What are common cold email mistakes to avoid?

Cold email mistakes compound quickly. The most damaging:

Bad list sources: Purchased or scraped lists contain outdated addresses, spamtraps, and people who never consented. High bounce rates and complaints follow.

Skipping warmup: Sending high volume from new domains or IPs triggers immediate filtering. Gradual warmup is essential.

Excessive volume: Sending hundreds of emails daily from a single domain burns reputation quickly. Sustainable volume depends on engagement quality, not ambition.

Deceptive tactics: Fake reply indicators (Re:), false urgency, or misleading sender names damage trust and often violate regulations.

Ignoring bounces: Continuing to send to invalid addresses signals poor list management. Remove hard bounces immediately.

Missing authentication: No SPF, DKIM, or DMARC means messages fail basic trust checks before content is even evaluated.

No opt-out mechanism: Required by law in most jurisdictions and expected by recipients. Missing unsubscribe options generate complaints.

Aggressive follow-ups: Too many messages, too close together, to people who haven't responded. Persistence becomes harassment.