If you’re tired of cold email campaigns that get ignored, you’re not alone. This guide is for folks who want practical, no-nonsense steps to set up automated outbound email campaigns in Salesforge—and actually get more replies. Whether you’re a founder doing your own outreach or a sales pro looking to improve your response rates, you’ll find real-world advice here. No magic bullets. Just what works (and what doesn’t).
Step 1: Get the Basics Right Before You Even Log In
Before you start fiddling with settings or templates, take five minutes to get honest about your list and your message.
- Is your list clean? If you scraped a thousand emails yesterday, don’t expect miracles. Verify addresses with a tool like NeverBounce or ZeroBounce. Nothing tanks deliverability faster than a high bounce rate.
- Who are you actually emailing? If you’re blasting the same generic pitch to everyone from a CEO to an intern, you’ll get deleted. Segment your list by industry, role, or pain point. The more specific, the better.
- Do you have something worth their time? A “quick call to learn more about each other” is not a compelling reason for anyone to reply.
Pro tip: You’ll save yourself a lot of hassle if you handle these steps before you ever touch Salesforge. Good inputs = better outputs.
Step 2: Set Up Your Sending Domain (Don’t Skip This)
Deliverability is where most automated campaigns fall apart. Spam filters are brutal, and a sloppy setup will get you blacklisted fast.
- Authenticate your domain: In Salesforge, go to Settings > Email Accounts and connect your business email. Salesforge will prompt you to set up SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records. Do it. If you don’t know how, ask your IT person or Google your domain provider’s instructions.
- Warm up your account: If this email address is brand new, don’t send 100 emails on day one. Use a warmup tool or gradually ramp up volume over 2–3 weeks.
- Avoid “burner” domains: Some folks set up throwaway domains to avoid risking their main one. That can work, but you’ll look shady if you don’t do it right. Use real domains with real signatures.
What to ignore: Anyone who tells you that deliverability “isn’t a big deal with modern tools” is selling you something. Take this part seriously.
Step 3: Create a Campaign in Salesforge
Now you’re ready to build your campaign in Salesforge.
- Go to Campaigns in the dashboard and click “New Campaign.”
- Name your campaign something clear (e.g., “VPs of Marketing—SaaS—June 2024”).
- Upload your contact list. CSV works fine. Map fields correctly (first name, company, etc.).
- Set up your sending schedule. Don’t blast everyone at once. Spread emails out during business hours, and randomize send times if possible. Salesforge lets you tweak this in the campaign settings.
Pro tip: Start small. Send to a test batch of 20–30 contacts before launching to your whole list. If you screwed up merge fields or personalization, you’ll catch it early.
Step 4: Write Emails That Don’t Suck
Templates are great for speed, but most built-in cold email templates are painfully generic. Here’s how to stand out:
- Get to the point fast. Nobody wants your “hope you’re well” intro.
- Personalize, but not just with {FirstName}. Reference something relevant. If you can’t, at least segment by role or industry so the language fits.
- Keep it short. Aim for 4–6 sentences. If you’re rambling, you’re losing them.
- Clear call to action. “Are you the right person?” or “Worth a quick chat?” works better than a calendar link dump.
- Follow-up matters more than you think. Set up 2–3 follow-up emails spaced a few days apart. Don’t just “bump” the thread—add a little value or context each time.
What doesn’t work: Gimmicky subject lines (“{FirstName}, quick question!”) and fake urgency. People see through it.
Step 5: Use Salesforge’s Automation Without Sounding Like a Robot
Salesforge gives you automation features, but don’t let that be an excuse for lazy outreach.
- Personalization tokens: Use them, but check your merge fields. If “Hi {FirstName},” turns into “Hi ,” you’re dead in the water.
- Conditional logic: For larger lists, use Salesforge’s conditional content to tweak your message based on job title or company size.
- A/B testing: Try two subject lines or openers and let Salesforge show you what works. Don’t just guess.
Pro tip: Automation is only as good as your inputs. Bad data or weak copy will just fail faster.
Step 6: Monitor, Measure, and Adjust (Relentlessly)
Don’t set it and forget it. Most campaigns fail because people never bother to check what’s actually happening.
- Track opens, clicks, and replies in Salesforge’s dashboard. Ignore vanity metrics like “delivered” or “clicked” if they don’t lead to replies.
- Check for spam issues. If open rates crash, your emails are probably going to spam. Review your content, sending schedule, and domain health.
- Refine your list. Remove unresponsive contacts or obvious duds after a few touches. Quality beats quantity.
- Tweak and test. Change one variable at a time—subject line, send time, or call to action—so you can actually see what moves the needle.
What to ignore: Don’t get hung up chasing a 70% open rate. Focus on replies and real conversations.
Step 7: Respect the Rules (and Your Recipients)
Nobody likes getting cold emails, so don’t make it worse by ignoring the basics.
- Include an unsubscribe link or clear opt-out. Salesforge lets you add this automatically.
- Don’t spam the same list endlessly. If someone hasn’t replied after 3–4 attempts, let them go.
- Check local laws. GDPR, CAN-SPAM, and other rules matter. If you’re not sure, err on the side of caution.
Step 8: Keep Things Simple and Iterate
The best campaigns aren’t complicated. They’re clear, targeted, and respectful of people’s time. Don’t obsess over fancy features or hacks. Set up your first campaign, see what works, and then make small improvements each time.
You’ll get better results by sending 100 good emails than 10,000 bad ones. Keep it human, review your numbers, and don’t be afraid to try something new if you’re not getting replies. Salesforge is a powerful tool, but it won’t magically fix weak outreach. The basics still matter.
Now go write some emails worth replying to.