If you’re sending emails to a list and hoping for results, you already know: generic, spray-and-pray blasts just don’t cut it. You want replies, not unsubscribes. That’s where Leadsotters comes in—it promises to help you set up personalized, automated sequences that don’t sound like they were written by a robot. But if you just drop your contacts in and hit “go,” you’ll miss the mark.
This guide is for anyone who wants to use Leadsotters to actually connect with people, not just tick a box. Whether you’re in sales, recruiting, or running your own business, read on for advice that works in the real world (not just in a product demo).
1. Start With a Clean List
Before you even log in, do yourself a favor: work on your list. The best email tool in the world can't save you from bad data.
What to do: - Check for obvious errors. Typos in names, missing emails, weird formatting. Clean it up in Excel or Google Sheets. - No cold scraping. If you bought your list or scraped it, expect low deliverability and high spam complaints. - Segment by something meaningful. Even just “industry,” “role,” or “location.” You’ll need this for personalization. - Remove duplicates. Nothing looks lazier than emailing someone twice.
Pro tip: If you’re not sure about a contact, leave them out. A smaller, relevant list beats a big, messy one every time.
2. Map Out Your Sequence Before You Build It
Jumping straight into the Leadsotters sequence builder is tempting, but you’ll end up reworking it later. Instead, sketch out your sequence first.
How many emails? - 3–5 is plenty for most cold outreach. More than that and you risk annoyance.
What should each step do? - Email 1: Introduce yourself and why you’re reaching out. Keep it short. - Email 2: Add value or a tidbit relevant to them (not just your pitch). - Email 3: A gentle follow-up or a different angle. - Optional: One last “breakup” email (“Should I close your file?”).
How far apart? - 2–4 days between emails usually works. Daily is too much.
Why bother planning? Because you’ll write better emails—and avoid the classic “oops, I just sent the same thing twice” mistake.
3. Personalize—But Don’t Overdo It
Leadsotters lets you add merge fields (like {{first_name}}, {{company}}, etc.) everywhere. Personalization is good, but it’s not magic.
What actually works: - Use their first name (correctly spelled—double check!). - Reference something specific: their company, recent news, or mutual connections (if you actually have any). - Segment messaging: even a simple “I help SaaS founders” vs. “I help marketing managers” is better than one-size-fits-all.
What to skip: - Don’t force awkward details—nobody cares if you mention the weather in their city. - Avoid generic “I see you’re passionate about innovation” fluff. - Don’t use fake familiarity (“Hope you had a great weekend!” if you’ve never met).
Reality check: The more you customize, the more time it takes. Pick one or two things to personalize and do them well.
4. Write Like a Human (Not a Marketer)
The biggest mistake? Writing emails that sound like everyone else’s. If your sequence starts with “I hope this email finds you well,” you’ve already lost.
Keep it simple: - Short sentences. Small paragraphs. No jargon. - Be clear about why you’re reaching out. - Ask one thing—not five.
Examples: - Bad: “I’d love to schedule a quick 15-minute call to discuss your strategic priorities and explore potential synergies.” - Good: “Are you the right person to talk to about [topic]? If not, could you point me in the right direction?”
Pro tip: Read your email out loud. If you’d never say it that way, rewrite it.
5. Use Leadsotters Features Wisely
Leadsotters has a bunch of tools, but you don’t need to use them all. Here’s what’s worth your time:
- A/B testing: Try two subject lines or two versions of an email. Don’t overcomplicate it—pick one thing to test at a time.
- Conditional logic: Good if you have very different segments (e.g., founders vs. recruiters). Don’t get lost in decision trees unless you need them.
- Scheduling: Set emails to go out at normal business hours in the recipient’s time zone. Sending at 3 a.m. gets ignored.
Skip these (for now): - Fancy HTML or graphics—plain text gets better replies. - Overly complex drip logic. Complexity = more things to break.
Pro tip: Start simple. You can always add complexity later if you need it.
6. Test Everything Before You Hit Send
You’d be amazed how many people send out a 5-email sequence without ever reading it start-to-finish. Don’t be that person.
Checklist: - Send each email to yourself (and a friend, if you trust them). - Check that merge fields work and don’t break (“Hi {{first_name}},” should never become “Hi ,”). - Make sure links work and go where you expect. - Double-check scheduling—avoid sending three follow-ups in one day. - Preview your sequence on desktop and mobile.
Pro tip: Use a throwaway email to see if your messages land in spam or “Promotions.” If they do, strip out links and images, or rewrite subject lines.
7. Monitor, Adjust, Repeat
Once your sequence is live, don’t just forget about it. The data in Leadsotters is only useful if you act on it.
What to watch: - Open rates: If these are low, your subject line or deliverability is the problem. - Reply rates: If open rates are high but replies are low, your message isn’t resonating. - Unsubscribes/Spam: If these spike, your targeting or messaging is off.
How to adjust: - Change one thing at a time (subject line, send time, intro sentence). - Test, wait a week, then review results. - Don’t chase perfection—just aim for a little better each time.
What to ignore: - Vanity metrics like “link clicks” (unless your goal is truly just link traffic). - Advice from people who’ve never actually sent cold email.
8. Keep It Legal and Respectful
It’s not just about what works—it’s about not getting blacklisted.
Always: - Make it easy to unsubscribe (Leadsotters can handle this automatically—don’t skip it). - Don’t mislead or use clickbait. - Follow local laws (CAN-SPAM, GDPR, etc.). If in doubt, err on the side of caution.
Pro tip: If someone replies with “not interested,” remove them. It’s not worth burning bridges.
Wrapping Up: Don’t Overthink It
Here’s the secret: most “best practices” boil down to common sense. A small, relevant list + short, clear emails + a little personalization beats any fancy automation.
Start simple. Test a lot. Iterate based on what actually works—not what some LinkedIn “guru” claims. Leadsotters can help, but it’s your message and your targeting that matter most.
And remember—nobody has ever complained that an email was too easy to read. Keep it human. Good luck.