How to set up automated lead lists in Colddm for targeted b2b outreach

If you do B2B sales or marketing, you know outreach is a grind. You spend way too much time copy-pasting names and emails, or scraping LinkedIn, just to get a handful of leads worth a damn. If you’ve heard about tools like Colddm promising automated, targeted lead lists, you’re probably wondering: “Is this for real? Can I actually save time and get better leads?” This guide is for you.

No fluff — just clear steps, hard truths, and a few shortcuts I wish I knew sooner.

Step 1: Get Clear on Who You Actually Want to Reach

Before you even open Colddm, take five minutes to sketch out your ideal lead. This isn’t busywork — it’ll save you hours chasing bad fits.

Ask yourself: - What job titles matter? (Be specific: “VP of Operations” is better than “manager.”) - What company size makes sense? (5-person startups, or Fortune 500?) - Which industries? (Healthcare? SaaS? Avoid “anyone with money” — it never works.) - Are there must-have tech stacks, locations, or funding rounds?

Pro tip: If you can’t picture the perfect customer, your lead list will be junk. Don’t rely on “spray and pray.”

Write this down. Seriously. You’ll use it in the next steps.

Step 2: Set Up Your Colddm Account and Integrations

You can’t automate anything until you’re set up properly. Here’s what matters:

  1. Sign up for Colddm. (Obvious, but don’t use a burner email — you’ll miss important alerts.)
  2. Connect your email and LinkedIn accounts. The best results come from integrating both. If you only connect one, expect more manual work.
  3. Check your sending limits. Every email provider has daily caps. Colddm will warn you, but if you ignore this, you’ll get blocked or land in spam.
  4. Warm up your sending accounts. If you’re starting from scratch, send a few manual emails first. Never go from zero to 500/day — that’s how you get blacklisted.

Worth noting: Colddm isn’t magic. If your LinkedIn account is brand new or your email domain is sketchy, automations won’t fix that. You need a real, healthy account to get good results.

Step 3: Build Targeted Lead Search Criteria

This is where most folks get lazy — and where most automations go off the rails.

  1. Use Colddm’s search builder. Go to the “Leads” or “Prospecting” tab (names change, but you’ll find it).
  2. Enter your criteria:
  3. Job titles (add all relevant synonyms — “Founder,” “Co-Founder,” “CEO”)
  4. Industry (don’t trust broad buckets like “Finance” — be specific if you can)
  5. Company size (e.g., 11-50, 51-200)
  6. Location (country, city, or even timezone)
  7. Keywords (try tech stack, funding, or recent hires if available)
  8. Exclude junk: Most tools let you filter out competitors, agencies, or irrelevant sectors. Use it.
  9. Preview your results: Don’t just set and forget — check the first 20–30 leads. Are they close to your ICP, or randoms from nowhere?

What to ignore: Don’t obsess over every tiny filter. Getting 80% right is better than wasting a day on “perfect” criteria.

Step 4: Automate List Generation and Refreshes

Here’s where Colddm actually saves you time, if you set things up right:

  1. Save your search as a “Lead List.” Give it a clear name (“US SaaS CEOs 11-50” beats “List 03”).
  2. Set auto-refresh. Good lead platforms let you re-run your search daily or weekly. This means new leads matching your criteria keep flowing in.
  3. Set deduplication rules. Make sure you’re not annoying the same people twice. Colddm usually has settings to auto-remove leads you’ve contacted before.
  4. Integrate with your CRM or outreach tool. If you’re using HubSpot, Salesforce, or something else, set up the sync. Otherwise, you’ll just be moving the bottleneck from one tool to another.

Heads up: Auto-refresh is handy, but it’s not always “set and forget.” Sometimes your list will dry up, or the quality will dip. Check in weekly.

Step 5: Qualify and Clean Your Leads Automatically (and Manually)

Automation gets you most of the way, but you’ll still need to gut-check your list.

  1. Use Colddm’s built-in enrichment. Most tools will try to pull emails, LinkedIn URLs, company data, etc. The more complete, the better.
  2. Set up auto-verification. If Colddm offers email validation, use it. Bad emails get you flagged as spam.
  3. Spot-check for garbage. Even the best platform lets through some duds. Take five minutes to scan for obvious mistakes (wrong job function, fake names, etc.).
  4. Tag or segment leads. If you notice patterns (e.g., lots of agencies sneaking into your SaaS list), tag them so you can skip or filter later.

Don’t believe the hype: No tool gets you a 100% perfect, verified list on autopilot. You still need to review — but with a good setup, it’s 5 minutes, not 5 hours.

Step 6: Set Up Outreach Sequences (the Right Way)

Now you’ve got a fresh, targeted list. Here’s how to actually reach out without flaming your reputation:

  1. Draft honest, short outreach templates. No “I came across your impressive profile” nonsense. Be direct, be brief, and personalize at least the first line.
  2. Set sending schedules. Stagger your emails/LinkedIn DMs — don’t blast 200 at once. Colddm usually lets you throttle sends (e.g., 20 per hour).
  3. Warm up new lists. Don’t dump your whole lead list into a sequence on day one. Start with a small batch, spot-check replies, and adjust.
  4. Monitor replies and bounces. If you’re getting lots of bounces or spam complaints, pause and investigate. Automation can ruin your sender reputation if you’re not careful.
  5. A/B test subject lines and messages. Don’t overthink it, but try two versions to see what actually gets replies.

What not to do: Don’t use generic templates or fake personalization. People can smell it a mile away. If you’re not willing to tweak your message, automation won’t save you.

Step 7: Track Results — and Actually Use the Data

If you’re not measuring, you’re just guessing. The good news: Colddm usually gives decent analytics.

  1. Look at response rates, not just sends. If nobody’s replying, something’s off with your targeting or messaging.
  2. Check lead quality over quantity. Ten replies from your ideal customer beats 100 from tire-kickers.
  3. Adjust your criteria. If your best leads all come from one industry or company size, double down. If you’re getting duds, tighten your filters.
  4. Review deliverability stats. High bounce rates mean bad data — tweak your enrichment/verification.

Don’t get obsessed: It’s easy to drown in metrics. Focus on replies and booked calls, not vanity numbers.

What Works, What Doesn’t, and What to Ignore

  • Works: Tight targeting, regular list refreshes, and honest outreach. Checking your lists weekly.
  • Doesn’t: Blind automation, huge generic blasts, or overcomplicated filters. Relying on “AI” to write your messages (they all sound the same).
  • Ignore: Claims of “zero effort” lists or “guaranteed meetings.” There’s always a bit of manual work — but the right setup cuts it down to minutes.

Keep It Simple and Iterate

Automated lead lists can save you hours and get you in front of people who actually care. But don’t try to “hack” your way to a perfect system on day one. Start simple, check your leads, and tweak as you go. The best results come from tight targeting and real, human outreach — not more buttons or AI.

If you’re spending more time fiddling with filters than talking to prospects, you’re missing the point. Set it up, check in weekly, and get back to what matters: starting real conversations.