Mini-Series: How to get your cold emails opened

Your cold email could be perfect - and still land in spam.

No subject line, intro line, or clever CTA can save you if deliverability kills it first.

This is Part 3 of our mini-series on how to boost your cold email open rates. Today, we’re covering deliverability: the behind-the-scenes setup that determines whether your emails land in the inbox - or die in the junk folder.

Even the best cold email is worthless if it lands in spam

You could have the perfect subject and intro line - but if you ignore deliverability, you’re dead on arrival.

Follow this step-by-step guide to make sure your emails land in the inbox.

Get a decent ESP

Free email accounts don’t cut it.

Use a professional ESP (email service provider) to increase your chances of landing in the inbox. The two most trusted options are custom Gmail and Outlook domains.

Technical setup

Before you do anything else, make sure to complete a proper technical setup.

Missing SPF, DKIM, or DMARC?

That’s like sending mail without a stamp. Set up your technical records - or spam filters will shut the door in your face. Don’t know how? YouTube is your friend.

Email warm-up

Sending cold emails without warm-up is like walking into a job interview without pants - bold, but not effective.

Ramp up gradually, and don’t turn off your warm-up tool - ever. We recommend using an automated warm-up tool like TrulyInbox or Warmbox.

Only send to verified contacts

Bad-quality data is the archenemy. Your contact data should always be up-to-date and verified.

30% of people change jobs each year. Verify your list or risk high bounce rates - and spam flags. With the SalesPort Extension you get the most up-to-date contact data out there + it’s already verified.

Keep links to a minimum

Your email isn’t a landing page. Include one link max. - only from high-quality websources like YouTube.

Also, avoid red flag phrases like “Buy now” or “Free money.” Spam filters are trained to catch that.

Send no more than 50 emails per day

Slow and steady wins the race. If you send too many emails or have sudden volume spikes, ESPs will blacklist you.

Stay under 30 emails per day during warm-up and slowly grow that number to a maximum of 50 per day. If you want to send more than that, just get more sending accounts.

That’s a wrap!

We hope you enjoyed this mini-series and will use our advice to boost your open rate.

Drop us a follow on LinkedIn if you like this type of content and we’ll see you next time.