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Case study

Cold email case study: six real users on what FirstSales changed for them.

No made-up numbers and no invented customers. This page collects six public reviews of FirstSales, quotes each one word for word with a link to the source, and shows the part of the product each review is about. Then it shows you how to run the same test on your own domain for $1.

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  • 01

    Six public reviews, quoted word for word

  • 02

    Every review links to where it was posted

  • 03

    Each one mapped to the part of FirstSales it describes

  • 04

    Test the same setup yourself: $1 for 3 days

Why we built this page this way

Most cold email case studies are hard to trust.

You have seen the pages. A logo you cannot check, a reply rate with no context, and a chart that only goes up. We would rather show you less and have all of it be true.

Numbers with no source

A reply rate or a revenue figure means little when you cannot see the list, the offer, the market or the time frame behind it. Cold email results depend on all of those, so one headline number tells you almost nothing about your own results.

Customers you cannot check

A quote with a first name and a stock photo could be anyone. Every review on this page links to the public post on Trustpilot, G2 or X, so you can read it in full and see who wrote it.

Only the best case

A single great campaign is easy to show and hard to repeat. What matters more is whether the basics work for ordinary users: setup, reaching the inbox, and an app you can actually run. That is what these reviews talk about.

Six real reviews

What FirstSales users said, word for word, with the source.

Each card below is a public review of FirstSales from Trustpilot, G2 or X. We quote it exactly, link to where it was posted, and then show which part of the product the review is talking about.

  • PDPooja Dhole@ThisIsPoojaD · X

    What they said

    “If you are looking to fix your sales pipeline, you should definitely try [it]. My open rate has increased drastically. The UI and UX are easy to understand, even for a beginner like me.”
    What the review points to
    A pipeline that needed fixing, better open rates, and an app a beginner could find their way around.
    Where this lives in FirstSales
    Setup checks your domain records on connect and warms up each mailbox, so emails have a fair chance of being opened. The app is built so a first campaign takes one guided flow, not a manual.
    Read the full reviewHow inbox placement works
  • SBSadashiv B.Founder, small business · G2

    What they said

    “User Interface, Ease of Use, Able to hit the inbox in the first attempt.”
    What the review points to
    The interface, how easy it is to use, and reaching the inbox on the first attempt.
    Where this lives in FirstSales
    SPF, DKIM and DMARC are checked when you connect a mailbox, warm-up runs for 21 days in 3 phases, and a health grade shows how each mailbox is doing.
    Read the full reviewCold email software
  • MOMike OTrustpilot review · Trustpilot

    What they said

    “One of the biggest pains in cold email is making sure that you have your DNS setup correctly. Firstsales has created a system to make sure you have done this correctly.”
    What the review points to
    Getting DNS right, which the reviewer calls one of the biggest pains in cold email.
    Where this lives in FirstSales
    When you connect a mailbox, FirstSales checks SPF, DKIM and DMARC and tells you what is missing before you send anything.
    Read the full reviewCold email outreach guide
  • SKSanthosh K.Founder and CEO, small business · G2

    What they said

    “One of the best email outreach tools I have ever seen in my 9 years of business experience. It has solved the problem of email outreach for my cold emails.”
    What the review points to
    Nine years in business, and email outreach finally solved for cold emails.
    Where this lives in FirstSales
    The whole loop sits in one app: finding leads, writing each email from the company and role, following up, and stopping when someone replies or opts out.
    Read the full reviewAI SDR
  • PSPaweł StelmachSmall business owner · Trustpilot

    What they said

    “I've been using FirstSales.io for several months now, and I can confidently say it has revolutionized how I approach lead generation and customer acquisition.”
    What the review points to
    Several months of use, and a new way of approaching lead generation and customer acquisition.
    Where this lives in FirstSales
    AI leads come from AI search and Google Maps, so you can start from a description of your ideal customer instead of a bought list.
    Read the full reviewAI SDR
  • KSKaushal S.Founder, small business · G2

    What they said

    “I have always struggled in cold outreach. However, Firstsales has provided an excellent tool for cold outreach.”
    What the review points to
    A long struggle with cold outreach, and a tool that helped.
    Where this lives in FirstSales
    You can start in template mode with no AI, or let AI Autopilot write drafts that wait in Needs approval until you approve, edit or reject them.
    Read the full reviewCold email templates

Reviews are shown word for word in their original English. Nothing has been shortened in a way that changes the meaning.

From reading to proof

Read what others found, then check it on your own domain.

Reviews tell you where to look. Your own trial tells you whether it works for your market. Here is the short path from one to the other.

  1. 01

    Read the six reviews

    Start with the cards below. Each one links to its source, so you can read the full review and see who wrote it.

  2. 02

    See what each one points to

    Under every review we show the part of FirstSales it describes, such as DNS checks, warm-up, lead finding or the approval queue.

  3. 03

    Run your own test

    Start a trial for $1 for 3 days. Connect a mailbox, build one small campaign, and judge the result on your own list.

What the reviews have in common

Four themes come up again and again.

Read the six reviews side by side and the same few things keep coming up. None of them is about a clever trick. They are about the basics working.

  1. 01

    Setup that gets DNS right

    Wrong or missing domain records quietly send good emails to spam. Reviewers point to setup that checks this for them, instead of leaving them to read DNS guides.

    Mentioned by

    • Mike O
    • Sadashiv B.

    Check it in your trial

    Connect one mailbox and read what the SPF, DKIM and DMARC check says about your domain.

  2. 02

    Reaching the inbox

    A great email in the spam folder does nothing. Reviewers talk about landing in the inbox early and about better open rates.

    Mentioned by

    • Sadashiv B.
    • Pooja Dhole

    Check it in your trial

    Look at the health grade and the warm-up phase for your mailbox after the first days.

  3. 03

    An app a beginner can use

    Several reviewers are founders, not full-time salespeople. Ease of use and a clear interface come up as often as any feature.

    Mentioned by

    • Pooja Dhole
    • Sadashiv B.

    Check it in your trial

    Time how long it takes you to build a first campaign without reading any docs.

  4. 04

    Outreach that finally works

    One reviewer had always struggled with cold outreach, and another says it solved email outreach for their cold emails. What they describe is not one feature but the whole job getting easier.

    Mentioned by

    • Santhosh K.
    • Kaushal S.
    • Paweł Stelmach

    Check it in your trial

    Run one small campaign end to end, from finding leads to reading replies in Unibox.

How to run the setupthese reviews describe

Five steps, in the same order the reviews talk about them: get the setup right, find the right people, write well, check before you send, and follow what happens next.

  1. Step 1 · Setup

    Connect a mailbox and let the checks run

    The most specific review on this page is about DNS. When you connect a Gmail, Outlook or SMTP mailbox, FirstSales checks SPF, DKIM and DMARC and shows what is missing. Warm-up starts on its own and runs for 21 days in 3 phases. Each mailbox gets a health grade, and monitoring checks it every hour, so a problem shows up early instead of after a campaign has gone out.

    • Records checked. SPF, DKIM and DMARC on connect.
    • Warm-up included. 21 days, 3 phases, every plan.
    • Hourly monitoring. A health grade for each mailbox.
  2. Step 2 · Leads

    Find leads from a plain description

    One reviewer says FirstSales changed how they approach lead generation. Instead of uploading a bought list, describe the people you want to reach. FirstSales finds AI leads from AI search, or from Google Maps when you sell to local businesses by place and category. You can still import your own list, and list checks skip Dirty contacts before anything sends.

    • AI search. Describe your ideal customer.
    • Google Maps. Local businesses by place and category.
    • List checks. Dirty contacts are skipped.
  3. Step 3 · Writing

    Teach the writer about you once

    Good outreach starts with knowing what you sell and who it helps. Add your product facts to the knowledge base, list what you offer in Offerings, and let the writing profile learn how you write. Each email is then written for one prospect, from their company and role. If you would rather write every word yourself, template mode sends your own email with no AI at all.

    • Knowledge base. Your product facts, added once.
    • Offerings. What you sell and to whom.
    • Writing profile. Emails that sound like you.
  4. Step 4 · Review

    Check the campaign before it goes out

    One reviewer says they had always struggled with cold outreach. A clear review step before launch helps with exactly that. Before launch, you see which mailboxes will send, how many contacts passed the list checks, and how the follow-ups are set. Drafts can wait in Needs approval, where you approve, edit or reject each one. Follow-ups stop on their own when someone replies or opts out.

    • Launch summary. Mailboxes, contacts and follow-ups.
    • Needs approval. Approve, edit or reject each draft.
    • Stops on reply. And on opt-out, every time.
  5. Step 5 · Pipeline

    Follow replies into deals

    Outreach only matters if replies turn into conversations. Every reply from every mailbox lands in Unibox. Interested people move into the built-in CRM, where you can see who is talking to you and what stage each deal is at. Meeting campaigns offer your Google Calendar or Outlook Calendar times, so a yes can become a booked call.

    • Unibox. Every reply in one inbox.
    • Built-in CRM. Deals by stage.
    • Meeting times. From Google or Outlook Calendar.
What the reviews point to

The parts of FirstSales these users talk about.

Each of these comes up in at least one of the six reviews, directly or through the problem the reviewer describes.

  • DNS checked on connect

    SPF, DKIM and DMARC are checked the moment you connect a mailbox, so you know what to fix before you send.

  • Warm-up in 3 phases

    Each mailbox warms up over 21 days in 3 phases, and warm-up comes with every plan.

  • Health grade and monitoring

    Every mailbox gets a health grade, and monitoring runs every hour.

  • Leads without a bought list

    Find AI leads from AI search and Google Maps, starting from a description of who you sell to.

  • Emails written per person

    Each email is written from the prospect's company and role, using your knowledge base, Offerings and writing profile.

  • You approve what goes out

    Drafts can wait in Needs approval, where you approve, edit or reject them before anything sends.

Run your own case study

How to judge FirstSales on your own list

A review tells you what worked for someone else. These habits help you find out, quickly and fairly, whether it works for you.

  1. 01

    Start with one mailbox

    You do not need your whole setup to learn something. Connect one mailbox on a domain you use for outreach and read what the DNS checks say first.

  2. 02

    Fix the records before you send

    If SPF, DKIM or DMARC are missing, fix them first. Sending before they pass only teaches you that broken setup does not work.

  3. 03

    Let warm-up do its job

    Warm-up runs for 21 days in 3 phases. A short trial is enough to see the setup and the app, but judge sending results once warm-up has had time.

  4. 04

    Pick one narrow audience

    Choose one kind of company and one role. A small, clear audience makes it much easier to tell whether the message works.

  5. 05

    Write one clear offer

    Put one offer in Offerings and say who it is for. Mixed offers in one campaign make results impossible to read.

  6. 06

    Read the drafts before they send

    Use Needs approval for the first campaign. Reading drafts shows you quickly whether the writer understood your product.

  7. 07

    Count replies, not opens

    Opens are a rough signal at best. Replies, and what people actually say in them, tell you whether the outreach is working.

  8. 08

    Write your own review

    After your test, write down what worked and what did not. That note is your real case study, and it beats any page like this one.

Your own case study:

test checklist

Use this list to run a fair test of FirstSales on your own domain.

  • One mailbox connected
  • SPF, DKIM and DMARC passing
  • Warm-up started
  • Health grade checked
  • One audience chosen: one kind of company, one role
  • Leads found or a list imported
  • Dirty contacts skipped by the list checks
  • Product facts added to the knowledge base
  • First drafts read in Needs approval
  • Replies read in Unibox, and your own notes written
Before and after

Cold outreach by hand or with FirstSales

The problems these reviewers describe, and what changes when one app handles them.

By hand

Separate tools, guides and spreadsheets.

  • DNS guessworkRead guides and hope the records are right.
  • Bought listsOld contacts and bounces.
  • One email for everyoneEasy to spot and ignore.
  • Replies everywhereSpread across several inboxes.
FirstSales

One app from setup to reply.

  • Records checkedSPF, DKIM and DMARC on connect.
  • AI leadsFrom AI search and Google Maps.
  • One email per personWritten from company and role.
  • One UniboxEvery reply in one place.
Side by side

A typical cold email setup or FirstSales

What you get, part by part.

A typical cold email setup made of separate tools compared with FirstSales
What you getTypical setupFirstSales
DNS setupDone by handChecked on connect
Warm-upOften a separate toolIncluded, 21 days
Mailbox healthVariesHealth grade, hourly checks
LeadsBought or exported listsAI search and Google Maps
List checksOften an extra costDirty contacts skipped
WritingOne templatePer person, or your own template
ApprovalRareNeeds approval queue
RepliesSeveral inboxesUnibox and built-in CRM
PriceOften per seatFrom $29/mo, $1 for 3 days
Start your $1 trial

Keep reading

Questions,answered plainly.

Can’t find yours? Write to us.

01Are these real customer reviews?

Yes. Each review is a public post on Trustpilot, G2 or X. We quote it word for word and link to the original, so you can read it in full and see who wrote it.

02Why are there no reply rates or revenue numbers on this page?

Because we cannot show you the list, offer and market behind any single number, and cold email results depend on all of them. We would rather show real reviews and let you test FirstSales on your own domain.

03Did you edit the reviews?

No. The words are the reviewers' own. Where a review is longer, we show an excerpt that keeps its meaning, and the link takes you to the full text.

04How can I get the same results?

We cannot promise any result, because it depends on your list, offer and market. What you can do is follow the same setup: connect a mailbox, fix the DNS records, let warm-up run, and start with one clear audience and offer.

05How long should I test FirstSales before judging it?

A $1 trial for 3 days is enough to see the setup checks, the lead finding and the writer. Warm-up runs for 21 days in 3 phases, so judge sending results once warm-up has had time.

06Do I need technical skills?

No. FirstSales checks SPF, DKIM and DMARC when you connect a mailbox and tells you what is missing. Warm-up and list checks run on their own.

07What does FirstSales cost?

Plans start at $29/mo with no contract. You can try FirstSales for $1 for 3 days and cancel from the dashboard at any time.

08Can I share my own experience?

Yes, please do. Public reviews on Trustpilot, G2 or X help other founders decide, and they help us see what to improve.

Outreach that keeps going after you log off.Leads, emails, follow-ups and replies, handled.

Connect unlimited mailboxes and let AI agents find leads, write each email and follow up. Or send your own templates in manual mode. From $29/mo.

Start your $1 trial See pricing

$1 for 3 days · Cancel anytime · No contract

Install with AI

Your coding agent sets up the FirstSales CLI and skills for you.

Prompt for Claude Code

I'm setting up FirstSales (https://firstsales.io), an AI outbound sales platform: campaigns, contacts, a reply inbox, deliverability and lead signals. Help me get my workspace sending real, good emails end to end, from Claude Code.

Read these first so you know how FirstSales works:
- Developer docs and API: https://developer.firstsales.io
- CLI: https://www.npmjs.com/package/@firstsales.io/cli
- Skills for coding agents: https://github.com/firstsalesio/firstsales-skills (read README.md and GUIDE.md)

Setup
1. Install the CLI: npm install -g @firstsales.io/cli
2. Install the FirstSales skills:
   claude plugin marketplace add firstsalesio/firstsales-skills
   claude plugin install firstsales@firstsales
3. Ask me if I already have a FirstSales account. If not, send me to https://app.firstsales.io to sign up.
4. Ask me to create an API key under Settings → API → API Keys, with only the scopes we need.
   Never ask me to paste the key into this chat. Tell me to run this in my own terminal, so the key stays hidden:
   read -rs FS_KEY && firstsales auth login --api-key "$FS_KEY"; unset FS_KEY
5. Run `firstsales whoami` and tell me which workspace and organisation we are connected to.

Then ask me about my business: what I sell, who I sell to (roles, company size, countries), my best customers, and what I use today for outbound (tools, lists, mailboxes). Walk me through:
1. Teaching FirstSales my business: website, offer, proof points and case studies in the knowledge base, so the AI writes like someone who knows the product.
2. Connecting my sending mailboxes and checking my sending domain: SPF, DKIM, DMARC and warm-up. If anything is unhealthy, tell me the exact DNS record to add.
3. Bringing in contacts: import my CSV or CRM export into a clean list, remove duplicates and bad emails, and block domains I must never email (customers, competitors, my own).
4. Building my first campaign: the right list, senders, steps and timing. Write the sequence with me, show me the drafts, and do not launch until I say yes.
5. Setting up Signals if it fits: find people engaging with LinkedIn posts about topics my buyers care about, and turn them into leads.
6. Inviting my team and giving each person the right access.

Once campaigns run, show me how to work the reply inbox from here: which replies need an answer, draft responses in my voice, and move good conversations into deals. If I use Cal.com, connect it so follow-ups can offer my booking link (not the first email).

Throughout, as you learn about my business, proactively suggest and help create:
- Reply templates for the questions and objections my prospects are likely to raise, based on my product, site and codebase if you can see them.
- Campaign ideas and segments worth testing, with the reason for each.

Safety rules:
- Show every change as a dry run (--dry-run) first and wait for my yes. Never send emails, launch campaigns or delete anything without my yes.
- Tell me before anything that spends credits, and how many.

Be opinionated. If the docs give a sensible default, just use it. Don't make me choose between five options.
Developer docs ↗npm: @firstsales.io/cli ↗GitHub: firstsales-skills ↗