Things we don’t recommend | Don'ts

To get the best results from your AiSDR campaigns, it’s just as important to know what not to do. Below are some common mistakes users make during campaign setup — and why we recommend avoiding them.

1. Don’t enable open rate tracking, unsubscribe links, or add links in your signature by default

While these may seem like harmless additions, they can negatively impact your deliverability. Here's why:

• Open rate tracking inserts a hidden pixel in every email.

• Unsubscribe links and external links in signatures are often flagged by spam filters.

• Including these elements in every email increases the risk of your emails landing in the spam or promotions folder — especially during the early warm-up phase.

2. Don’t include links in initial outreach emails

Adding links in your first-touch email can be a red flag to spam filters, particularly when sending cold outreach.

It also shifts the focus away from your message. Early-stage emails should be short, personalized, and focused on sparking interest — not on pushing someone to click.

Instead, focus on writing clear, relevant messaging and save the links (decks, case studies, booking links, etc.) for later replies.

3. Don’t write overly long or formal emails

Long, formal emails tend to underperform for cold outreach. Here's why:

• Most prospects skip emails — and if the core message isn’t clear in the first few seconds, it gets archived or ignored.

• Formal intros like “Hope you're doing well” or lengthy background info dilute your core message and lose attention fast.

Instead, stick to short, sharp, and well-angled messaging. It’s more engaging, easier to personalize, and proven to convert better across industries.

4. Don’t skip LinkedIn steps — especially in tough industries

We’ve seen some customers choose not to use LinkedIn steps — but in industries like software development, IT services, and consulting, this can be a missed opportunity.

Especially in competitive markets, hitting your leads from multiple angles often makes the difference between silence and a booked meeting.

5. Don’t create a campaign with leads from multiple time zones

AiSDR campaigns are designed to send emails within local business hours — a key factor in visibility and reply rates.

Instead, we recommend creating separate campaigns per region or time zone, so each lead receives your message at the optimal time.

6. Avoid mixing completely different industries or roles in one campaign

Combining multiple, unrelated industries in a single campaign makes it difficult to write messaging that resonates. Each industry has its own language, pain points, and context — and trying to speak to all of them at once usually results in generic, low-performing outreach.

The same applies to mixing different seniority levels (e.g. C-suite + mid-level managers). Messaging that works for a VP likely won’t land the same way with a specialist or coordinator.

7. Avoid running bulk searches before validating your audience description

If you're unsure whether your audience description will return the right leads, don’t run a full bulk search right away.

Instead of pulling 500+ leads upfront, start with a small batch of 10 to evaluate relevance. Once you confirm the quality, you can scale the search confidently.

This is especially important when using CSV company imports. If you're uploading a list of companies, reduce the "leads per company" setting to around 10 leads per company initially. This prevents performance issues and helps you validate lead relevance before scaling up to larger batches.

Testing smart saves time and credits.

8. Don't overload your audience description — more criteria aren't always better

AiSDR's Cold Outreach Search lets you describe your ideal audience in plain language instead of filling out a long form of filters. But adding too many strict requirements, unrelated details, or must-have conditions can narrow your search unnecessarily and exclude good-fit prospects.

The goal isn't to describe everything about a potential buyer. It's to explain who is a good fit and why reaching out to them makes sense now.

This approach keeps your targeting specific without unnecessarily limiting the pool of qualified prospects.

Learn more: How to Find the Right Audience for Cold Outreach and Meet Ami: Your AI GTM Engineer.