Insights

Cold Email Isn’t Dead – You’re Just Doing It Wrong

22.07.25

Author: James Thomlinson

22.07.25

Cold email still works. Better than you think.

I’ve been running some cold outreach recently – and the results have reminded me how effective it can be when it’s done properly. No spray-and-pray. No templates. Just:

✅ A clear proposition
✅ A tightly defined list
✅ Genuine personalisation
✅ A helpful CTA

It’s not about volume – it’s about relevance. Campaigns with <200 prospects and proper personalisation are seeing 20%-30%+ reply rates. Compare that to <5% on generic blasts. Huge difference. What’s working:

✅ Focused lists I can genuinely help
✅ Specific references to something they’ve said or done
✅ Kind, spaced follow-ups (4–7 emails = 3x replies vs. 1–3)
✅ Being helpful, not salesy

Cold email won’t close deals. But it will open doors – for conversations, feedback, and pipeline growth.

Don’t bin the channel. Tweak your inputs. Relevance > reach.

Lmk if we can embed a system and process for you.

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