B2B Cold Outbound Set Up
On this page, you'll understand how to set up your modern B2B outbound infrastructure
How To B2B Outbound
Purchasing Domains
The first step in setting up outbound, is making sure you can send cold emails. If you already have a domain, you're a step ahead. However, if you don't, you'll need to purchase one for a landing page and for your professional email. For cold outbound purposes, you'll need to have a primary domain and secondary domains.
Primary Domain
This is the main domain your business will use for branding and customer interactions. For example, if your business is called Neonleads you might want to secure www.neonleads.com or a similar variation. This is the domain you will use to interact with customers for every day interactions and will typically be firstname@domain.com / jack@neonleads.com
Secondary Domains for Cold Outreach
To safeguard your primary domain’s email reputation, it's critical not to use it for sending mass cold emails. Spam filters and poor deliverability will negatively impact your sending reputation. Buy several secondary domains for cold outreach. You could use slight variations of your primary domain. ie getneonleads.com, tryneonleads.com, assuming the primary is neonleads.com
How Many Domains Should You Buy?
The number of secondary domains depends on how many emails you want to send. For example, if you plan to send 1,000 emails per week, we would recommend securing 7 secondary domains. We recommend sending 30 emails per day per DOMAIN to avoid triggering spam filters while maintaining high deliverability rates. Therefore (7 x 30 x 5 = 1,050) / 7 domains x 30 emails per day x 5 days (Monday-Friday) = 1,050 outbound emails per week
Steps to Purchase a Domain
1
Search for Available Domains
Use any domain hosting site (e.g., GoDaddy, Namecheap, Porkbun).
Use the search bar to type in your desired domain name and check its availability. The system will often show you similar options if your first choice is taken.
If you're unsure about the perfect name, use domain suggestion tools offered by some providers to generate ideas or just use chat gpt to give you some variation ideas for domains.
Always go for .com domains, they’re typically around 10$ per year. You can also go for .io or .ai for example, but these will typically be set at a higher pricepoint.
There is no advantage in deliverability going with a .io or .ai, however one could say it does add validity to your business at first glance.
2
Select Your Domain
Once you find an available domain, add it to your cart.
Consider purchasing multiple domains (refer to the previous section on how many domains you should buy or click here)
3
Choose Privacy Options (WHOIS Protection)
When you buy a domain, your contact information is publicly available unless you purchase WHOIS Privacy Protection. This service hides your details from public databases, preventing spam or unwanted contacts. Most providers offer this either for free (like Porkbun) or for an extra fee. We typically do no purchase this when securing domains.
4
Add Optional Services
You may be prompted to add services such as email hosting, SSL certificates, or website builders. You can skip these if you're only focused on domain registration for your secondary domains.
5
Complete the Purchase
Proceed to checkout, where you'll finalize your purchase. Domain prices typically range from $9 to $15 per year depending on the registrar and the type of domain.
Pay attention to auto-renew options—most hosting services default to auto-renew to prevent losing your domain accidentally.
See Tools section for a comparison of different domain hosting websites
1
Visit Microsoft 365 Admin Center
2
Create an Admin Account
During the sign-up process, you will create an admin account. This will typically be something like firstname@yourdomain.com
3
Verify Domain
You will need to verify your domain to prove ownership.
Create Users with Email Addresses
1
Navigate to Users Section
In the left-hand menu, go to Users
Click Add New User.
2
Fill in User Details
Enter the user’s first and last name.
Create a username (this will become their email, e.g., john@yourdomain.com).
Select the Domain you'd like to use
3
Assign a License
Choose which license (e.g., Business Premium) to assign to the user.
Microsoft 365 requires that each user has an active license to access the email and other services.
4
Set User Permissions
Determine whether the user should have admin permissions or standard user access.
5
Finish and Create
Click Finish to create the user. They will now have an email address and access to the Microsoft 365 suite.
1
Visit Google Workspace
Go to Google Admin Sign Up and choose a subscription plan that fits your business.
2
Create Your Admin Account
During the setup process, you will create an admin account like firstname@yourdomain.com (you can send emails from this user)
3
Verify Your Domain
Create Users with Email Addresses
1
Navigate to Users
In the Admin Console, go to Directory > Users.
Click Add a User.
2
Fill in User Information
Enter the user’s first and last name.
Assign a username (this will be their email address, e.g., jane@yourdomain.com).
Select the domain you'd like to use for this email
3
Create User
Click Add User to finish the process. The user will now have an email address and access to Google Workspace.
Configuring Domains for Deliverability
DKIM
DKIM is used to authenticate that your emails haven’t been tampered with during delivery.
For Google Workspace
1
Generate DKIM Key in Google Admin Center
Go to the Google Admin Console > Apps > Google Workspace > Gmail > Authenticate email.
2
Once you generate the key, Google will provide a TXT record.
3
Enable DKIM in Google Admin Console
Return to the Admin Console and click Start Authentication.
The record is propagated usually within 48 hours
For Microsoft 365
1
Enable DKIM Key in Microsoft Admin Center
Go to Microsoft Admin Center > Type DKIM in the search bar and select DKIM
Select the domain for which you want to enable DKIM.
Slide the toggle to Enable.
A pop-up window will appear, click Create DKIM keys button.
2
Microsoft will provide two CNAME records for each domain, something like:
selector1._domainkey.yourdomain.com
selector2._domainkey.yourdomain.com
Go to your domain provider’s DNS settings and add these CNAME records as provided by Microsoft.
3
Enable DKIM in Microsfot Admin Console
After adding the records, go back to the Microsoft Admin Center and activate DKIM for the domain by toggling it to enable
DMARC
DMARC protects your domain from unauthorized use and helps prevent email spoofing.
For Google Admin & Microsoft Admin
1
Create a DMARC Policy
The record will look like this:
Host: _dmarc
Value: v=DMARC1;p=reject;sp=none;pct=100;rua=mailto:email@yourdomain.com;ri=86400;aspf=s;adkim=s;fo=1
TTL = default
You can replace the p=reject to p=quarantine if you'd like, either or is fine
2
Add DMARC Record
Testing and Verifying Configuration
1
Test SPF, DKIM, and DMARC
2
Ensure you only have one SPF record
With certain Domain hosting sites, when you activate your domain, it will automatically generage an SPF record. Please delete any duplicate records, as you should only have one SPF record
This process ensures that your emails are authenticated, reducing the chances of being flagged as spam and protecting your domain from spoofing attacks. Head to the Tools section to understand what tools you can use to maintain high deliverabilty and assure your domains are set up for success
For Google Workspace
1
Log into your Google Workspace Admin Console.
On your Account tab, select Domains tab.
Click Manage Domains.
Click 'Add a domain' link.
Select Secondary domain type and click Add domain & start verification
activate your Gmail, this will automatically create MX records for your domain. Go to your domain in Google Workspace.
Select the domain you want to activate Gmail.
Click on Activate Gmail link.
Choose 'Set up MX record' and click on 'Next.'
The MX and SPF records will then be added automatically for your domains
2
For some major domain providers (like GoDaddy), Google can integrate directly, simplifying the process by automatically adding the required records once you click connect
For other domain providers, Google provides records and asks you to manually enter them into the DNS settings of your domain registrar.
Check your DNS Settings of your Activated Domain
Record Type: TXTHost: @
Value: v=spf1 include:_spf.google.com ~all
Please make sure you have only 1 SPF record
For Microsoft 365
1
Activate your Domain in Microsoft Admin
Login to your Microsoft 365 Admin account.
Once you logged in, use the search bar and type Domains.
Click Add domain.
On Domains Wizard, input the domain name and click Use this domain.
Click Verify your domain.
2
Verify the MX, SPF, and CNAME in your DNS
For some major domain providers (like GoDaddy), Microsoft 365 can integrate directly, simplifying the process by automatically adding the required records once you click connect
For other domain providers, Microsoft provides records and asks you to manually enter them into the DNS settings of your domain registrar.
Record Type: TXT (Text)
Host:
@TXT Value:
v=spf1 include:spf.protection.outlook.com -all
Please make sure you have only 1 SPF record
1
Smartlead
2
Instantly
Go to Instantly.ai
You can create an account w/ the Growth plan for 37$/month allows for unlimited Email Warm Up
3
Lemlist
Go to Lemlist.com
You can create an account w/ the MultiChannel Expert for 79$/month which allows for unlimited Email Warm Up
1
Warming Duration
2
Email Maintenance
Maintaining these email best practices will save you a ton of hassle by avoiding spam filters in the long run
Start your Outbound Campaigns
Decide which Sending Tool you're going to Utilize
Smartlead ->Very user friendly, email only outreach. Some key features are AI responses, inbox rotation, personalization, analytics, email warming, and deliverability testing
Best for: Personalized outreach w/ Clay at scale
Instantly ->User friendly, email only outreach automation. Some key features are unlimited email sending, AI deliverability, A/B testing, built-in warm-up tools, lead generation, and website Visitors
Best for: High-volume, scalable outreach using website visitors feature
Lemlist -> Great multi-channel outreach (email, LinkedIn, calls). Some key features are Key Features are dynamic personalization, email warm-up (Lemwarm), and landing pages.
Best for: Multi-channel outreach
Apollo.io-> Best for lead generation and sales engagement. Some key features include a great database of B2B leads, multi channel sequencing, and integrations
Best for: Teams needing integrated lead generation and engagement tools that also want to use Apollo for lead generation
Overall: These are all great sending tools, but for quick set up and an all emcopassing set up, we would recommend starting with Apollo
Create Campaigns
Regardless of what tools you use, follow the basic guidelines below for your campaigns
Campaign Maintenance
Campaign KPIs: Open Rate>40% / Click rate>5% / Positive Response rate>1% / Bounce rate<2%
You can measure against click Click Rate + response rate by a/b testing copy and offers
In today's outbound climate, it's imperative that you incorporate Linked In outreach. LinkedIn outbound is extremely effective and can generate conversations within 1 day. Below is a list of tools you can use to get started.
Dripify: LinkedIn automation and lead generation. Some key features are automated LinkedIn sequences, CRM integration, analytics, and multi-account management.
Best for: Teams wanting to automate and personalize LinkedIn outreach at scale.
MeetAlfred: LinkedIn automation, email integration, team collaboration tools, and CRM features.
Best for: Comprehensive multi-channel campaigns (LinkedIn, email, Twitter) and team collaboration.
Apollo.io: Apollo does offer LI automation on top of their lead gen and email sequencing.
Key Features: LinkedIn integration, email sequences, CRM, prospecting database, and AI-powered Best for: Teams that are already using Apollo for lead generation and email outreach
1
Dripify
2
MeetAlfred
Go to Meetalfred.com
You can create an account w/ the Growth plan for 37$/month allows for unlimited Email Warm Up
Connect your email + LI account
3
Apollo
Go to Apollo.io
You can create an account w/ the MultiChannel Expert for 99$/month which allows for unlimited Email Warm Up
Download Apollo extension and connect your LI account for LI campaigns
Recap so far
1
Purchase domain + secondary domains
2
Set up email accounts on your domains
3
Configure DNS records for deliverability
4
At this point I’m sure you have some idea of your target market and this is a really important part of your process. When starting out cold outbound, the idea here is that you’re going to test everything extensively. Whether your doing cold outbound via email, LinkedIn, ads, guerilla marketing, you’ll want to know who your target is.
Target Market: How to Define and Refine It
Start by thinking what types of companies you can sell to (look at industry, funding, and company size). Then think about who in those companies you should sell to. If you're selling a marketing software you might target dir lvl folks that have Marketing titles.
1
Testing is Key
When beginning cold outbound campaigns, testing is critical. You'll need to test different audiences, messaging, and channels to see what resonates most with your potential customers. The goal is to figure out which combination of audience and messaging gets the best response rate.
Cold Outbound Channels: Start with LinkedIn + email channels. Test these channels seperately, then test campaigns where you combine both channels.
Subject lines: Create 5 different subject lines and anaylze weekly against your best perfofming open rates.
Click through rate vs positive reponse rate: Depending on what your goal is, test your copy with different target markets and measure against click through or positive responses
2
Defining B2B Target Audience
Since we’re focused on B2B lead generation, you'll need to start by looking at the types of companies that might need your services. Some common ways to define your target companies include:
Industry: Narrow down by vertical (e.g., SaaS, healthcare, finance, real estate).
Company Size: Consider targeting small businesses, mid-sized enterprises, or large corporations, depending on your services. Employee size can also help narrow down your market.
Funding Stage: For startups, how much they’ve raised or the stage of their growth can help you determine their needs and budgets.
Geography: Location can matter, especially if you have geographic limitations or opportunities.
3
Key Roles and Decision-Makers
Once you’ve identified target companies, focus on reaching the right people within those organizations. Typically, cold outreach is most effective when targeting decision-makers or influencers in specific departments. Here are a few examples:
Marketing Department: Target titles such as Director of Marketing, VP of Marketing, Head of Growth.
Sales: If you’re providing lead generation services, focus on VP of Sales, Director of Sales, Sales Operations Managers.
Operations and Strategy: For more operational solutions, you might focus on COOs, CFOs, or Heads of Operations.
Make sure to understand their pain points—what challenges they are likely to face in their roles and how your services can solve those problems.
At this stage, you should have a very in dept ICP or ideal customer profile based on Demographics (company size, revenue, industry), technographics (tech tools used), and firmographics (geographic reach, growth stage)
4
Lead Generation
To start build your lead lists, we recommend using the following tools
Apollo.io As mentioned previously, with Apollo, you can download contacts and add the contacts (with fully enriched emails, LI profiles, and other relevant data points) directly to your sequences or campaigns in Apollo
PhantomBuster PhantomBuster will allow you to scrape certain platforms like Instagram, LinkedIn, and certain websites like Wellfound. An alternative free scraper is Instant Data Scraper
Clay With Clay you can download companies or contacts into tables and then enrich data to unlock contact information. You can further enrich the data from there for things that indicate buying intent
Once you have unlocked a list of contacts, you will either add them directly to a tool like Apollo, or simply export as a CSV then upload to your automation tool, like Smartlead or Dripify. It is very important that you enrich or validate all of your contacts through your tool like Instantly, Clay, or a tool like bulkemailverifier.com (this helps keep a low bounce rate, which is important for deliverability)
Crafting Effective Messaging for Cold Outbound
The key to a successful outbound campaign isn’t just targeting the right market, it’s also about crafting the right copy that resonates with your audience. Here’s how you can approach your messaging:
1
Personalization
Messages that feel personalized have a much higher chance of receiving responses. Instead of generic outreach, use information about the recipient’s company or specific challenges they might be facing.
Clay Use Clay to enrich data on people based on their experiences, bio, social media activity. You can then add dynamic fields into your campaigns that allow for personalization
Hi {{first_name}}, I noticed you were using {{deubgging_tool}}
Hi first_name}}, I also use {{outbound_software}}, have you tried?
Hi {{first_name}}, I noticed started as {{role}} at {{copmany}} last month..
Role-Specific + Industry Specific: Tailor your messaging to the specific role of the person. For instance, if you’re contacting a VP of Marketing at a sales SaaS company, focus on challenges they face with lead generation and conversion rates, applied both to their role and their industry.
2
Value Proposition
In every message, make it clear what’s in it for them. Lead with your value proposition:
3
Call to Action (CTA)
Your CTA should be clear, concise, and relevant. For example:
Respond Positively: “Can we grab 15 minutes tomorrow at 2 so I can show you live and I will provide x right after the call?"
Request an Audit: “Here’s how we helped Company achieve a 40% increase in lead conversions. Can I send over a custom audit that would highlight our approach to {{company}}?
4
Follow-Up
Don’t rely on one email or message. Follow-ups are crucial, as many potential leads don’t respond right away. Use a sequence of emails.
Create follow up campaigns for when you do get responses. Stay very organized with your leads and follow ups.
5
A/B Testing Your Copy
Just like testing your target market, you’ll also want to test your copy. Run A/B tests to see which messages and formats get the best open and response rates. Change small elements like subject lines, intro lines, and CTAs.
Scaling
1
CRM
As you begin to scale your otreach, you will want to implement a CRM where you can track all of your deals and leads. We recommend Pipedrive, as it is userfriendly and has decent integrations with multiple outbound tools
2
Tools & Automations
Setting up automated follow up campaigns, auto responses with AI, auto team updates when deals close, and essentially removing all manual tasks are things that should begin to be set up as you begin to scale your outreach.
There is a lot more detail required to explain how to scale your outreach and for that reason, we ask you to check out the next section of our guide. Please head there to get a better understanding and guidance on how to set up these tools and automations.
Let's Go Even Deeper
Now that you've got the basics down, you should be automating your outbound emails and LinkedIn interactions. Click below to get some use cases with more tools and really start building out a well oiled outbound machine.
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