Launching a cold email campaign feels simple until something breaks: half the list bounces, a merge tag shows up as raw code, or a follow-up fires to someone who already replied. Most of those problems are preventable with a few minutes of checking before you send.
Work through this checklist in order. Each section has tick-box items you can copy into your own notes or project tool.
1. Sending setup
Your sending account is the foundation. If it is misconfigured, nothing else matters.
- Send from an address on your own domain, not a free personal address
- Consider a separate domain or subdomain for outreach so your main domain is protected
- SPF, DKIM and DMARC records are set up for the sending domain (your email host has instructions)
- The mailbox has a real name, a profile photo and a signature with your business details
- A new mailbox has been used for normal email for a while before cold sending
- You have decided a daily sending limit per mailbox and will start low, then raise it slowly
- Replies land somewhere you will actually read them
If you send through Gmail, this guide on connecting Gmail for outreach walks through the setup.
2. The list
A bad list is the most common reason a campaign struggles. Check it before anything else.
- Every lead fits one clear profile (one industry, one location type, one problem)
- Duplicates removed, by email and by business
- Generic addresses (info@, contact@) reviewed: keep them only if there is no better contact
- Owner or decision-maker first names filled in where available
- Columns match the fields you plan to use as merge tags
- Empty or broken rows removed
- Emails verified, and invalid or risky addresses removed
- Anyone who has unsubscribed or asked not to be contacted is excluded
If you are importing a spreadsheet, follow the steps to clean a CSV before importing. Skipping verification is the fastest route to bounces; if that has already happened, see these high bounce rate fixes.
In GetClient, you can build the list from a Google Maps search (business name, category, city, website, emails and owner names where public), run email verification on it, and send from the same place, so there is no export step where columns get mixed up.
3. The copy
Keep the first email short and about them. A rule of thumb: if it does not fit on a phone screen without scrolling, cut it.
- One clear reason you are writing to this specific business
- One offer or idea, not a list of services
- One easy call to action (a yes/no question works well)
- No attachments in the first email
- Few or no links in the first email
- Subject line is short, plain and honest about the content
- Signature includes your name, business and a physical or business address if your local rules require one
- Unsubscribe option included
Need ideas for the subject line? Use this list of cold email subject line ideas.
Ready-to-paste starter sequence
Adjust the bracketed parts and keep the merge tags exactly as written.
Email 1 (Day 0)
Subject: Quick question about {{params.name}}
Hi {{params.firstname}},
I was looking at {{params.category}} businesses in {{params.city}} and came across {{params.name}}.
I help [type of business] with [specific outcome, e.g. getting more booked calls from their website]. Looking at {{params.website}}, I noticed [one specific, honest observation].
Would it be useful if I sent over two or three quick ideas for fixing that? No call needed.
[Your name] [Business name]
Email 2 (Day 3, If NOT Opened: resend with new subject)
Subject: {{params.name}} + [your service]
Hi {{params.firstname}},
Sending this again in case it got buried. I work with {{params.category}} businesses on [specific outcome], and I had a couple of ideas for {{params.name}}.
Worth me sending them over?
[Your name]
Email 3 (Day 4 after Email 1, If Opened: follow up)
Subject: Re: Quick question about {{params.name}}
Hi {{params.firstname}},
Following up on my last note. Here is one of the ideas, free to use: [one concrete, useful suggestion in one or two sentences].
If you want the rest, just reply "yes".
[Your name]
Email 4 (Day 10, everyone who has not replied)
Subject: Should I close the loop?
Hi {{params.firstname}},
I have not heard back, so I will assume the timing is not right for {{params.name}}. If that changes, just reply to this email and I will pick it up.
Thanks either way, [Your name]
Note on branching: an If Opened branch is yes or no only. It tells you whether an open was recorded, not how many times. Open tracking is also imperfect, so treat it as a rough signal.
For industry-specific versions, see cold email templates for dentists.
4. Personalisation and merge tags
- Every merge tag in the copy matches the exact format, such as {{params.firstname}}
- You have checked what happens when a field is empty (for example, "Hi ,")
- Leads with missing first names either get a fallback greeting or are moved to a separate version
- Business names look natural (no "LLC", odd capitals or SEO keywords stuffed in)
- You have previewed each step with at least three real leads from the list
5. Schedule and limits
- Sending days set to business days that suit your audience
- Daily limit set per mailbox, starting conservatively
- Sending window matches the recipients' time zone
- Delays between steps are long enough to feel human (a few days, not hours)
- You know when the campaign will finish at the current daily limit
6. Final QA and compliance
- Send a test of every step to yourself and read it on a phone
- Click every link
- Unsubscribe link works and removes the address
- Replies stop the sequence for that person, or you have a plan to stop them
- You have checked the cold email rules that apply where you and your recipients are (for example, CAN-SPAM in the US or GDPR and PECR in the UK and EU). This is not legal advice; check what applies to you.
For a deeper pre-send pass, use the full email campaign QA checklist.
7. The first week after launch
- Check bounces after the first day. If they are high, pause and re-verify the list
- Read every reply the same day, including "not interested"
- Remove anyone who asks to stop, immediately
- Note which subject line and opening are getting replies
- Change one thing at a time before the next batch
- Log sends, bounces, replies and booked calls somewhere you can compare later
A simple way to log this is covered in the campaign metrics tracker guide. If you want to try the whole process on a small list first, new GetClient accounts start with free credits; see plans and credits.