If you’re in sales, you know the pain: you send a killer email, then... nothing. Did they open it? Did it go to spam? Are you being ghosted, or are you just being paranoid? If you want real answers (and not just wishful thinking), email tracking is a must. This is a no-nonsense guide to setting up email tracking for sales teams using Saleshandy—without getting lost in the weeds or stuck with features you’ll never use.
Who’s this for? Sales managers, reps, or anyone who’s tired of shooting emails into the void. If your team wants to actually see what happens after you hit send, this is for you.
What You’ll Need Before You Start
Don’t skip this part—if you don’t have your basics in order, you’ll just waste time later.
- A Saleshandy account. Paid or trial is fine, but you’ll need a real account. (No, you can’t do this with a “guest” login.)
- Access to your sales team’s email accounts. Gmail, Outlook, or whatever you use for day-to-day outreach.
- Permission from your IT/security folks. Some companies lock down email add-ons, so check before you start installing anything.
- A browser (ideally Chrome). Saleshandy works best with Chrome for most features.
Pro tip: Decide if you want to track emails for the whole team, or just yourself. Setting up team tracking is a bit more work, but totally doable.
Step 1: Sign Up and Set Up Your Saleshandy Account
- Go to Saleshandy and sign up. Use your work email, not your personal one. The free trial is fine for testing, but you’ll hit limits fast if you’re serious about tracking.
- Verify your email address. Obvious, but if you skip the verification link, nothing works.
- Set your timezone and preferences. This helps with accurate tracking and reminders.
What to ignore: Fancy features like auto follow-ups or templates—save that for later. Get tracking working first.
Step 2: Connect Your Email Account
This is where most people trip up. Saleshandy supports Gmail, Outlook, and some other platforms, but you’ll get the smoothest ride with Gmail or Outlook 365.
- Click “Add Account” in Saleshandy’s dashboard.
- Select your provider (e.g., Gmail or Outlook).
- Grant permissions. Yes, it’ll ask for a lot. If you’re uncomfortable, read the list—Saleshandy does need access to send and track emails, but don’t grant more than necessary.
- Test the connection. Send a test email to yourself or a teammate and see if it appears in your Sent folder.
Watch out for: Two-factor authentication. If you have it on (and you should), make sure you go through the extra steps or use app-specific passwords.
Step 3: Install the Saleshandy Email Tracking Extension
For Gmail (and some Outlook setups), you’ll need the Saleshandy Chrome Extension.
- Go to the Chrome Web Store and search “Saleshandy.”
- Install the extension.
- Log in using your Saleshandy credentials.
- Refresh your Gmail or Outlook webmail tab. You should see the Saleshandy icon or a new sidebar.
What’s actually happening: The extension injects tracking pixels into your emails and lets you trigger tracking on/off from inside your inbox.
Ignore: Any pop-ups urging you to “unlock pro features” right now. Focus on getting basic tracking running.
Step 4: Set Up Team Tracking (Optional, But Worth It)
If you’re a solo seller, skip ahead. But if you manage a team, it pays to get everyone set up the same way.
- Invite team members from the Saleshandy dashboard. Go to “Team Management” or similar.
- Assign roles (admin, user, etc). Don’t overthink it—just make sure only admins can change team-wide settings.
- Have each team member connect their email account and install the extension. Yes, this is annoying, but skipping it leads to headaches later.
- Check everyone’s status. There’s usually a dashboard showing who’s connected and who isn’t.
Reality check: Don’t assume everyone will do this right the first time. Expect to chase a few people and repeat steps.
Step 5: Send a Tracked Email and Check the Results
Here’s where the magic (or disappointment) happens.
- Compose a new email in Gmail or Outlook.
- Make sure tracking is ON. In Gmail, look for the Saleshandy icon (usually a “tick” or “eye”). Double-check it’s enabled—sometimes the extension glitches.
- Send the email to a real recipient (or your own test address).
- Check the tracking report. Go back to Saleshandy’s dashboard and look for “Email activity,” “Opens,” or similar.
What you’ll see: - Number of opens (sometimes with timestamps) - Recipient location (rough, not always accurate) - Link clicks (if enabled)
Pro tip: Don’t obsess over “opens.” Some email clients block tracking pixels, and sometimes you’ll see weird results (like 10 opens in 10 seconds—that’s often a security scanner, not a real person).
Step 6: Customize Notifications (or You’ll Go Nuts)
By default, Saleshandy loves sending you notifications for every open or click. That gets old, fast.
- Go to Settings > Notifications in Saleshandy.
- Turn off anything you don’t need. Most people only want to know about first opens or link clicks, not every single view.
- Set up digest emails if you prefer summaries. Better for your sanity.
What works: Real-time notifications for key prospects or deals in late stage.
What doesn’t: Popups for every open—trust me, you’ll tune them out in a day.
Step 7: Use Tracking Data for Smarter Follow-Ups
Now that you’re tracking, don’t just watch stats—use them.
- Follow up when you see multiple opens but no reply. It’s a sign someone’s interested but busy (or shopping around).
- Don’t pester people who never open. If your email’s not getting through, try a different subject line or channel.
- Share results in your team. Use tracking data as a reality check, not as gospel.
Watch out: Don’t use tracking data as a reason to hound people. It’s a signal, not a green light to spam.
Step 8: Troubleshooting Common Issues
Things won’t always work perfectly. Here’s what to check first:
- No opens showing up? Make sure tracking is enabled, and the recipient isn’t using a pixel-blocking email client (Apple Mail, Outlook with images off, etc.).
- Weird open counts? Security scanners and spam filters can trigger “opens” before your recipient ever sees the message.
- Extension not working? Try reinstalling, or check for browser updates.
- Getting blocked by IT? You may need to whitelist Saleshandy’s domains or work with your tech team.
Honest truth: No email tracker is 100% accurate. Treat the data as directional, not absolute.
Step 9: Keep It Simple, Iterate, and Don’t Overthink It
Congrats—you’re tracking emails. Now, avoid the trap of chasing every shiny feature or reading too much into the stats. Focus on:
- Clarity: Use tracking to start better conversations, not as a way to micromanage every click.
- Consistency: Make tracking a habit for your team, but don’t make it a religion.
- Iteration: If something’s not working (e.g., emails never get opened), change your approach. Don’t just blame the tool.
At the end of the day, email tracking with Saleshandy is about getting a little more visibility—nothing more, nothing less. Don’t fall for the hype or get paralyzed by the data. Set it up, see what works, and tweak as you go. Simple beats perfect. Happy selling.