What is a cold email?
A cold email is an unsolicited email sent to a prospect with whom the sender has no prior relationship. In B2B sales, cold email is the primary outbound channel for initiating contact with potential customers at scale — lower friction than cold calling, higher volume than LinkedIn.
A cold email is an outbound email sent to a prospect who has no prior relationship with the sender. It's the primary prospecting tool for B2B outbound — lower friction than a cold call, higher reach than LinkedIn InMail, and fully automatable at scale. A cold email's only job is to generate a reply from the right person. Not to explain the product. Not to close a deal. To start a conversation.
What makes a cold email effective?
Four components. A subject line that earns an open without being deceptive — short (3–5 words), specific to the recipient where possible, not a promise the email doesn't deliver. A personalised opening line that proves the email wasn't mass-generated — a reference to something real about the company, the role, or the prospect's situation. A clear problem statement that resonates with the ICP's actual pain. A single, specific CTA — usually one question or a request for a 15-minute call. Everything else is noise.
How long should a cold email be?
Under 100 words for the first touch. The instinct to explain the product, prove credibility, and anticipate objections in the first email produces long emails that don't get read. The prospect doesn't know you yet. They're not going to read 300 words from a stranger to find out why they should meet you. Short emails that establish relevance in the first two sentences get read. Long emails get deleted. Write the first email as if you have 15 seconds of the reader's attention — because you do.
What is a cold email sequence?
A cold email sequence is a series of follow-up emails sent to a prospect who doesn't reply to the first touch. Most B2B reply rates for cold email are 3–8%, which means 92–97% of people don't respond to a single email. A sequence runs 4–6 steps over 3–5 weeks, with each step offering a different angle or value point. The break-up email at Step 5 consistently generates 15–20% of total positive replies — from prospects who received multiple emails, showed implicit interest (opening them), but hadn't responded.
Is cold email legal?
In most jurisdictions, yes — with requirements. The US CAN-SPAM Act requires a physical address, clear sender identification, and an opt-out mechanism. GDPR in the EU applies to B2B cold email but has a legitimate interest basis that covers well-targeted B2B outreach to business email addresses. CASL in Canada is stricter — it requires implied or express consent. The rule of thumb: if you're emailing business contacts at their work email address with relevant business content and providing an opt-out, you're generally compliant in most markets.