Setting up Communication: the checklist
Connect LinkedIn for outreach, connect your calendar, set your goal under Train Allen, check your switches, and decide whether Allen sends on its own or waits for your OK.
2 min read
Most of this is done with you once your waitlist spot opens. Here it is in order, so you can check anything later.
1. Connect LinkedIn for outreach
Settings, Integrations, then "LinkedIn outreach", "Connect for outreach". Read the notice, tick the box, pick your country, and sign in on the secure page that opens. This is a different connection from the one that posts comments, and both are needed.
2. Connect your calendar
Same page, "Calendar". Connect Google, Outlook or iCloud. Without a calendar Allen still connects and messages, but it only drafts answers to replies instead of booking.
3. Set your goal
Open Communications, Train Allen, "Your goal". Who you want meetings with, what you do for them in one sentence, what Allen should call the meeting and how long it is, and how direct to be. The one line Allen never sends without is "What do you do for them". Until it is filled in, Auto connect and Auto DM stay on but Allen has nothing to say, and the page tells you so.
4. Say when you take calls
Train Allen, "When you take calls". The days you take calls and the earliest and latest call. Switch "Allen answers replies and books meetings" on when you are ready. Gap between meetings and the soonest a call can be are under More options there.
5. Add any rules, then try it out
Train Allen, "Your rules". Plain sentences, like "Never quote a price, say we go through it on the call", and under them any questions Allen should ask before offering a call. Then open "Try it out" and play a prospect for a few minutes. Nothing is sent or booked there.
6. Check who Allen may contact
Optional. Train Allen, More options, "Only reach people like this". Describe the person in a sentence or two, or leave it empty to use the audience's job titles. Allen checks every profile against this before sending a request.
7. Pick your switches
At the top of Communications, "What Allen does for you". All five on is the full product. Turn off any step you want to keep for yourself.
8. Decide how Allen sends
Open "How Allen sends". Auto is the default: Allen sends without asking and you can pause or skip anything. Review first means every request and message waits for your OK on the Needs your OK tab. If you want to watch a day go by first, switch on Dry run: Allen lines everything up and sends nothing.
9. Let it run
The warm-up starts with the first connection request. Expect 5 requests a day in week one. Check the Activity tab after a day or two, read a couple of the messages Allen wrote, and adjust the playbook if anything reads wrong. Allen emails you when a meeting is booked and when it needs you.
Still stuck?
A person will answer.
Allen is built by a small team and we read every message. Business-day replies usually come within a few hours.