How can a good Sequence Score benefit your cold email sequences?

Sending cold email campaigns may seem easy to boost sales, but a lot comes before you hit the send. Small oversights like failing to verify prospects, not adding multiple sending accounts, or using spam trigger words can accidentally send your emails to the spam folder.

To help avoid these unintentional overlooks, we thought of a functionality that auto-detects potential issues and alerts you before you launch any cold email sequence. So you can confidently avoid such mistakes. 

So we added Sequence Score to Saleshandy, a checklist for cold email campaigns. If it spots any potential pitfalls, it will let you know. You can use these alerts to make necessary changes to your sequence. 

This blog discusses how Sequence Score can boost your cold email sequences. You don’t need to fear a low Score; instead, see it as an indicator pointing to potential improvements that can enhance your email sequences.

Is Sequence Score good or bad for Cold email sequence?

Let’s clear a common misconception about Sequence Score. A low Sequence Score doesn’t mean you should not send cold emails to your prospect.

Consider it an opportunity to analyze your content, technical setup, subject lines, or overall approach. Some elements can be adjusted to better resonate with your audience, increase engagement, or improve the deliverability of your sequences.

Let’s understand once again what exactly the Sequence Score is.

A Sequence Score measures the quality and effectiveness of your cold email sequences. It measures three key elements: Email Account Setup, Sequence Setup, and Email Writing.

These factors are evaluated individually, and their Scores are combined using weighted average ️to calculate the final Sequence Score.

How to Check Your Sequence Score?

After setting up your email sequence in Saleshandy, assessing your Sequence Score is straightforward. Follow these steps:

1️. Sign in to your Saleshandy account and navigate to the Sequence tab to view an overview of your sequences, including their status (active or finished).

2️. To review your Sequence Score and pinpoint areas for improvement, access the Sequence Score tab within the Sequence section.

Here, analyze the factors influencing your Sequence Score and understand why it might be low.

Now, let’s see what your Score indicates.

What does your Sequence Score say about your email Sequence?

Before discussing your email Sequence Score, let’s be clear: this isn’t a report card after the test. Think of it more like a heads-up before a test. If you see anything marked in red alerts, don’t worry – you can fix and optimize those areas before they become problems. It’s all within your control.

Remember to always check the Sequence Score before sending your emails. A healthy Sequence Score directly impacts the performance of your sequences and contributes to better overall results.

Here is what the  Score range looks like. It is always advisable to keep your Sequence Score above 70; something beyond that is great!

This score chart is designed to assist you in identifying any overlooked elements in your sequences that may contribute to a lower Sequence Score. 

We’ve prioritized these elements based on their significance in ensuring the success of your cold email campaigns.

Essential steps:

1. Technical Setup:

The most important thing is to authenticate your domain; if not done, that could be why your email might land in spam.

Go to your Sequence Score page and check which authentication has not been updated or done. It, will show you the following:

Authenticate your domain using SPF, DKIM, and DMARC to enhance email deliverability.

You will see the resource with every alert in the Sequence Score. Click on it and do your setup.

2. Number of active email accounts linked in the sequence

This count of currently connected email accounts participating in the sequence influences the reach and response rate. If you are reaching out to many prospects, this is a must.

You can easily connect multiple accounts in saleshandy and enable sender rotation.

Check how many email accounts you need based on this calculator here. 

3. Daily Sending quota:

The maximum number of emails you can send daily matters; it is important to stay within the limits imposed by your email service provider to avoid potential issues.

You can easily set up this limit with Saleshandy Ramp up.

4. Clean and verified prospect list

Email often gets outdated, or your prospect might change jobs. If you send them to their old email addresses, they might never open and respond to the emails.

You don’t need to go anywhere else to verify your emails. With Saleshandy, you can easily verify it.

5. Follow-Up Steps

Number of Follow-Ups added signifies the total number of steps in the sequence, highlighting the depth and persistence of your email engagement. It is recommended to do multiple follow-ups while reaching out to your prospects.

They might miss the first email, or the second might grab their attention more, increasing the chances of higher replies. 

Sequence Score recommends you add 3-5 steps for effective results.

6. Spammy Words in Email:

The presence of potentially spammy or intrusive words in the content of your email’s first step can land you in spam as ESPs detect such words. 

Here are a few examples of such words:

• Guarantee
• Limited time offer
• Act now
• Once in a lifetime
• Earn money fast
• Cash
• $$$
• Discount
• Free
• No cost
• Risk-free
• Link tracking is off 

Saleshandy auto detects these words for you and alerts you in Sequence Score to remove them.

7. Use merge tags that don’t exist in your account:

It evaluates whether you have used merge tags in your email that are unavailable or defined in your user account, ensuring accurate personalization and preventing errors.

You might add some merge tags that are not already present in Saleshandy. You need first to create custom merge tags to add them. Saleshandy detects such merge tags from your email copy and alerts you.

These are a few basic steps before sending any cold email campaigns to avoid getting in spam boxes or your cold email not being up to mark.

Moderately Recommended Actions

8. Interval between two emails:

If your email sending speed is reasonable, it can prevent spam issues. Ensure you have set up proper intervals in Saleshandy to maintain the speed.

Although Sequence Score recommends this, you can keep your speed as per your requirement, and it is not a must-have step while creating your cold emails.

9. Turn Off the Link and Open the tracking:

Link tracking or open tracking can affect your deliverability, as ESPs don’t see it as a good practice.

Once you know your emails get enough engagement and are not landing in spam, you can turn them off.

You can add one link in your email copy if sharing something or getting a click is your goal.

10. Disconnected email accounts:

There might be email accounts that are no longer connected or active, which can impact the effectiveness of your outreach. This happens when the system auto disconnects certain accounts because of some error.

Saleshandy Sequence  Score alerts you on this to ensure everything is on track.

11. Plain text vs HTML content:

An optimal HTML and text ratio is crucial for effective email communication. It’s essential to balance HTML elements and plain text within your emails. 

Emails that rely heavily on images without sufficient text content may trigger spam filters. Aim for a harmonious blend of well-crafted HTML elements and informative text to enhance deliverability and ensure your messages are well-received.

12. Email age:

Sequence  Score recommends you to do outreach with old domains as they have a good reputation. But you might be starting with a cold email, and there is no way you might have an old email account.

In such cases, it is okay to do outreach from a new account and gradually build the account’s reputation.

Less Urgent Steps

13. Number of variants used (first step):

This detects different variants of the email copy you added to your sequence step.

Although recommended, it should not stop you from sending cold email campaigns.

14. Merge tag used in subject line and email copy(first step):

It quantifies the count of merge tags employed in the body of your email’s first step, allowing for personalized content and enhanced recipient engagement.

You don’t always need the exact number of merge tags that the Sequence Score suggests; it depends on you. But personalization always works in emails.

15. Spintax used (first step):

This factor assesses whether you have utilized Spintax in the first step of your email, providing versatility and diversity in your message delivery.

Although Sequence Score recommends it, it depends upon the number of prospects you are reaching out to.

It is highly recommended if you are reaching out to many prospects, but if not, you can skip it.

16. Number of words the email body contains (first step):

This factor counts the total number of words in the body of your email’s first step, influencing the length and readability of your message.

It is totally up to you how lengthy of an email copy you want to keep, but it just reminds you to check it.

17. Sequence Status:

 Sequence Status, if paused by the system, decreases the  Score by a certain amount, reflecting the impact of a halted sequence on its overall effectiveness.

But you can pause and resume the sequence anytime as per your requirement.

Conclusion

In conclusion, while the Sequence Score serves as a valuable guide to optimizing your cold email campaigns, it’s crucial to understand that a low  Score should not deter you if the basic prerequisites are in place. Every campaign is unique, and certain customizable aspects may contribute to a lower  Score, which is acceptable if you have followed all the best practices. 

Therefore, let the Sequence Score be a compass for refinement rather than a barrier, ensuring that your cold email endeavors are well-prepared and aligned with proven strategies before initiating any campaign.