Is there a way to add option to a wait step?

Diana_Jakubaity
Level 4

Is there a way to add option to a wait step?

Hey, is there a way to add an option to the wait step in the flow? For example, if a net new lead came from a webinar form signup or from a field event, wait one week before sending through the flow, if came from anywhere else, send through the flow now?

I know Marketo flow is not very advanced and I cannot see an option in a wait step, but maybe someone run into something similar and could advise?

Many Thanks,
Diana

12 REPLIES 12
SanfordWhiteman
Level 10 - Community Moderator

Re: Is there a way to add option to a wait step?

Hey, is there a way to add an option to the wait step in the flow? For example, if a net new lead came from a webinar form signup or from a field event, wait one week before sending through the flow, if came from anywhere else, send through the flow now?

They're already in the flow if you're contemplating a Wait step.  "Sending through the flow" is what happens as soon as they qualify for a Smart Campaign. Whether they're in the first step or the last, they're in the flow.

I wouldn't do this using a single SC as it's conflating source types. Do 2 different SCs, each with a constraint on the New Person activity.

I know Marketo flow is not very advanced

Not very advanced compared to what?

Diana_Jakubaity
Level 4

Re: Is there a way to add option to a wait step?

Hey Stanford, we use SC for our nurture flows. We have other wait steps in the flow that allows you to choose options, for example if person source = webinar send email A, source = ebook download, send email B, etc. Therefore, I would expect to have wait step options and was surprised to find out that it's impossible and in order to setup a different wait steps for two sources, we have to request new SC with a separate logic. 

Marketo flow is not advanced in terms of a user not only not having visibility of people in the specific flow steps, but also persons journey through the flow itself. We noticed that when started to build our advanced behavior based nurtures using SCs. You do not have visibility to see what flow step people do not qualify to and where they were removed from the flow, how many people are at what flow wait step, etc. You can request different campaigns, if they qualify for that logic and do in depth analysis if you want to figure out the journey. 

SanfordWhiteman
Level 10 - Community Moderator

Re: Is there a way to add option to a wait step?

Hey Stanford

Sanford

We have other wait steps in the flow that allows you to choose options, for example if person source = webinar send email A, source = ebook download, send email B, etc. T

Those aren't wait steps, they're flow steps.

Therefore, I would expect to have wait step options and was surprised to find out that it's impossible and in order to setup a different wait steps for two sources, we have to request new SC with a separate logic.

Not all flow steps have the same options and there's no guarantee that they will. You simply have to learn how each one works.

If you insist on doing it within a single SC you can use the reverse logic, Send Email to those that match, then Remove From Flow for those that match, then let the remainder Wait. I would not do it this way because campaigns that trigger on New Person and fork behavior based on source are too important to risk intermingling actions.

 Marketo flow is not advanced in terms of a user not only not having visibility of people in the specific flow steps, but also persons journey through the flow itself. We noticed that when started to build our advanced behavior based nurtures using SCs. You do not have visibility to see what flow step people do not qualify to and where they were removed from the flow, how many people are at what flow wait step, etc. You can request different campaigns, if they qualify for that logic and do in depth analysis if you want to figure out the journey. 

OK, that's an arbitrary comparison to an ideal system. Marketo SCs and flows are very advanced compared to their real-world competition.

Diana_Jakubaity
Level 4

Re: Is there a way to add option to a wait step?

Hey Stanford, 

Yes, I meant steps. Thank you for correcting me.

If you insist on doing it within a single SC you can use the reverse logic, Send Email to those that match, then Remove From Flow for those that match, then let the remainder Wait. I would not do it this way because campaigns that trigger on New Person and fork behavior based on source are too important to risk intermingling actions. - But this would not solve my problem as we do not want to remove them from flow, there are 30 other steps people need to go to, we just want some people to wait longer and then go through the flow.

 

I was not comparing the flow to the competition, but to our advanced needs

SanfordWhiteman
Level 10 - Community Moderator

Re: Is there a way to add option to a wait step?

Hey Stanford

No "t", it's "Sanford".

But this would not solve my problem as we do not want to remove them from flow, there are 30 other steps people need to go to, we just want some people to wait longer and then go through the flow.

Then do it w/different onboarding campaigns followed by Request Campaign. Or call Request Campaign conditionally, for this specific email, from the main flow. Whatever you choose must fit the way the platform works.

I was not comparing the flow to the competition, but to our advanced needs

 It's hardly advanced business logic compared to what other users do w/Marketo... you just have to use Marketo best/supported practices to do it.

Diana_Jakubaity
Level 4

Re: Is there a way to add option to a wait step?

Apologies for misspelled name. 

Yes, we will have to request other SC, that was never our concern, we always knew it's an option and were just looking for a smoother ways to execute this 

 "It's hardly advanced business logic compared to what other users do w/Marketo..." - I don't think one flow step mentioned in this conversation fully and accurately describes our business logic to form an opinion about a level of complexity we have built.

SanfordWhiteman
Level 10 - Community Moderator

Re: Is there a way to add option to a wait step?

Yes, we will have to request other SC, that was never our concern, we always knew it's an option

You should have mentioned it, then, to save other people the time recommending how this must be done in Marketo.

Not sure what you wanted out of this thread other than to vent about the platform. (Presumably that's why you tagged this as a Discussion and not a Question.)

Diana_Jakubaity
Level 4

Re: Is there a way to add option to a wait step?

Sanford, I did mention it in my second comment of this discussion: "Hey Stanford, <...> in order to setup a different wait steps for two sources, we have to request new SC with a separate logic. <...> That said, we always knew it's an option and were just looking for a smoother ways to execute this.

I think you were the one who was having suggestions/questions/comments that are not exactly relevant to our use case or to the question and kept this discussion live.

I am not very well familiar with Discussions vs. Questions in Marketo Communities and for you to jump to conclusions about my intentions is rather unprofessional. 

Thank you for your comments

Diana

SanfordWhiteman
Level 10 - Community Moderator

Re: Is there a way to add option to a wait step?

Questions have answers. Discussions don't. The distinction is clear when opening a post.

Just do it the way you already knew you had to do it. Nothing more to say on the topic.