales Navigator

• Best for: Account-based targeting, saved searches
• Limitation: You can’t export directly; need a scraping tool

Apollo Database

• Best for: Quick list building with built-in filters
• Coverage: 270M+ contacts
• Cost: Free tier available, $99/mo for Pro

LinkedIn + Phantom Buster/Evaboot

• Best for: Scraping Sales Nav searches
• Note: Against LinkedIn ToS; use carefully

Clay Prospecting

• Best for: Building lists with immediate enrichment
• Integrates with: Crunchbase, G2, BuiltWith for trigger-based lists

The ICP-First Approach

Don’t start with a generic list. Define your ICP precisely:

Example ICP Definition:

Company:
- Industry: B2B SaaS
- Size: 50-500 employees
- Funding: Series A or later
- Tech stack: Uses Salesforce or HubSpot
- Geography: US and Canada

Contact:
- Title: VP/Director of Sales, RevOps, Sales Ops
- Reports to: CRO or CEO
- Likely challenges: Data quality, tool sprawl, manual processes

Then build lists that match this exactly.

Layer 2: Data Enrichment

This is where Clay shines.

The Enrichment Workflow

Raw Lead (Name + Company)
         │
         ▼
┌─────────────────────┐
│  COMPANY ENRICHMENT │
│  - Firmographics    │
│  - Technographics   │
│  - Funding data     │
│  - Employee count   │
└─────────────────────┘
         │
         ▼
┌─────────────────────┐
│  CONTACT ENRICHMENT │
│  - Work email       │
│  - Direct phone     │
│  - LinkedIn URL     │
│  - Title/seniority  │
└─────────────────────┘
         │
         ▼
┌─────────────────────┐
│  EMAIL VERIFICATION │
│  - Deliverability   │
│  - Catch-all check  │
│  - Risk scoring     │
└─────────────────────┘
         │
         ▼
┌─────────────────────┐
│  PERSONALIZATION    │
│  - AI first lines   │
│  - Company research │
│  - Recent triggers  │
└─────────────────────┘
         │
         ▼
    Enriched Lead
    Ready for Outreach

Building Your Clay Waterfall

Use waterfall enrichment to maximize coverage:

Email Waterfall:

1. Apollo
2. Hunter
3. Dropcontact
4. FindyMail

Phone Waterfall:

1. Apollo
2. Lusha
3. Cognism

Verification:

• NeverBounce or ZeroBounce for email
• Only send to verified addresses

Personalization at Scale

Clay’s AI features let you generate personalization data:

For each prospect, Clay can:
1. Research their company's recent news
2. Check their LinkedIn for recent posts
3. Identify shared connections or interests
4. Generate a relevant first line

Output example:
"Saw {company} just raised Series B—congrats!
Scaling sales teams post-funding is where we help..."

This turns generic outreach into relevant conversations.

Layer 3: Email Infrastructure

The Deliverability Problem

Send too many cold emails from your main domain, and you’ll land in spam. The solution: a dedicated outbound infrastructure.

Email Sending Stack

Option 1: Instantly

• Pros: Built-in warmup, multi-inbox rotation, analytics
• Pricing: $97/mo for Growth
• Best for: Teams doing 1,000+ emails/day

Option 2: Lemlist

• Pros: Great personalization, images, LinkedIn steps
• Pricing: $59/mo per seat
• Best for: Personalized, multi-channel sequences

Option 3: Smartlead

• Pros: Unlimited email accounts, good deliverability
• Pricing: $94/mo
• Best for: High-volume senders

Domain & Inbox Setup

Don’t send from your main domain. Set up:

1. Secondary domains: buy 2-5 similar domains (e.g., tryacme.com, getacme.io)
2. Multiple inboxes: 3-5 inboxes per domain
3. Warmup period: 2-3 weeks before sending at scale
4. Volume limits: 30-50 emails per inbox per day max

Example setup:

Main domain: acme.com (marketing only)

Outbound domains:
- tryacme.com (3 inboxes × 40/day = 120/day)
- getacme.io (3 inboxes × 40/day = 120/day)
- acmehq.com (3 inboxes × 40/day = 120/day)

Total capacity: 360 personalized emails/day

Warmup Requirements

New inboxes need warmup:

Week	Daily Send Limit	Warmup Emails
1	5-10	30-50 warmup
2	15-25	40-60 warmup
3	30-40	30-50 warmup
4+	40-50	Maintenance

Use built-in warmup (Instantly, Warmup Inbox) to automate this.

Layer 4: Sequence Design

The Modern Sequence

Forget 8-touch, pushy sequences. Here’s what works now:

Sequence Structure:

Day 1: Email 1 (value-first, personalized)
Day 3: Email 2 (follow-up, different angle)
Day 7: Email 3 (case study or social proof)
Day 14: Email 4 (breakup email)

Optional additions:

• LinkedIn connection request (Day 2)
• LinkedIn message (Day 5)
• Phone call (if direct dial available)

Email Copywriting Principles

Email 1: The Hook

Subject: {first_name}, quick question about {company}

{Personalized first line based on trigger/research}

{1-2 sentences on the problem you solve}

{Simple CTA: reply or quick call}

{Name}

Email 2: Different Angle

Subject: Re: {first_name}, quick question about {company}

Wanted to make sure this didn't get buried.

{New angle or additional value point}

{Same CTA}

Email 3: Social Proof

Subject: How {similar_company} solved {problem}

{Brief case study or result}

{Would this be relevant for {company}?}

Email 4: Breakup

Subject: Should I close your file?

Haven't heard back—should I assume the timing isn't right?

No worries if so. Just let me know either way.

Layer 5: CRM Integration

Syncing Data Back to CRM

Your enriched leads and engagement data should flow to your CRM:

What to sync:

• Enriched contact data (from Clay)
• Email engagement (opens, clicks, replies)
• Meeting bookings
• Deal stage updates

For Salesforce:

• Use Clay’s native Salesforce integration
• Create custom fields for enrichment data
• Set up automations for lead scoring

For HubSpot:

• Connect Clay to HubSpot
• Use workflows to route leads based on engagement
• Leverage Operations Hub for data quality

Lead Routing Logic

Replied positively → Sales rep follow-up
Clicked + no reply → LinkedIn touch
Bounced → Re-enrich email
No engagement → Pause and re-segment
Meeting booked → Create opportunity

Cost Breakdown

Here’s what a modern outbound stack costs:

Startup Stack (Low Budget)

Tool	Cost/mo	Purpose
Apollo	$0-99	Sourcing + basic enrichment
Hunter	$49	Email finding
Instantly	$97	Sending + warmup
Total	~$245/mo

Growth Stack (Recommended)

Tool	Cost/mo	Purpose
Clay	$149-349	Orchestration + enrichment
Apollo	$99	Sourcing
NeverBounce	~$50	Verification
Instantly	$97	Sending
Additional domains	$50	Infrastructure
Total	~$500-700/mo

Scale Stack (High Volume)

Tool	Cost/mo	Purpose
Clay	$800	Heavy enrichment
ZoomInfo	$1,500+	Premium data
Smartlead	$94	High-volume sending
Multiple domains	$100	Infrastructure
Total	~$2,500+/mo

Common Mistakes

Mistake 1: Sending Without Verification

Enrichment providers give you emails. They don’t guarantee deliverability. Verify every email before sending.

Mistake 2: Skipping Warmup

Sending from new inboxes without warmup destroys deliverability. Budget 2-3 weeks for warmup.

Mistake 3: Generic Personalization

“I saw you work at {company}” isn’t personalization. Use Clay’s AI to research actual triggers and talking points.

Mistake 4: Too Many Touches

8-12 touch sequences feel spammy. 4-5 well-crafted touches perform better.

Mistake 5: Ignoring Data Decay

Your enriched list decays at 70% per year. Re-enrich quarterly.

Implementation Timeline

Week 1: Foundation

• Set up secondary domains
• Purchase email inboxes
• Sign up for Clay and sending tool
• Start email warmup

Week 2: Data Pipeline

• Build ICP-matched list in Clay
• Set up waterfall enrichment
• Verify emails
• Add personalization columns

Week 3: Sequences

• Write email copy (4 emails)
• Set up sequence in outreach tool
• Configure CRM sync
• Create lead routing rules

Week 4: Launch

• Start sending (low volume)
• Monitor deliverability
• Iterate on copy based on responses
• Scale volume gradually

Measuring Success

Track these metrics:

Metric	Target	Why It Matters
Deliverability rate	>95%	Are emails arriving?
Open rate	>50%	Is subject line working?
Reply rate	>5%	Is message resonating?
Positive reply rate	>2%	Are you booking meetings?
Meeting book rate	>1%	End goal

Calculating ROI

Example:
- 1,000 enriched leads: $200 (Clay credits)
- Sending infrastructure: $150/mo
- 1% meeting rate: 10 meetings
- 30% meeting-to-opportunity: 3 opportunities
- Average deal size: $50,000
- Pipeline generated: $150,000
- Cost: $350
- ROI: 428x

When it works, outbound ROI is exceptional.

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Related Guides

• Clay 101: Understanding Data Orchestration — Foundation for the data layer
• Waterfall Enrichment Guide — Maximize data coverage
• The B2B Data Decay Problem — Why continuous enrichment matters
• Data Enrichment vs Appending — Understanding different approaches
• Salesforce Duplicate Rules — Keep CRM clean as leads flow in
• HubSpot Operations Hub Guide — CRM data quality automation