If you’re tired of wasting hours copying emails and sending one-off messages that never get a reply, you’re not alone. There are a thousand email tools out there, but most are either overpriced, complicated, or just plain spammy. This guide is for anyone who wants to automate cold outreach or follow-ups—without sounding like a robot or getting ignored. We’ll walk through how to set up personalized email sequences using Leadleaper, what works, what to skip, and how to keep your sanity (and your inbox).
Why Use Leadleaper for Email Sequences?
Let’s be straight: Leadleaper isn’t the flashiest tool on the market, but that’s actually a good thing. It’s lightweight, affordable, and does what most folks really need—finds email addresses and lets you send personalized email sequences. If you already spend time on LinkedIn searching for leads, Leadleaper can save you a lot of copy-paste hassle.
Who should use it? - Solo salespeople or small teams. - Recruiters, consultants, or anyone needing to reach out cold. - Folks who want to keep things simple (no 100-screen dashboards).
Who shouldn’t? - Large enterprises that need deep CRM integration or fancy analytics. - Anyone looking for a “set it and forget it” magic bullet. (Those don’t exist.)
Step 1: Set Up Your Leadleaper Account
You’ll need a Leadleaper account, which is pretty painless to set up. - Go to the Leadleaper site and sign up. The free version lets you try things out, but you’ll likely want a paid plan for any real volume. - Install the Chrome extension. Leadleaper works best when you’re running it alongside LinkedIn—no extension, no magic.
Pro tip: Use a work email, not a throwaway one. Deliverability is better, and you won’t hit weird limits.
Step 2: Build (and Clean) Your Lead List
Leadleaper pulls email addresses straight from LinkedIn profiles, but that doesn’t mean you should fire off emails to everyone with a pulse.
How to build a quality list: - Use LinkedIn’s search and filters to get specific. Job title, location, industry—don’t just grab anyone. - Visit each profile. Leadleaper will grab the emails as you go. - Export your list from Leadleaper once you’re done.
What to skip:
Don’t buy lists or scrape thousands of contacts you’ve never checked. That’s a spam trap, and your domain will get burned.
Clean your list before emailing: - Remove duplicates. - Double-check that your contacts are a fit for your message. - Consider using an email verifier (like NeverBounce or ZeroBounce) to avoid bounces.
Step 3: Write Personalized Email Templates
The bad news: No tool can make your email interesting if your pitch is weak. The good news: You can write one template and personalize it just enough to stand out.
What works: - Keep it short. 3-5 sentences tops. - Use a custom intro line (mention their company, recent post, etc.). - Make a clear, simple ask. Don’t do the “circle back” dance.
What doesn’t: - Over-the-top flattery. “I was blown away by your impressive background…” No one buys it. - Jargon or buzzwords. Just talk like a human.
Sample template:
Subject: Quick question about [Company Name]
Hi [First Name],
Saw you’re working on [something specific]. I help teams like yours with [your solution], and thought it might be useful. Interested in a quick chat this week?
Best, [Your Name]
How to personalize:
Leadleaper lets you insert variables like first name, company, etc. You can also add a column for “custom intro” in your CSV and fill it out as you research each lead. Yes, it takes longer up front—but your reply rates will thank you.
Step 4: Import Your List and Set Up Sequences
Now you’ve got your list and your template—time to bring it together.
Uploading your list: - Go to the “Leads” or “Contacts” tab in Leadleaper. - Import your CSV file. Make sure your columns match up (first name, email, etc.). - Double-check for errors before hitting send.
Setting up your sequence: - In Leadleaper, you can create basic sequences: initial email, plus 1–2 follow-ups. - Set delays between emails (usually 3–5 days is enough). - Map your variables (like first name, company) to your template.
What to ignore:
Don’t bother with 5+ follow-ups or complicated branching logic. Most responses come from the first or second touch. Anything more and you’re just annoying people.
Step 5: Connect Your Email Account
Leadleaper sends emails from your real email account, which keeps things more personal (and less likely to hit spam). You’ll need to connect your Gmail or Outlook account.
Watch out for: - Daily sending limits. Gmail and Outlook will throttle or flag you if you send too many emails too fast. Stick to 50-100/day per account, max. - Email warming. If your account is new, start slow—a trickle, not a firehose.
Pro tip:
Use a dedicated domain or subdomain if you’re nervous about your main company email reputation. But don’t use a burner domain; those get flagged even faster.
Step 6: Launch Your Sequence (and Watch What Happens)
Hit send, then pay attention—don’t just walk away.
Track opens and replies: - Leadleaper gives you basic tracking (opens, clicks, replies). - Focus on replies, not just opens. Opens are nice, but replies pay the bills.
Handle replies fast:
When someone responds, stop the sequence for that person. Nothing kills a deal like getting a “follow-up” after you’ve already replied.
Don’t: - Panic if reply rates aren’t amazing. Cold outreach is a numbers game. - Keep blasting if you get lots of unsubscribes or spam complaints. That’s your signal to tweak your message or your list.
Step 7: Tweak, Test, and Repeat
No template is perfect the first time. The real winners are the folks who keep it simple and keep iterating.
How to improve: - Change one thing at a time (subject line, intro, call-to-action). - Keep notes on what works. Don’t trust your gut—look at the numbers. - Refresh your list regularly. People change jobs, emails go stale.
What not to stress about: - Fancy automation flows. If you’re spending more time on the tool than on writing or research, you’ve missed the point. - Vanity metrics. 100% open rates are useless if no one replies.
Honest Pros, Cons, and Gotchas
What works well: - Leadleaper is simple and cheap—especially compared to tools like Outreach or Salesloft. - Great for small teams or solo users who just need to get emails out the door.
What’s just okay: - Reporting is basic. If you want deep analytics, look elsewhere. - Email finding isn’t perfect—expect some bounced emails.
What to ignore: - Any promises of “guaranteed” results. Cold email is a grind, no matter what tool you use.
Keep It Simple and Keep Going
Automating personalized emails with Leadleaper isn’t rocket science, but it does take a little prep and some common sense. Don’t overthink it—build a clean list, write like a real person, test small batches, and adjust as you go. The folks who see results are the ones who keep it simple, keep learning, and don’t fall for shiny new tricks.
Good luck. And remember: the best email tool is the one you actually use.