Before You Hire a Cold Email Agency, Read This
Most cold email agencies will tell you they know what they’re doing. But after auditing dozens of setups, I can tell you—most are setting clients up for failure from day one.
At Danish Lead Co., we’ve sent over a million cold emails, helped generate $20M+ in pipeline, and worked with 80+ B2B clients. We’ve seen what works—and what breaks deliverability fast.
If you’re hiring an agency or trying to scale cold email internally, here’s a dead-simple checklist to separate the pros from the posers.
1. Email Infrastructure: The Foundation Everyone Rushes
What goes wrong: Cheap setups, no warm-up, one-size-fits-all providers.
What to look for:
Multiple providers (not just one domain stack)
Real warm-up protocols (at least 2 weeks before launch)
Avoiding SMTP resellers or shady email hosts
"If they say they can launch in 3–5 days, they’re skipping critical steps. Period."
Quick stat: Inboxes warmed less than 2 weeks see up to 80% lower replies after 60 days. Not worth it.
2. Lead Sourcing & Validation: Bad Lists Will Tank Your Domain
What goes wrong: Outdated lists. No validation. Bounce rates through the roof.
What to look for:
Verified leads with tools like MillionVerifier, NeverBounce, or Bouncer
High-quality sources: LinkedIn Sales Nav, Apollo, etc.
Proper segmentation (by title, industry, etc.)
Example: One client came to us with bounce rates >15%. We rebuilt their list, re-verified every contact, and tripled reply rates in 2 weeks.
"If they can’t explain how they source and validate leads, they’re guessing."
3. Copywriting: Is It Written by a Human or ChatGPT?
What goes wrong: Generic AI content. Too long. Spammy formatting.
What to look for:
Emails under 100 words (ideally ~85)
One CTA, no links, no HTML
Tone that feels human—not robotic
Quick stat: Emails under 85 words with one CTA convert 60% better than long-winded ones.
"If it sounds like AI, it performs like AI. Generic copy = generic results."
4. Sending Strategy: More Accounts, Fewer Emails Per Inbox
What goes wrong: Sending 100+ emails per inbox daily = blacklist city.
What to look for:
30–40 emails per inbox/day max (with real domains: Google or Outlook)
Ongoing warm-up while campaigns are live
Multiple inboxes to distribute volume
Example: One client was blasting 100+ per inbox. Within a month, their entire domain was blacklisted.
"The cheaper the setup, the more accounts you need—and the less each should send."
Cold Email Isn’t a Hack. It’s a System.
The agencies that win focus on long-term infrastructure—not short-term volume.
Use this checklist before you hand over your domain (and budget) to someone promising quick wins:
✅ Proper infrastructure and warm-up
✅ Validated, segmented lead lists
✅ Real human copywriting
✅ Sustainable sending strategy
Want help building a system like this? Book a call with my Co-Founder Martin here.
