Cold Email
2026-09-25 · 5 min read
Automating your cold email sequences means you write each email once, set the timing, and the platform handles everything. This guide walks through the exact steps to set up a working automated cold email sequence.
In TaskFirst, search by business category and US location to pull a list of matching companies with enriched contact data. Run email verification to confirm which addresses are deliverable before enrolling anyone.
A 4-step sequence is the standard: opening pitch, value-add follow-up, alternate angle, soft close. Write each email as plain text under 150 words. Use merge fields — {{first_name}}, {{business_name}}, {{city}} — to personalize automatically.
Create a new sequence in TaskFirst, add your email templates as steps, set delays (Day 0, Day 3–4, Day 7–8, Day 12–14), and set the exit condition to stop when a contact replies.
TaskFirst sends through your own email provider — Gmail, Outlook, Resend, or any SMTP. Connect your sending account in Settings. Sending from your own address keeps your sender reputation in your hands.
Select leads, choose your sequence, and confirm the launch. The sequence runs itself: each email sends at the correct interval, replied contacts stop receiving follow-ups, unsubscribes are permanently removed.
Review open rate (subject lines), click rate (CTA), and reply rate (north star). Run A/B tests on subject line and first sentence to push open rates from 25% to 40%+.
A 3–5 step sequence over 12–16 days is the standard. Research shows diminishing returns beyond 5 emails.