Step by step guide to setting up automated cold email sequences in Quickmail

If you’re running outbound sales, recruiting, or any kind of outreach, you know the pain: copy-pasting emails, tracking who replied, and remembering when to follow up. It's tedious. If you want to automate the grunt work and actually get responses, this guide is for you.

Here’s how to set up automated, personalized cold email sequences in Quickmail—without making rookie mistakes or tripping up spam filters. I’ll walk you through it step by step, with some honest advice about what’s worth your time (and what’s not).

Step 1: Get the Basics Right Before You Start

Don’t skip this. Before you even log into Quickmail, make sure you have:

A clean sender domain. Don’t use your main company domain for cold outreach. Use a similar one (like yourcompany.co instead of yourcompany.com) and set up proper DNS records (SPF, DKIM, DMARC). This protects your main domain’s reputation.
A verified, warmed-up email account. If you just created a new inbox, don’t blast hundreds of emails on day one. Start slow—send a few manual emails for a couple weeks, or use a warming tool.
A targeted, researched list. No, you can’t buy a generic list and expect results. Get specific: who are you reaching out to, and why? Bad data = bad results.

Pro tip: If you’re already using a CRM or scraping tool, make sure your exports are clean. No weird formatting, missing fields, or duplicates.

Step 2: Set Up Your Quickmail Account

Head over to Quickmail and sign up. Once you’re in:

Connect your sending inbox.
Go to Settings > Inbox.
Connect your email account (Gmail, Outlook, or SMTP).
Authorize and test the connection.
Set your sending limits—never send more than 50-100 cold emails a day per inbox (ignore anyone who tells you otherwise; it’s a spam filter magnet).
Add your team (optional).
If you want to send from multiple inboxes, invite teammates or add extra inboxes now. Otherwise, skip this.

What doesn’t matter: You don’t need fancy integrations or custom branding at this point. Focus on deliverability and simplicity.

Step 3: Import Your Leads

Now, let’s get your contacts into Quickmail:

Prepare your CSV.
Columns should include: First Name, Last Name, Email, Company, plus any custom fields you want to personalize.
Remove duplicates and obvious junk (info@, sales@, etc.—these rarely get you anywhere).
Import the CSV.
Go to Leads > Import.
Map your columns to the right fields.
Double-check your mapping—if you mess this up, your emails will look terrible.

Pro tip: Spot-check a few contacts after import. It’s better to catch errors now than after 200 people get emails with the wrong name.

Step 4: Write (Actually Good) Cold Email Copy

Yes, Quickmail can send emails for you, but it can’t fix bad copy. Take the time to:

Write like a human, not a robot. No “hope this finds you well.”
Personalize using merge fields (like {{First Name}})—but don’t overdo it.
Keep it short. Two to four sentences is plenty for the first email.
Have a clear ask. Don’t make the recipient guess what you want.
Avoid spammy words (“guaranteed,” “free,” “buy now”) and too many links.

What doesn’t work: Gimmicks, fake “re:”, or pretending you met someone at a conference when you didn’t. People see through it.

Step 5: Build Your Sequence in Quickmail

Now, let’s automate:

Create a new sequence.
Go to Sequences > New Sequence.
Name it something obvious (e.g., “Outreach – SaaS Founders May 2024”).
Add your first email step.
Paste your first email draft.
Use merge fields for personalization (like {{First Name}}, {{Company}}).
Set sending window—best is mid-morning, Tuesday to Thursday.
Add follow-up steps.
Add a new step for each follow-up (e.g., 3 days after no reply).
Keep follow-ups even shorter. “Just checking in—worth a quick call?” is enough.
Don’t add more than 3-4 total steps. More than that and you’re just annoying people.
Set conditions.
Use “if no reply” triggers for follow-ups.
Optionally, set “stop sequence if replied” (recommended).

Pro tip: Test your merge fields with sample contacts. One typo in your CSV can turn “Hi {{First Name}}” into “Hi ,”.

Step 6: Configure Sending Settings (and Don’t Get Flagged as Spam)

Deliverability is everything. Here’s how to avoid the spam folder:

Sending limits: Stick to 50-100 emails per inbox per day, max. Ramp up slowly if the inbox is new.
Send times: Stagger sending (Quickmail can randomize this). Don’t send a blast at 8:00 AM sharp.
Tracking: Enable open and reply tracking—but don’t bother with click tracking unless you really need it (some filters see tracking links as risky).
Personalization: The more you personalize, the less likely you’ll get flagged.
Unsubscribe link: You don’t have to include one for cold outreach, but it’s best practice and keeps you out of trouble.

Ignore: Fancy HTML templates, images, or embedded videos. Stick to plain text. HTML emails scream “marketing” to spam filters.

Step 7: Test Everything Before You Go Live

Don’t trust automation until you’ve run a test. Here’s what to do:

Send test emails to yourself and a colleague.
Check for merge field errors, formatting weirdness, or delivery issues.
Review how it looks on desktop and mobile.
Most people check email on their phone first.
Check your spam folder.
If your test goes to spam, fix your copy, check your domain setup, and lower your send volume.

Pro tip: Use tools like Mail Tester or GlockApps to check your sender reputation and blacklist status before starting a campaign.

Step 8: Launch and Monitor

Ready? Start your sequence, but keep an eye on it:

Watch replies: Don’t let interested leads sit for days. Quickmail can auto-detect replies, but someone needs to respond quickly.
Pause if you see issues: If bounce rates spike or you get spam complaints, stop and review. Bad data or too-aggressive sending is usually the culprit.
Tweak as you go: If no one replies, rewrite your emails. If everyone unsubscribes, your targeting is off.

What to ignore: Vanity metrics (like open rates) only tell part of the story. Focus on replies and positive conversations.

Step 9: Keep Improving (But Don’t Overthink It)

The best cold emailers ship, learn, and adjust. Don’t get bogged down chasing the perfect template or tool. Here’s what actually matters:

Keep your lists clean and relevant.
Write like a real person.
Don’t burn out your sender domain.
Iterate based on real results, not guesses.

Summary: Automating cold email with Quickmail saves a ton of time, but it’s not magic. The basics—good targeting, solid copy, and careful sending—matter more than any software feature. Start simple, watch what happens, and keep tuning things up. That’s how you actually get replies without wrecking your reputation.

Now go send some (good) emails.