Week 1 — Foundation (Days 1–7)
Day 1: Set up Your Domain
Verify SPF, DKIM, DMARC. MyProspectPro handles sending infrastructure — you handle DNS records at your registrar.
Day 2: Import Your First 100 Contacts
Use the CSV template or Google Contacts export. Tag by segment on import so future targeting is easy.
Day 3: Draft One Template
Cold intro, 3–4 sentences, one ask. Use Live Preview to sanity-check merges.
Days 4–7: Send 10–20 Emails/Day
Small, deliberate batches. Watch bounces closely — clean addresses before scaling.
Week 2 — Cadence (Days 8–14)
Day 8: Turn on the 4-Touch Sequence
Configure your first automated cadence. Day 0 / Day 3 / Day 8 / Day 21 (see the Follow-Up Sequence guide).
Day 9: Segment Your List
Break your 100+ contacts into 3–4 buckets by industry or role. One template per segment beats one universal template.
Days 10–14: Ramp to 40–60/Day
Add 10 more/day. Volume increases should feel steady, not spiky.
Week 3 — Optimization (Days 15–21)
Day 15: Read Your Dashboard
Check open rate (>25% healthy), reply rate (>3% healthy), bounce rate (<3% healthy).
Day 16: a/B Test One Subject Line
Two variants, same body, same segment. See the A/B Testing guide for how to run it credibly.
Day 18: Handle Replies
Every reply gets a same-day response. Use the reply templates from the Turning Replies Into Meetings guide.
Days 19–21: Ramp to 100–150/Day
Only if bounces stayed under 3%. If not, slow down and clean the list.
Week 4 — Scale (Days 22–30)
Day 22: Refresh Your Worst-Performing Template
The one with the lowest reply rate. Rewrite the opening line, keep the rest.
Day 24: Cleanup
Remove unengaged contacts (0 opens across 4 touches) from your active list. See the Cleaning Your Contact List guide.
Days 25–29: Steady State at 150–200/Day
Consistent daily volume beats occasional bursts. Your domain reputation depends on rhythm.
Day 30: Review the Month
Meetings booked, reply rate, best-performing subject line, best-performing segment. Set goals for month 2.
Do
- Warm the domain slowly — daily volume increases of no more than 2x.
- Reply within 24 hours to every response, positive or negative.
- Keep bounce rate under 3%. Clean the list the moment it spikes.
- Log which templates and subjects perform best each week.
- Take one deliberate action every weekday — momentum beats intensity.
Don't
- Don't send 500 emails on day 1. Domains that spike get flagged.
- Never re-import the same list weekly — it multiplies bounces and complaints.
- Don't ignore unsubscribes; they protect your reputation.
- Skip weekends for cold sends — reply rates crater and your list feels harassed.
- Don't switch templates mid-cadence — variance masks what's actually working.
Pre-Send Checklist
- 1Domain authenticated (SPF, DKIM, DMARC).
- 2Contacts imported and segmented.
- 34-touch cadence configured.
- 4Bounce rate monitored daily.
- 5Every reply answered within 24 hours.
- 6One A/B test run before day 21.
Frequently Asked Questions
What if my open rate is under 20% in week 2?
Two likely causes: subject lines aren't landing, or emails aren't reaching the inbox. Check the Staying Out of Spam guide, then rewrite subject lines.
How many contacts should I have by day 30?
800–1,500 is a healthy month-one list for one SDR. Quality matters more than volume — 500 great contacts beat 3,000 mediocre ones.
When can I safely go above 200/day?
After 60+ days of consistent sending with bounce rate <2% and complaint rate <0.1%. Even then, ramp by 25% per week, not overnight.
Should I take a break at day 30?
No — momentum is compounding. Cadences launched in week 3 don't finish until week 5. Keep the daily rhythm and iterate.
Run Your Best First Month Ever
MyProspectPro handles the sending, tracking, and follow-ups so you can focus on the message.