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How to write a cold email that gets replies
Write cold emails that get replies: under 100 words, one specific question, no attachment, sent to a named person. Structure, example lines and realistic reply rates.
- 3 August 2026
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How do I write a cold email that actually gets replies?
Cold emails that get replies are under 100 words, ask one specific question instead of pitching, mention something true about the recipient's business, and come with no attachment or link in the first message. A well-targeted list with this structure typically gets 8–15% replies; a generic pitch to a bought list typically gets under 1%.
Last updated 3 August 2026
| Element | Effect on replies | Typical reply rate impact |
|---|---|---|
| Personal detail specific to them | Signals it's not mass-sent | +3–6 points |
| One question, not a pitch | Lowers the effort to respond | +4–8 points |
| Under 100 words | Gets read on a phone in 10 seconds | +2–4 points |
| Link or attachment in email one | Triggers spam filters, feels salesy | -2–5 points |
Do this
The steps, in order.
- Step 1
Find a real, specific reason to write to this person
A recent hire, a product launch, a comment they made publicly. One true sentence about them beats any line about you.
- Step 2
State the problem in their words, not your feature list
'Most teams your size lose an afternoon a week doing X by hand' reads as understanding; 'our platform automates X' reads as a pitch.
- Step 3
Ask one specific, low-effort question
'Is this still handled manually on your team?' takes ten seconds to answer. 'Want to see a demo?' takes a decision.
- Step 4
Cut it to under 100 words and remove every link
Read it back and delete a third of it. Save the link or deck for the reply, once they've shown interest.
- Step 5
Send from a real person's inbox, not a no-reply address
Replies go up when the sender is clearly a human who can be emailed back directly.
- Step 6
Follow up once, five days later, with something new
Not 'just checking in' — add one new piece of information, a relevant example or a shorter version of the question.
Worth knowing
The bits people get wrong.
The single biggest lever isn't wording, it's targeting. A mediocre email to the right 50 people beats a perfect email to the wrong 500. Spend more time picking the list than polishing the sentence.
Reply rates above 20% are unusual and usually mean the list is very narrow and very well matched, not that the copy is exceptional. Treat anything sustained above 15% as a sign the list, not just the message, is working.
Questions
Follow-up questions.
What's a good cold email reply rate?
8–15% is a solid outcome for a well-targeted B2B list with a specific ask. Under 2% usually points to a targeting problem, not a wording one.
Should a cold email include pricing?
No, not in the first message. Pricing invites a yes/no decision before trust exists. Save it for once they've replied and asked.
How many follow-ups should I send?
One or two is usually enough. Each follow-up should add something new rather than just repeating the ask; reply rates drop sharply after the third message.
Does personalisation at scale with tools still work?
Tag-based personalisation (name, company) alone rarely moves reply rates much anymore, because recipients recognise the pattern. Genuine, specific detail that took a human a minute to find still works well.
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