What is “sequencing fatigue” and how do you detect it?

Sequencing fatigue describes declining responsiveness as recipients receive too many messages over time. It's a signal that your approach is wearing out its welcome.

Signs of fatigue:

Response rates declining in later sequence stages

Unsubscribe rates increasing with follow-up number

Negative or irritated reply tone increasing

Overall campaign performance declining over time

Same prospects targeted repeatedly across campaigns

Causes:

Too many follow-ups per sequence

Sequences running too frequently

Overlapping campaigns hitting the same prospects

Repetitive messaging without new value

Industry-wide over-emailing from multiple vendors

Detection methods:

Track metrics by sequence position (email 1 vs email 5)

Monitor response quality, not just quantity

Watch unsubscribe patterns for stage-specific spikes

Survey or interview prospects about their experience

Remedies:

Shorten sequences

Extend intervals between messages

Improve content quality and variety

Reduce overlap between campaigns

Give lists rest periods between outreach