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Subject

Deliverability consulting from someone who builds mail servers.

For whom
Companies and SaaS that send from their own servers or at high volumes, agencies that manage sending for several clients, e⁠-⁠commerce.
Sender
Riccardo Matera, CEO and founder of MailSenpai.

Your sending is yours, and so is your domain’s reputation. I work on it hands-on inside the infrastructure, as I do every day for MailSenpai and SMTP Senpai, instead of advising from the sidelines. I bring the experience of years of sending, billions of emails to almost every part of the world, and of providers followed one by one as their rules change.

Consulting

Three ways to work together on your sending.

The first reply is free. I read your request and tell you whether and how I can help. Then we start with the deliverability analysis, which is paid, and from there we decide whether something needs building or whether ongoing support is enough. No commitment until you accept the written proposal.

01 One-off

Deliverability analysis

I look at your domain, authentication, IP and domain reputation, your list and the way you send. You receive a written report with the causes and the order in which to fix them, and I answer your questions on it in writing.

  • Written report with priorities
  • Reading of DNS records and headers
  • Delivery tests on the main providers
  • Written answers to your questions on the report
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02 Project

Building the sending infrastructure

I design and configure the dedicated relay or MTA, the IPs and domains, the warm-up, DNS and authentication, and monitoring. The same work I do for MailSenpai and SMTP Senpai, applied to your sending.

  • Dedicated relay or MTA on Linux servers
  • IPs and domains with a warm-up plan
  • SPF, DKIM, DMARC and bounce handling
  • Monitoring, testing and documentation
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03 Ongoing

Monthly support

I stay by your side month after month. Together we read the reputation signals and the DMARC reports, and together we handle blocks, volume changes and new domains.

  • Regular reputation checks
  • Reading DMARC reports and feedback loops
  • Action on blocks and blocklists
  • A technical point of reference who knows your infrastructure
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The path of an email

Four steps, no surprises

  1. you You tell me about your case Write in the form what is happening and what you would like to achieve. I read the message myself and reply personally, in writing and free of charge, telling you whether and how I can help.
  2. me Written proposal If I can be useful, you receive a proposal for the deliverability analysis, with activities, timing and cost. No commitment until you accept it.
  3. me Deliverability analysis It is the first paid piece of work. I start from what is public, such as DNS, email headers and blocklists, ask you only for the data that is needed and deliver a written report, then answer your questions on it in writing.
  4. together Work and verification If the report shows that something needs building or ongoing support, we put it in a new proposal. Then I do the work or support your team, we check the results on real sending and I leave the documentation.

Who I work with

Who I work with, and who I don’t.

I say it up front, so that neither of us wastes time.

accepted

  • You deal with me from start to finish, not with an intermediary
  • Clear explanations in plain language, even if you are not technical
  • Written documentation of what we change
  • Access only when needed, preferably read-only

rejected

  • Anyone who buys lists or sends to contacts without consent
  • Anyone who wants to send in bulk without first building the reputation of IPs and domains
  • Anyone looking for a guaranteed inbox straight away, which nobody can honestly promise because the provider has the final say

Frequently asked questions

Before you write to me

Do you also work with people who don’t use MailSenpai?

Yes. Consulting concerns your domain, your servers and the way you send, whatever platform you use. If at some point MailSenpai or SMTP Senpai could be useful to you I will tell you, but it is not a condition.

Can you guarantee that my emails reach the inbox?

No, and I would be wary of anyone who promises it. The final decision lies with Gmail, Outlook and the other providers. What I can do is remove the known technical causes, put authentication and reputation in order and give you a way to measure how your emails arrive.

How does a consultation work?

Remotely and in writing, by email. The first reply is free and tells you whether and how I can help. Then we start with the deliverability analysis, which is paid and begins only after you have accepted a written proposal. From there, if needed, we work step by step with checks on real sending.

Do you need the passwords to my systems?

Not to begin with. A lot can be understood from public DNS records, from the headers of an email and from the reports you already receive. If access is needed later, we agree on it and I prefer it read-only.

How much does it cost?

It depends on the scope, an analysis is not an infrastructure to build. The first reply is free, then you receive a written proposal with activities, timing and cost, before we start. No commitment until you accept it.

Do you also work on in-house sending servers?

Yes. I design and configure high-performance SMTP relays and MTAs on Linux servers, with DNS, bounces, feedback loops and monitoring, and I leave your team the documentation to manage them.

Do you also help with sending to purchased lists?

No. I only work with contacts collected in line with the rules and I do not help anyone get around filters. It is also the safest way to protect your domain.

Contact

Tell me about your sending

A couple of choices and a few lines are enough. I read every message myself and reply to you personally, in writing.

The first reply is free. I read your request and tell you whether and how I can help. If there is work to do together, we start with the deliverability analysis, which is paid, and there is no commitment until you accept the written proposal. I take on a limited number of clients at a time, because I also lead MailSenpai, SMTP Senpai and DataSenpai.

Prefer LinkedIn? Message me there

What you need

Roughly how many emails you send

How you send today

Two lines are enough, for example what you notice and since when. No password is needed.

Your data is used only to reply to you and never ends up in mailing lists.