If you’re in B2B sales and tired of cobbling together spreadsheets, Gmail hacks, and awkward CRMs, you’re not alone. Outbound campaigns are tedious enough without tech headaches. This guide is for anyone who wants to use Mailforge to automate outbound email, skip the hype, and just get results—whether you’re a founder, SDR, or just the unlucky one who drew the short straw.
Mailforge isn’t magic. It’s a tool. Used right, it saves you hours and helps you reach more of the right people. Used wrong, it’s just another line on your SaaS bill. Here’s how to set it up the right way for B2B sales.
Step 1: Prep Your Lead List (Don’t Skip This)
Before you touch Mailforge, get your prospect list in order. No tool can fix a messy list. Your campaigns are only as good as your data.
- Build a list that fits your ideal customer profile. Don’t buy a random list and hope for the best. Take time to define your targets (industry, size, title, geography).
- Include key fields: At minimum, you need first name, last name, company, email, and ideally, something personal you can use for light customization.
- Clean it up: Remove duplicates, obvious spam traps, and anyone who’s already asked to be left alone. If your bounce rate is high, your emails will land in spam—period.
- Format as CSV: Mailforge eats CSVs for breakfast. Make sure your headers are clear and consistent.
Pro tip: Don’t overthink it. 200 good leads are 10x better than 2,000 unqualified ones.
Step 2: Connect Your Sending Account
This is where most people get tripped up. Mailforge lets you connect your work email (usually Gmail, Outlook, or SMTP). But you need to do it right, or you’ll end up in spam.
- Use a real domain, not a burner. If you use a brand-new domain, expect deliverability issues. But don’t blast from your main company address either. Use a subdomain (like sales.yourcompany.com) that’s warmed up.
- Authenticate your email. Set up SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records with your domain provider. Mailforge will walk you through it, but don’t gloss over this. Without it, your emails are dead on arrival.
- Connect your account in Mailforge: Go to Settings > Sending Accounts. Follow the prompts.
Ignore the “send more, faster” advice. Blasting out 1,000 emails a day is a fast way to get blacklisted. Start slow—50-100/day is plenty.
Step 3: Map Out Your Campaign
Don’t just copy-paste a “proven” template. Take 10 minutes to sketch out your sequence.
- Decide on the number of touches: 2-4 emails is the sweet spot for most B2B. More than 5 and you’re probably just annoying people.
- Set timing: Space follow-ups 2-4 days apart. Avoid weekends unless you’re targeting folks who work them.
- Write like a human. No one wants to “circle back” or “touch base.” Be clear about why you’re reaching out.
What works: Short emails. Personalization (even a little goes a long way). A single, clear CTA.
What doesn’t: Gimmicky subject lines, “just bumping this up,” or pretending you’re an old friend.
Step 4: Set Up Your Campaign in Mailforge
Now you’re ready to build the actual campaign.
- Create a new campaign: In Mailforge, go to Campaigns > New Campaign.
- Name it something obvious: “Q2 SaaS CEOs” beats “Outbound 7.” You’ll thank yourself later.
- Upload your CSV: Map the columns to fields in Mailforge. Double-check the mapping—mess this up and you’ll be calling people “{{FirstName}}.”
- Write your emails:
- Use merge fields for light personalization (“Hi {{FirstName}},”).
- Add a clear subject line (skip the clickbait).
- Keep it under 100 words if you can.
- Set up follow-ups: Mailforge lets you trigger follow-ups based on opens, clicks, or replies. Don’t overcomplicate it—most results come from the first follow-up.
- Schedule sending: Choose your sending window (e.g., 9am–5pm, local time). Avoid blasting all emails at once.
Pro tip: Test your emails by sending them to yourself. If it looks weird in your inbox, it’ll look weird to your prospects.
Step 5: Warm Up and Test (No, You Can’t Skip This)
You want your emails to land in inboxes, not spam. That takes warming up your sending account, especially if it’s new or hasn’t been used for outbound before.
- Start slow: First week, send 20-50 emails per day. Gradually increase if your bounce and spam rates stay low.
- Monitor replies: Respond quickly to positive replies—even if it’s “not interested.” That helps future emails land.
- Check your spam score: Use tools like mail-tester.com to see how your emails are likely to be flagged.
What to ignore: Anyone telling you to “scale to thousands” right away. If your domain gets burned, it’s a pain to fix.
Step 6: Track Results and Iterate
Automation is only useful if you learn from it. Mailforge gives you open, click, and reply tracking—but don’t fall in love with vanity metrics.
- The only metric that matters: Positive replies (meetings booked, interest shown).
- Monitor bounce and spam rates: Over 5% bounces? Pause and clean your list again.
- Tweak subject lines and CTAs: If your open rate is under 30%, something’s off. Try something more direct, less “salesy.”
- Test, but don’t obsess: Run a campaign, see what works, update, repeat. Don’t A/B test for the sake of it if you’re only sending a few hundred emails.
What to Watch Out For
- Regulations: If you’re emailing Europe (GDPR) or Canada (CASL), check the rules. Cold outreach is legal in the US, but always add an unsubscribe link.
- Deliverability tricks: Don’t stuff your email with images or links. Keep it simple and text-based.
- Personalization at scale: Most merge fields are obvious and awkward. Use them sparingly, and don’t fake it.
Keep It Simple, Iterate, and Don’t Chase Silver Bullets
Setting up automated outbound in Mailforge isn’t rocket science, but it’s easy to overcomplicate. Start with a small, clean list. Send straightforward, honest emails. Watch what works, and tweak as you go. Ignore anyone promising instant results or “secret” templates—they’re selling something.
If you keep things simple, stay patient, and focus on real conversations, you’ll outperform 99% of the spray-and-pray crowd. Now get going, and let the robots do the boring stuff.