Cold Email Isn't Dead—You're Just Doing It Wrong

There’s no shortage of opinions about cold emailing—and most of them are wrong.

I hear it all the time: “Cold outreach is outdated.” “Nobody reads emails anymore.” But the data tells a different story.

According to a 2024 Belkins study, cold emails are still generating average reply rates of 5.5%, climbing to 6.9% with just one well-timed follow-up. And when executed with precision, the impact is even more powerful—C-level executives are 23% more likely to respond than lower-level contacts.

So why do so many sellers fail to break through?

Because they’re skipping the strategy.

Here’s what the best cold emailers do differently:

🔹  They send at the right time

• Wednesday mornings between 7–11 a.m. yield the highest response rates—up to 7.1%. 

• It’s not about blasting inboxes; it’s about timing and intent.

🔹 They keep it short and personal

• Messages under 100 words, with a personalized subject line, far outperform long-winded pitches. 

• Mentioning the recipient’s name or company boosts open rates by 50%.

🔹 They follow up (but not forever)

• One follow-up can increase responses by 50%. 

• But there’s a cliff after that—too many follow-ups lead to diminishing returns and burned trust.

🔹 They sell to the account, not the individual

• Targeting 5–8 stakeholders inside a company can double your chances of getting a meeting. 

• Modern sales is multi-threaded.

🔹 They ask better questions

• The best emails don’t just pitch—they provoke curiosity. 

• “How are you solving [specific problem] at scale this year?” That’s a door opener.

Let’s be clear: cold outreach isn’t a magic bullet. But in a world of shrinking buying committees, elongated sales cycles, and overflowing inboxes, relevance is your competitive edge.

So no, cold email isn’t dead.

Lazy email is.