B2B cold email: the complete guide to getting replies
Targeting, deliverability, copywriting, follow-up sequences and metrics: a step-by-step method for B2B cold email campaigns that book real meetings.
Cold email is still one of the most cost-effective channels for winning B2B customers, on one condition: it has to reach the right people, land in the inbox and make them want to reply. This guide walks through the method we use, step by step.
What is a B2B cold email?
It is an email sent to a professional who does not know you yet, offering a solution related to their work. It is different from a newsletter (sent to subscribers) and from spam (mass mailing with no targeting and no way to opt out). A good cold email reads like a message written by hand for one person.
Before anything else, check that your prospects' country allows it: see our guide Is B2B cold email legal under GDPR?
Step 1: define exactly who to contact
Targeting drives most of the result. Describe your ideal customer:
- the company: sector, size, location, useful signals (hiring, opening a new site, raising funds);
- the person: the role that feels the problem and the one that makes the decision (they are not always the same);
- exclusions: current customers, competitors, accounts already in negotiation.
Start from your ten best customers: what do they have in common? A list of 500 well-chosen contacts will deliver more than 5,000 loosely matched addresses.
Step 2: get deliverability right
An email that ends up in spam might as well not exist. The basics:
- dedicated sending domains, close to your brand, to protect the reputation of your main domain;
- SPF, DKIM and DMARC authentication set up on every domain (Gmail and Yahoo have required it from bulk senders since 2024);
- gradual warm-up: a few dozen emails a day at first, increasing over several weeks;
- verified addresses before sending, to avoid bounces that damage your reputation;
- a sensible volume per inbox, spread across several addresses rather than one.
Step 3: write an email people want to answer
The structure that works has four parts and fewer than 120 words:
- A short, specific subject line (2 to 5 words), with no capitals and no overblown promises.
- An opening line about them, not about you: an observation about their company or role.
- The problem and your answer, in one or two concrete sentences.
- A single closing question that is easy to say yes to: "Is this something you are looking at right now?" rather than "Are you free Tuesday at 2pm for 45 minutes?".
Example:
Subject: your sales team's expense claims
Hi Claire, with ten new sales reps joining your team, I imagine expense claims are piling up in finance. We help finance teams approve them in a few clicks, receipts included. Is this something you are looking at right now?
Step 4: build your follow-up sequence
Most replies come after the first follow-up. A typical sequence:
| Timing | Content | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Day 0 | The main message |
| 2 | +3 to 4 days | A short follow-up that adds something new (an example, a public figure, a question) |
| 3 | +5 to 7 days | A different angle on the problem |
| 4 | +7 days | A final, polite message that leaves the door open |
Stop the sequence as soon as someone replies, even if the answer is no, and honour any opt-out request immediately.
Step 5: handle replies and measure
An "interested" reply is worth gold for a few hours, not a few days: respond quickly and suggest a call. To manage your campaigns, track:
- the reply rate and above all the positive reply rate;
- the number of meetings booked, then deals closed;
- the bounce rate and spam complaints, which point to a list or deliverability problem.
Open rates are no longer reliable: some email clients open messages automatically to protect their users' privacy.
The most common mistakes
- Sending the same generic message to everyone.
- Talking about yourself for three paragraphs before mentioning the customer's problem.
- Sending from your main domain without any preparation.
- Adding lots of links, images and attachments, which trigger spam filters.
- Measuring opens instead of positive replies.
Frequently asked questions
How many cold emails can I send per day?
From a properly warmed-up inbox, a few dozen emails a day is reasonable. To scale up, add more inboxes and domains rather than increasing the volume from a single address.
What is the best time to send a cold email?
On weekdays, during the recipient's office hours. Content and targeting matter far more than send time.
Should I personalise every email?
Yes, at least the opening line and the problem you mention. AI now makes personalisation possible at scale, as long as you check that what it writes is accurate.
Is cold email legal?
In the UK and France, yes in B2B, subject to conditions. Other countries are stricter: read our guide Is B2B cold email legal under GDPR?