Email outreach is a cornerstone of modern marketing - connecting with potential clients, nurturing leads, and driving conversions. Success depends on managing both content and technical aspects well, and a crucial factor in all of it is deliverability. We run the checklist below for every single Business Development as a Service (BDaaS) client we support, and off the back of it we secure an average of 5-10 client meetings per month, per domain.
Key findings
- We run this exact 30-point checklist for every BDaaS client and average 5-10 client meetings per month, per domain.
- We cap cold sending at no more than 200 emails per day, including warm-up emails, through any one domain.
- We maintain a 2-hour response SLA and keep dedicated IP sender scores above 98%.
- Custom tracking links, not generic platform links, are non-negotiable for protecting domain reputation.
Audience and Data
1. Identify Your ICP and Segment Your Audience
Understanding and segmenting your audience by preferences and behaviour ensures targeted, relevant communication - improving engagement, letting you use industry-specific terminology, and lifting conversion rates.
2. Source Only Verified Contacts
Not all prospecting data is equal. Using only verified contacts - excluding invalids, unknowns, and accept-alls - guarantees your emails reach genuine, active recipients, improving deliverability and saving time.
3. Double-Check Contact Validity With Third-Party Tools
Even verified data is never guaranteed 100% accurate. We always validate further with independent third-party tools, minimising bounce rates and protecting sender reputation.
4. Regularly Update Contacts
We prospect for fresh contact data weekly, not monthly - frequent updates keep your outreach reaching a receptive, engaged audience.
5. Auto-Archive Bounced Contacts
Automatically archiving bounced contacts keeps your list clean and protects deliverability.
Content
6. Clearly Articulate Your USPs
Lead with your value proposition immediately. If you can't summarise it in a single sentence, you're overcomplicating it.
7. Optimise Text-to-Image Ratio
Favour text-based emails for readability and deliverability - the more images you include, the more likely you land in the promotions folder.
8. Craft a Thoughtful Email Sequence
A well-structured sequence with multiple touchpoints nurtures leads through the decision-making process more effectively than a single email ever can.
9. Avoid Promotional and Spam Language
Strip out spammy words and phrases to bypass spam filters and increase visibility - tools like Folderly's free spam word checker are useful here.
10. Personalise Dynamically
Address recipients by name and reference relevant detail - shared clients, company name, specific pain points. Personalisation differentiates your email from one-size-fits-all spam.
11. Limit the Number of Links
Fewer links increases trust and improves deliverability, and makes the desired action clearer.
12. Avoid Attachments
Communicate your value without attachments - they're often flagged as high-risk by spam filters and security bots.
Tech Setup
13-15. SPF, DKIM, and DMARC
All three are foundational authentication layers - reducing the chance of being marked as spam, validating your sending, and adding a final layer of policy enforcement on top. See our full deliverability guide for the detail on each.
16. Include a Custom Tracking Link
This is genuinely important. By default, most platforms use generic, shared link redirects and tracking pixels across every customer - so if anyone else sends spam or poorly targeted email, you're tarred with the same brush. A custom tracking link isolates your domain reputation entirely. If your platform doesn't offer this, it's worth switching.
17. Ensure Proper MX Records
Verified MX records improve deliverability and reliability, ensuring emails actually reach intended recipients.
Deliverability
18. Gradually Warm Up Your Domain
Warm up manually or with an automated tool before launching a campaign at full volume - this also typically gives you a domain reputation score to monitor over time.
19. Maintain a High Domain Reputation
Aim for 95% or greater to maximise trust and engagement.
20. Use a Domain at Least 2 Months Old
Prioritise an established top-level domain (.com, .net, .co.uk) over cheap, bulk-bought disposable domains often used by spammers.
21. Monitor IP Reputation and Blacklists
Regularly check your sending IP isn't blacklisted and keep an eye on sender score - we always maintain our dedicated IPs above 98%.
22. Ensure Your Domain Isn't Blacklisted
A clean reputation directly drives deliverability and campaign success.
23. Optimise Email Drip Rate
We send no more than 200 cold emails per day, including warm-up emails, through any one domain - avoiding the volume spikes that get flagged as spam.
Service
24. Offer a Quick Response Time
We commit to a 2-hour SLA. Beyond the professionalism it signals, providers also look for responsive behaviour as a sign a mailbox is genuinely manned by a human, not a bot.
25. Integrate With CRM Systems
Integration with your CRM enables streamlined communication, automation, and personalised follow-up.
26. Facilitate Rescheduling for No-Shows
No-shows happen. The upside is the prospect has already shown engagement - confirm continued interest and rebook promptly.
27. Integrate Calendly for Easy Scheduling
Removing friction from booking meetings measurably improves conversion.
28. Regular Reporting and Pipeline Analysis
Weekly reporting enables data-driven decisions that improve future campaign performance.
29. Ensure Data Quality and Replacement Options
Offering data approval and replacement guarantees targeted outreach and maximises positive responses.
30. Implement Integrated Leave Lists
Avoid contacting existing clients and prospects who should be excluded - maintaining a positive relationship and a better overall experience.
Follow this checklist and you'll be well on your way to better deliverability, stronger engagement, and meaningfully better results from your outreach campaigns.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many cold emails per day is safe to send from one domain?
Kulea caps outreach at no more than 200 cold emails per day, including warm-up emails, through any single domain - exceeding safe drip rates risks being flagged as spam.
What domain reputation score should I be aiming for in outreach?
Aim for a domain reputation of 95% or greater, and keep sender score above the same threshold (Kulea maintains its dedicated IPs above 98%) to maximise trust and deliverability.
Andrew Nicholson
Co-founder & CEO at Kulea. Guest lecturer in digital psychology and behavioural economics at the University of Buckingham.