How Proshark Turned Bulk Email Into a High-Converting Revenue Engine

Why Bulk Email Still Works (When Done Right)

If you ask most marketers about bulk email, you’ll hear the same tired response: “That’s dead.”
They’ll tell you people don’t open mass emails anymore. That inboxes are flooded. That bulk means bland.

But at Proshark, we know the truth: Bulk email isn’t dead—it’s just badly done.

In fact, email is one of the highest-performing marketing channels in our entire revenue engine. It generates leads, closes deals, nurtures partnerships, and builds our brand daily. And yes, we send in bulk.

But here’s the difference: our emails don’t feel like bulk. And that’s exactly why they convert.

This is the story of how Proshark transformed what many businesses consider outdated into a powerhouse of predictable, scalable revenue—and how you can do the same.

The Starting Point: Cold Lists and Lukewarm Results

Like most companies, Proshark began with the basics:

• Purchased B2B lists
• Generic email copy
• Broad service descriptions
• No segmentation, no real personalization

The result? Predictable mediocrity.
Open rates hovered around 7–10%. Replies were rare. Conversations even rarer. The message wasn’t wrong—it just wasn’t relevant. And like many businesses, we asked the wrong question:

“Why isn’t bulk email working?”

The better question turned out to be:

“What would it take to make bulk feel personal?”

That was the turning point.

Step 1: Rebuilding the Infrastructure From the Ground Up

Before any copy was rewritten or lists refined, we fixed the foundation:

1. Warmed Domains & Deliverability First

We learned fast: if your email doesn’t land in the inbox, nothing else matters.

• We set up dedicated sending domains, separate from our main site.
• We configured SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records to protect sender reputation.
• We used Mumara and Mailwizz with warmed-up IPs and monitored reputation daily.

No tech stack? No conversions. That’s rule number one.

2. Strategic List Building, Not Just Buying

Instead of just buying lists, we built a data enrichment process:

• Scraped niche-specific data (with legal compliance)
• Validated emails before sending
• Appended firmographic data: industry, size, revenue, role, tech stack

Bulk without targeting is shouting into a void. Targeted bulk? That’s focused firepower.

Step 2: Personalization at Scale

Contrary to popular belief, personalization doesn’t require a 1-on-1 hand-typed message. It requires relevance.

At Proshark, we built a modular email system:

Modular Copy Blocks:

Each email was a mix of:

• Industry-specific pain points
• Role-based intros (e.g., “For Operations Managers…”)
• Solution plug-ins tied to Proshark’s core services (AI, automation, SEO, email marketing, websites)

By mixing and matching modules, we could send personalized-at-scale campaigns to 10,000 people with 100+ variations.

This wasn’t fake personalization. It was tailored messaging, based on real segmentation.

Smart Subject Lines:

No more “Quick question…” or “Let’s connect.”

We tested subject lines that:

• Asked bold questions: “Is Your Sales Funnel Costing You Clients?”
• Challenged assumptions: “You Don’t Need More Traffic—You Need Conversions”
• Promised insight: “See Why 89% of Your Clicks Go Nowhere”

Click-through rates jumped 3x.
Open rates passed 30% in most campaigns.

Step 3: CTA Strategy That Fit the Prospect’s Readiness

Too many emails push hard for a call when the prospect isn’t ready.
So we redesigned the conversion ladder in every campaign:

Tiered CTAs:

• Top Funnel: “See a sample report,” “Get a free audit,” “Send me use cases”
• Mid Funnel: “Compare pricing,” “Book a quick call,” “Explore packages”
• Bottom Funnel: “Start your project,” “Talk to a strategist,” “Get a proposal”

This approach reduced resistance while increasing engagement.

Prospects who weren’t ready to talk still entered the funnel—on their terms.

Step 4: Follow-Up Sequences That Feel Like Conversations

One email rarely does the job. We created a 7-email sequence framework:

1. Introduction: Who we are, what problem we solve
2. Pain: Highlight the cost of inaction
3. Proof: Showcase client stories and numbers
4. Offer: Free assessment, audit, or quote
5. Objection Handling: “I’m not ready,” “This won’t work for us”
6. Comparison: How we outperform agencies or in-house options
7. Last Touch: Scarcity or no-pressure follow-up

Every email added value—not just reminders.
No spam. No chasing. Just genuine, structured progression.

Open rates stayed high through the entire sequence.
And yes, people responded on email 6 and 7 all the time.

Step 5: Feedback Loops and Continuous Refinement

We didn’t “set and forget.” We tracked everything.

We Measured:

• Open rate
• Click rate
• Response rate
• Positive replies
• Bounces
• Conversion rate from email → booked call → deal closed

Then We Adjusted:

• Rewriting emails with low response
• Swapping subject lines monthly
• Segmenting based on engagement
• Removing bad leads fast

This loop turned email into a living system—one that improved with every send.

Step 6: Layering In Automation Without Losing Humanity

Proshark’s secret weapon? Automation with intention.

• Calendly auto-triggers for hot replies
• CRM tagging for sales prioritization
• Custom lead scoring based on email behavior
• AI Chat agents for warm prospects who clicked but didn’t book

We treated email as part of a bigger conversion system, not a standalone channel.

This is how we turned a “bulk” process into a highly intentional sales engine.

Results: From Cold List to Closed Deals

Since implementing this full approach, Proshark’s bulk email system has become a predictable pipeline driver:

• Email open rates: 28–45% across industries
• Click-through rate: 8–13% average
• Positive response rate: 5–7% (reply, quote request, booking)
• Lead-to-close rate: 12% within 30 days
• Return on email investment (ROI): 14x across Q1–Q2

It doesn’t just support the sales team. It fuels them.

More importantly, bulk email now plays a central role in our outbound growth strategy, instead of being an afterthought.

The Biggest Misconceptions About Bulk Email (And Why They’re Wrong)

Let’s break down what most people get wrong:

"Bulk = Spam"

Reality: Spam is irrelevant, untargeted, and careless.
We send bulk email that’s targeted, modular, and value-driven. Big difference.

"No one reads cold emails anymore"

Reality: People don’t read bad cold emails. Ours get replies daily.

"You need a huge team to personalize at scale"

Reality: You need systems, not headcount. Modular copy + segmentation = scalable personalization.

"Email is outdated"

Reality: Email is one of the few channels where you own the relationship—not the algorithm.

Takeaways: How to Build Your Own Bulk Email Engine

If you want to turn bulk email into a revenue channel like Proshark, here’s the 80/20:

1. Fix Deliverability First
   Set up warmed domains, use clean IPs, and monitor your sender score.
2. Segment Like a Pro
   Don’t send to everyone. Send what matters to who it matters to.
3. Write Like a Human
   Be clear. Be relevant. Be helpful. No fluff. No jargon.
4. Structure a Sequence
   One email is a shot in the dark. A well-planned series is a conversation.
5. Measure and Iterate
   Track what works. Cut what doesn’t. Never assume.
6. Use Automation for Timing—Not for Tone
   Let tech do the heavy lifting, but keep the messaging warm and intentional.

Conclusion: Bulk Email Isn’t Dead—Yours Just Needs a Strategy

What made Proshark’s email marketing successful isn’t magic—it’s method.

We didn’t reinvent email. We respected it. We rebuilt it. And we used it as a system, not a shot in the dark.

If you’re still stuck sending email that feels like yelling into the void, maybe it’s time to rebuild your engine too.

Because when done right, bulk email doesn’t just reach people—it moves them.

And when that happens? You don’t just get opens.

You get business.