Guide8 May 20265 min read
Follow-Up Emails Landing in Spam? Here's How to Fix Deliverability
A follow-up in the spam folder is worse than none — you think you chased, the customer never saw it. Deliverability is fixable, and it's mostly DNS.
A follow-up in the spam folder is worse than none — you think you chased, the customer never saw it. Deliverability is fixable, and it's mostly DNS.
The worst outcome in quote chasing is a follow-up that was sent but never seen. Here's how to stop that happening.
Receiving mail servers ask a simple question: is this sender allowed to send for this domain? Three DNS records answer it. SPF lists who may send for your domain. DKIM cryptographically signs your mail. DMARC tells receivers what to do when checks fail. Without them, legitimate mail looks like spoofing.
These are DNS entries at whoever hosts your domain — usually a couple of TXT records you paste in. Changes propagate within hours. If you use a custom sender domain, follow the setup instructions exactly; a single typo silently breaks authentication.
Less decisive than authentication, but real: avoid all-caps subject lines, keep links to a minimum, skip attachments in follow-ups, and write like a person. The warm, short style in the tone guide happens to be good for deliverability too.
A brand-new sending domain has no reputation. Sending steadily and getting engagement builds it. Sudden large volumes from a cold domain do the opposite.
Usually because the sending domain isn't authenticated for the service sending on your behalf. Adding the right SPF and DKIM records — and ideally DMARC — resolves most cases within a day of DNS propagating.
If deliverability matters to you, yes. Mail from your own authenticated domain builds sender reputation with your customers' providers and looks more legitimate in the inbox.
Auto follow-ups and branded online acceptance on your Xero quotes, with deposits coming soon. £16.79/mo after the trial — no card required.
Start free trialMost quotes that convert do so after the first send, yet most businesses only chase once. Here is how many follow-ups it actually takes, and exactly when to stop.
Deposit collection is a feature we're building for Quote Nudge. Here's why taking a deposit the moment a quote is accepted is such a powerful moment — and how we plan to make it effortless.