If you’re tired of blasting out cold emails and getting little more than tumbleweeds in your inbox, you’re not alone. Most “automation” advice is either too vague or too optimistic. This guide is for people who want to use Saleshandy to automate cold email campaigns and actually see more replies—not just more sent messages. I’ll walk you through what works, what doesn’t, and how to set up a campaign that won’t get you flagged as a spammer.
1. Why Automate Cold Emails (And What to Watch Out For)
Let’s not kid ourselves: cold email is a numbers game, but it’s also about getting the right numbers. Automation helps you scale outreach, but done wrong, it just helps you annoy more people faster.
Pros of automating with Saleshandy: - Takes the grunt work out of sending and following up - Lets you personalize at scale (within reason) - Tracks opens, clicks, and replies, so you know what’s working
Common pitfalls: - Generic-looking emails that get ignored or flagged as spam - Over-sending and getting your domain blacklisted - Relying on templates without real personalization
Before you even sign up for Saleshandy, check your expectations. The tool is solid, but it won’t magically make people want to reply. That part’s on you.
2. Prep Work: Set Yourself Up for Deliverability
Automation is useless if your emails never land in the inbox. Spend an hour on this now to save days of headaches later.
Checklist: - Warm up your sending domain: Don’t blast 500 emails on day one. Start slow (25–50/day) and ramp up over 2–4 weeks. - Authenticate with SPF, DKIM, and DMARC: This sounds technical, but it’s mostly copying records your email provider gives you into your domain settings. Saleshandy has guides, or just ask your IT person. - Set up a dedicated sending address: Don’t use your main company address. Create something like hello@yourdomain.com just for outreach. - Clean your list: Bad emails = bounces = spam folder. Use a list cleaner (there are free and cheap ones).
Pro tip: If your open rates drop below 40%, stop and fix deliverability before sending more.
3. Build a Targeted, Clean Contact List
Automation doesn’t fix a bad list. In fact, it makes bad lists even worse.
- Go niche: The smaller and more specific your list, the better your results. 100 hand-picked leads > 1,000 randoms.
- Collect first names and relevant details: You’ll want these for merge tags (the little bits of personalization).
- Double-check formatting: Saleshandy wants a CSV with columns like
First Name,Last Name,Email, etc. Keep it clean—no weird symbols.
Ignore: Buying giant lists. They’re mostly garbage, full of outdated or fake contacts, and will nuke your sender reputation.
4. Craft Your Email Sequence (Don’t Overdo It)
The magic is in the message, not the mail merge.
How many emails?
A typical sequence is 3–5 emails over 1–2 weeks. More than that and you’re just being annoying.
Structure: - Email 1: Short intro, personal angle, clear ask. - Email 2: Gentle nudge, new info or value, not just “bumping this up.” - Email 3–5: Mix up timing and tone—try a case study, a question, or a quick “should I stop bothering you?”
What actually works: - Subject lines that look like a real person wrote them. - Body copy that’s under 120 words. - One clear call to action (not “let me know if you want to chat or hop on a call or…”).
What to skip: - Overly formal intros (“To whom it may concern” = delete). - Gimmicky personalization (“I see you breathe air too!”). - HTML-heavy emails—simple text beats fancy designs for cold outreach.
5. Set Up Your Campaign in Saleshandy
Once you’ve got your list and your sequence, here’s how to put it together in Saleshandy:
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Sign in and connect your email account.
Saleshandy supports Gmail, Outlook, and others. Follow the prompts—just don’t mix personal and campaign accounts. -
Create a new campaign.
Click “New Campaign” and give it a name you’ll actually recognize later. -
Upload your contact list.
Import your cleaned CSV. Match the columns—don’t skip this or your merge tags will fail. -
Compose your email sequence.
- Use
{First Name}and other merge tags, but don’t go nuts. One or two per email is plenty. -
Write each follow-up as a separate step. Saleshandy lets you set delays (e.g., send follow-up #2 three days later).
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Set sending limits.
- Stick to 100–200 emails per day, tops, when starting out.
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Randomize sending times to look more human.
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Preview and test.
- Always send a test to yourself. Check for broken tags or weird formatting.
- Click all the links—if you’re using tracking, make sure they work.
Pro tip: Don’t just rely on the default “unsubscribe” link. Add a simple line like “If now’s not the right time, just let me know.”
6. Automate (But Don’t Forget to Monitor)
This is where most people get lazy and blow it.
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Watch the first batch:
After day one, check open, click, and reply rates. If you see a ton of bounces or spam complaints, pause the campaign and fix the problem. -
Tweak as you go:
If you’re not seeing replies, change the subject line or tweak the copy. Automation isn’t set-and-forget—think of it as set-and-improve. -
Reply manually:
Saleshandy can track replies, but real conversations need a human touch. Jump in fast when someone writes back.
Ignore: Fancy “AI” copy tools promising instant results. They’re fine for inspiration, but you still need to sound like a real person.
7. Analyze Results and Iterate
Data beats guesses, every time.
- Key metrics to watch:
- Open rate: 40%+ is decent. Under 30%? You’ve got a subject line or deliverability problem.
- Reply rate: 5–10% is realistic for decent lists. Over 15% is outstanding.
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Bounce rate: Keep it under 2%. Higher = bad list or technical issue.
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What to do with the numbers:
- Low opens? Test new subject lines and check your domain health.
- Low replies? Rewrite your emails—shorter, more direct, less salesy.
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High bounces? Clean your list again before sending another batch.
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Don’t obsess over tiny changes. Big, obvious tweaks (like totally rewriting your intro) matter more than endlessly fiddling with one line.
8. Advanced Tips (Optional, Not Essential)
If you’ve got the basics dialed in, try these—but don’t get distracted by bells and whistles.
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A/B testing:
Saleshandy lets you test subject lines or content. Good for learning, but don’t get lost in the weeds. -
Scheduling by time zone:
If your list is global, send at local business hours. -
Integrate with CRM:
Only if you actually use your CRM. Don’t bother if you’re just starting out. -
Personalized videos or images:
These sound cool, but for most cold outreach, simple text still wins. Test before investing a lot of time.
Keep It Simple, Then Improve
The best cold email campaigns aren’t the fanciest—they’re the ones that get sent, get seen, and get replied to. Saleshandy takes care of the grunt work, but you still need to do the thinking. Start small, keep your list clean, write like a human, and keep tweaking as you go. Don’t overcomplicate it. Get one campaign working, then automate more. That’s how you actually see more replies—not just more emails sent.