If you’re running B2B outreach, you already know: getting someone to open, read, and respond to a cold email is tough. Doing it at scale—without your emails landing in spam or sounding like they were written by a bot—is even harder.
This guide is for salespeople, founders, and marketers who want real replies, not just opens. If you’re using or considering Mailstand to automate outbound email sequences, this is for you. We’ll cover how to set up effective campaigns, avoid common traps, and actually connect with people—not just their spam filters.
1. Get Your House In Order (Before You Send Anything)
Before you even log in to Mailstand, let’s get real: most outbound email fails because people rush to send, not because of the tool. Here’s what to get right:
- Define your audience. Get specific. “SaaS companies” is not a list. “Head of Sales at B2B SaaS companies, 10-50 employees, US-based” is better.
- Build a clean list. Bad data = bounced emails = lower deliverability. Clean up duplicates, verify emails, and ditch generic inboxes (like info@).
- Write your own emails. Templates are fine for structure, but don’t copy-paste popular sequences. Everyone’s seen them, and they’re easy to spot.
Pro tip: If you can’t picture the person you’re emailing, you probably shouldn’t be emailing them.
2. Set Up Your Mailstand Account for Deliverability
Mailstand can’t fix a bad sender reputation, but it can help you avoid making it worse. Here’s what to do:
a. Warm up your sending account
If your mailbox is new or has been dormant, don’t send 100 emails on day one. Start slow:
- Send a handful of manual emails per day.
- Gradually increase your volume over 2-4 weeks.
- Mailstand has warm-up tools—use them, but don’t rely on them alone.
b. Authenticate your domain
Set up SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records. This isn’t optional anymore. Follow Mailstand’s documentation or ask your IT person for help. If you skip this, expect to hit spam.
c. Connect your account in Mailstand
Go to Mailstand, add your sending email account, and test it. Make sure your “from” name is a real person, not “Sales Team.”
3. Craft Email Sequences That Don’t Get Ignored
Automation is worthless if your emails stink. Here’s how to write emails that people might actually read:
a. Short, plain, and personal
- 2-4 sentences tops for your first email.
- No fancy HTML. Plain text looks real.
- Use their first name. Mention something relevant (their company, recent news, etc.).
b. Subject lines: Don’t try too hard
- Avoid clickbait. “Quick question” works, but so does “About [company]” or “Quick intro.”
- If you wouldn’t open it, don’t send it.
c. Sequencing: Follow up, but don’t stalk
- 3-5 emails per sequence is plenty.
- Space them out: e.g., day 1, day 4, day 10, day 20.
- Vary your messaging—don’t just resend the same email.
What to ignore: A/B testing dozens of subject lines before you’ve sent even 100 emails. Just get your basics right first.
4. Build Your Sequence in Mailstand
Now for the mechanics. Here’s how to set it up so you don’t end up annoying your prospects (or yourself):
a. Create a new sequence
- In Mailstand, click “Sequences” then “New Sequence.”
- Give it a clear name: “SaaS Head of Sales – June 2024,” not just “Outreach.”
b. Add steps to your sequence
- Step 1: Your first cold email.
- Step 2 (optional): Follow-up if no reply.
- Step 3: A gentle nudge with a different angle.
- Step 4: A break-up or “last try” email.
You can add more, but keep it human. After three follow-ups, you’re probably just being ignored.
c. Personalization: Use merge fields, but don’t overdo it
- Use basics like {{first_name}}, {{company}}, maybe {{job_title}}.
- Don’t try to auto-insert custom compliments unless your data is flawless—nothing kills trust like “I loved your recent blog post on [BLOG_POST_TITLE].”
d. Set delays and sending windows
- Don’t blast all your emails at 9 AM Monday. Spread them throughout workdays.
- Mailstand lets you set sending windows—use them to mimic normal human behavior.
e. Test, then test again
- Send test emails to yourself and a colleague. Check formatting, links, and personalization.
- If it looks automated, rework it.
5. Upload and Manage Your Contacts
Now, bring in your cleaned list:
- Import as CSV, mapping fields for name, email, company, etc.
- Double-check for weird formatting or missing data.
- Tag or segment contacts if you’re running more than one campaign.
Pro tip: Don’t dump 10,000 contacts into a sequence you’ve never tested. Start small—maybe 50-100—so you can tweak as you go.
6. Launch and Monitor Your Sequence
You’re ready to go. But don’t walk away and hope for magic. Here’s what actually moves the needle:
a. Monitor metrics, but don’t obsess
- Opens: Useful, but not the whole story (privacy tools can skew this).
- Replies: The real sign of engagement.
- Bounces/spam: If these spike, pause and fix your data or sender setup.
b. Respond quickly
- A fast, thoughtful reply wins more deals than any automation hack.
- Set up notifications in Mailstand or your inbox.
c. Pause or tweak as needed
- If you get a lot of “unsubscribe” or angry replies, look at your copy or targeting.
- Don’t be afraid to pull the plug on a bad campaign early.
7. Iterate, Don’t Automate Everything
The temptation is to “set it and forget it.” That’s how most people end up in the spam folder. Here’s what actually works:
- Tweak your sequence after the first 50-100 sends.
- Try new messages for prospects who don’t respond.
- Regularly clean your lists—bad data piles up fast.
What not to bother with: Endless automation “hacks” or AI-written emails. Spend your time writing real messages to the right people.
Wrapping Up
Automating outbound email in Mailstand isn’t hard—but getting results takes more than pushing buttons. Keep it simple. Focus on a clean list, short real emails, and fast replies. You don’t need to be a genius or a growth hacker—just someone who respects your prospects’ time. Start small, pay attention, and don’t overthink it. That’s how you actually get B2B engagement, not just more noise.