So, you want more leads, less manual grunt work, and you don’t want to babysit spreadsheets all day. If you’re reading this, you probably already know outbound lead generation is a slog—especially if you’re doing it by hand. The good news: automating it with Leadsotters can save you a ton of time and headaches. The bad news: it’s not magic, and you’ll need to set things up the right way to avoid wasting time or burning your reputation.
This guide is for salespeople, founders, and anyone who wants to get outbound leads flowing without losing their sanity. No hype, no vague promises—just a clear, step-by-step walkthrough, plus honest takes on what to watch out for.
Step 1: Get Clear on Who You Actually Want to Reach
Before you touch any software, get specific about your target. Automation just makes bad targeting faster, so don’t skip this. Seriously.
Ask yourself: - What kind of companies or people are you after? (Industry, size, geography, role, etc.) - What problem are you solving for them? - Who’s a “hell no” for your offer? Filter them out now.
Pro tip: Write out 1-2 real examples of your ideal leads. It’ll keep you honest when you’re building lists.
Step 2: Prepare Your Outreach Assets
Don’t jump into automation with a half-baked message. The fastest way to get marked as spam is blasting generic, awkward emails.
Prep these before you start: - Email copy: Short, targeted, and not desperate. Personalize the first line if you can. - Follow-up messages: Don’t just “circle back.” Add value or new info. - Landing page (optional): If you want to send people somewhere, make sure it doesn’t scream “template.”
What doesn’t work:
Long-winded intros, fake personalization (“Hi, [FIRST_NAME], I love your company!”), or sending a pitch on the first touch.
Step 3: Set Up Your Leadsotters Account
Now, let’s get into the tool itself. If you haven’t already, sign up for Leadsotters—it’s pretty straightforward. You’ll need to verify your email and set up your profile.
Settings to pay attention to: - Email sending limits: Don’t crank this up to 11. Start small (20–50 a day) to avoid getting your domain flagged. - Sender profiles: Use a real email address (ideally, not your main one). Warm it up if it’s new. - Time zones: Schedule sends during your recipients’ working hours.
Watch out for:
Connecting your main work email straight away. If things go sideways (deliverability, blacklisting), you’ll wish you used a separate but legit account.
Step 4: Build (or Import) Your Lead List
This is where most people get lazy—and regret it later.
Options: - Use Leadsotters’ search tools: Filter by title, industry, company size, etc. - Upload your own list: CSV format, with columns for name, company, email, etc.
Clean your list.
Don’t skip this. Bounced emails and spam traps will hurt your sender reputation fast.
What to ignore:
Huge, unfiltered lists you bought for cheap. Those will tank your results and get you flagged.
Pro tip: Run your list through an email verifier before importing. There are free and paid options—just do it.
Step 5: Create Your Outreach Sequence
This is where automation does the heavy lifting, but you still have to think.
Set up your sequence: - Step 1: Intro email (personalized, short, not a hard pitch) - Step 2: Wait 2–3 days, follow up (reference previous email, add value) - Step 3: Wait 4–5 days, final nudge (offer a quick call or resource)
Leadsotters lets you customize timing, copy, and branching (e.g., stop if they reply). Use that, but don’t overcomplicate it.
What doesn’t work:
Six follow-ups in two weeks. That’s just annoying. Two or three is enough—if they’re not biting, move on.
Step 6: Personalize (At Least a Little)
Automation is great, but pure “spray and pray” gets ignored or marked as spam.
Ways to add a human touch: - Use merge fields (e.g., “Saw [COMPANY] just raised funding—congrats!”) - Reference something real from their website or LinkedIn - Split your list into small batches by industry or role, then tweak your intro lines
Skip:
Fake personalization (“I love what you’re doing at [COMPANY]!” with no details). People see through it instantly.
Step 7: Set Up Tracking and Replies
Don’t just blast emails and hope. Leadsotters tracks opens, clicks, replies, and bounces. But don’t obsess over open rates—focus on actual replies and booked meetings.
To do: - Set up notifications for replies (so you don’t miss real leads) - Integrate with your CRM if you use one—otherwise, keep a simple spreadsheet - Regularly check for bounces and clean your list
What to ignore:
Open/click tracking as your main metric. With privacy changes, these numbers are often off. Replies matter most.
Step 8: Hit Send (But Start Small)
Resist the urge to blast your full list on day one. Start with a small batch (20–50), see how it lands, and tweak your sequence.
After sending: - Watch for deliverability issues (bounces, spam complaints) - Adjust your copy if you get a lot of “not interested” replies - Gradually ramp up volume if things look good
Pro tip:
If your reply rate is below 2–3%, something’s off—usually targeting or copy.
Step 9: Iterate Based on Real Feedback
No tool or template is perfect out of the box. The best campaigns are improved over time.
How to iterate: - Save your best replies—reuse what works - Drop what’s getting ignored (or flagged as spam) - Test new subject lines, intro sentences, and follow-up angles
What doesn’t work:
Changing everything after a single batch. Give each version a fair shot (100+ sends) before tweaking.
Step 10: Keep It Compliant (and Not Spammy)
You’re automating, not spamming. There’s a difference—keep it that way.
Checklist: - Always include a real opt-out (“Let me know if you’re not interested” is fine) - Don’t use misleading subject lines (“Quick question” is overdone and annoying) - Avoid sending to people who’ve said no before
Skip:
Buying dodgy lists, scraping emails without consent, or pretending you’re “following up” when you’ve never contacted them. That stuff comes back to bite you.
Wrapping Up
Automating outbound lead generation with Leadsotters isn’t rocket science, but it isn’t totally hands-off either. The basics: know your target, send something worth reading, and don’t get greedy with volume. Start small, pay attention to what works, and tweak along the way. Most importantly—don’t overthink it. The simplest approach, done consistently, always beats over-complicated “growth hacks.” Good luck out there.