Email deliverability is a critical factor many organizations consider when selecting an Email Service Provider (ESP). Unfortunately, the landscape is rife with myths and misunderstandings about deliverability, especially concerning the role of deliverability staff at ESPs.
These misconceptions can range from outdated information to competitive untruths, but all deserve to be thoroughly dispelled. It’s important for companies to have a clear understanding of what they are—and are not—getting when they partner with an ESP.
Myth #1: Deliverability Staff Are Primarily There for Your Benefit
While deliverability staff do assist customers, their role has historically been, and largely remains, internal. Many entered the field as systems engineers, postmasters, or anti-spam activists. Their foundational objective is to protect the ESP itself from potentially harmful customers.
The primary job of a deliverability team is to safeguard the ESP’s network and reputation from “bad actors” and problematic email sending practices. A damaged reputation can negatively impact all customers on the network. By identifying and preventing bad actors and behaviors, deliverability teams ensure a cleaner sending environment for everyone. This protective role directly benefits the ESP’s entire client base by helping to maintain strong sender reputation.
Myth #2: Deliverability Assistance Means They’ll Fix It For You
When bad delivery performance arises, customers naturally seek assistance. However, there’s often a significant disconnect between what customers expect from “deliverability troubleshooting and issue resolution” and what deliverability staff provide.
Everyone agrees that troubleshooting involves identifying what went wrong. The major point of divergence, however, lies in “resolution.” Companies often assume resolution means the ESP will take direct action, such as arranging ISP whitelisting or blocklist delisting, without requiring changes from the client. In reality, deliverability experts know that true resolution primarily involves education and subsequent behavior modification on the client’s part.
For example, while a skilled deliverability professional can help remove an entry from the Spamhaus Blocklist (SBL), their first priority will be to ensure the underlying cause of the listing has been addressed. They understand that without fixing the root problem, the listing will simply recur. If your expectation is that an ESP will magically fix your deliverability issues without you needing to adapt your sending practices, it’s time to re-evaluate that perspective.
Myth #3: Deliverability Is About Relationships
While personal relationships might have played a role in email deliverability in the past, today’s landscape is vastly different. Modern spam filtering systems are highly complex and automated, driven by sophisticated algorithms. The days when an individual postmaster at an ISP could personally blacklist or whitelist your IPs are long gone.
Once, knowing the right people at major ISPs and being respected within the industry could offer a benefit of the doubt or help expedite issue resolution. Today, those key individuals have largely been replaced by automated systems. Therefore, any notion that you can rely on personal connections to gain a deliverability advantage is outdated advice. You’ll just have to hold on to that box of meat.
While the expertise of an ESP’s deliverability staff is crucial, if your selection criteria includes a checkbox for personal relationships with ISPs, you’re asking the wrong questions.
Myth #4: Some ESPs Have a Secret Sauce
This myth was unfortunately, in part, perpetuated by ESPs themselves. In an era with many less-sophisticated ESPs, deliverability could indeed be a competitive differentiator. However, the reality is that there are no secret handshakes, proprietary algorithms, or unique deliverability tricks known only to a select few insiders.
While some ESPs still struggle with basic email hygiene and platform management, resulting in poorer deliverability, there is no magical “deliverability edge” to be found through a secret sauce. If you’re searching for such an advantage, your efforts will likely be in vain.
What is the ESP with the best deliverability?
Instead of chasing myths, focus on what truly matters when selecting an ESP. Look for a provider with a deliverability staff that is genuinely knowledgeable and helpful. Seek out an infrastructure that is flexible, scalable, and meticulously managed. Finally, choose a company with a solid industry reputation and clients whose association you would be proud to share.