Learn how to get replies to cold emails using real examples, follow-up strategies, and templates that consistently book meetings.
Getting people to write back to your emails is tough. It’s even harder when they’ve never heard of you before.
I’m going to show you how to get replies to cold emails by writing emails that actually get responses. We’ll cover what to say in your first email, how to follow up without being annoying, and some templates that help you get meetings. The best part? You won’t sound like you’re trying to sell something. I’ve sent a lot of emails to strangers, and I’m sharing what actually worked for me.
How to Get Replies to Cold Emails
Figure Out Who You're Emailing
First, you gotta know exactly who you want to talk to. Like, what’s their job called? Do they work at big companies or small ones? What problems bug them every single day? Write down 3 to 5 things that probably stress them out.
Do Some Detective Work (Takes About 15 Minutes)
Go check out their LinkedIn page. Did they post anything recently? Did they just start a new job? Look at their company’s website. Are they hiring a bunch of people? Did they just make something new? Google their company name and see what pops up. Did they just get a bunch of money from investors? Did someone new become the boss?
Find ONE specific thing you can mention that’s actually real.
Think About What Bugs Them
What problem keeps them awake at night? What does their boss judge them on? What’s stopping them from doing a good job? Write down 2 or 3 real problems. Not boring general stuff.
How to Actually Write A Cold Email
This section breaks down how to write a cold email that gets attention and starts real conversations.
Start With Something That Makes Them Pay Attention
Say something specific about their company or job. Or talk about a problem they probably have right now. Don’t say stuff like “I hope you’re doing well.” Just skip all that.
Like:
👉 “I saw you just opened a new office in Austin. That’s awesome.”
👉”Your sales team went from 5 people to 15 people in six months.”
👉 “Most companies like yours lose half their deals because people can’t make decisions. Saw you’re hiring a ton of people, so this might matter to you.”
Show You Actually Get Their Situation
Prove you did your homework. Talk about something they probably deal with. Make it about what’s happening now.
Like:
👉 “When you hire that many people that fast, you gotta train them super quick without messing up the quality.”
👉”When teams grow that fast, usually fewer people reply to emails, and it gets harder to close deals.”
Give Them Something Helpful
Tell them something they might not know. Or show them how you helped someone just like them. Be specific. Don’t be vague.
Like:
👉 “We helped another company go from taking 90 days to train new people down to just 28 days. And those people did 34% better at their jobs.”
👉 “I made you a quick 2-minute video showing exactly how we fixed this for another company. No boring stuff, just what actually worked.”
Ask for Something Small
Don’t ask them to jump on a call right away. Ask for something tiny. Make it super easy to say yes.
Like:
👉 “Want to chat for 15 minutes?”
👉 “Does this sound like what you’re dealing with?”
👉 “Think this might be worth looking into?”
Rules You Can't Break
Keep It Short
One idea per line. Don’t write lines longer than 15 words. Empty space between lines helps people read easier.
Talk Like a Normal Person
Don’t use fancy business words that nobody actually says. Write like you’re texting someone smart. If you wouldn’t say it out loud to a friend, delete it.
Be Super Specific
Instead of saying “companies like yours,” name an actual company. Instead of saying “problems in your industry,” say “the exact problem you probably see in month 3.” Instead of saying “we help companies,” say “we helped this specific company increase this exact thing by this much.”
Make It About Them
Count how many times you say “you” versus how many times you say “I” or “we.” Try to say “you” three times more. Talk about their problems way more than your stuff.
Only Ask for One Thing
Don’t give them a bunch of choices. Don’t say “let me know if you want to chat OR see a demo OR meet up.” Just ask for one thing. Make it clear.
What to Do When They Don't Reply (Cold Email Follow up)
This section explains exactly how cold email follow up works and why most replies come after the first message.
First Email: Day 1
Send the good email we talked about above.
Second Email: 3 Days Later
Mention something new you noticed. Share a different helpful thing. Don’t just say “hey, following up.”
Example: “Hey, I saw your team just posted 3 job openings yesterday. If you’re growing that fast, that training problem I mentioned is gonna get worse. Quick question: how long does it take your new people to book their first meeting?”
Third Email: 7 Days Later
Admit they probably aren’t interested. Make it easy for them to say no. Keep it friendly.
Example: “Hey, I’m guessing this isn’t important to you right now. That’s totally fine. If things change or you want to see how another company fixed this exact problem when they were growing, just let me know. Otherwise, I’ll stop bugging you.”
Only Fourth Email: 2 Weeks Later or Morefor One Thing
Only send this if something NEW happened. Like you got a new success story, or there’s new news about their industry. Don’t just “check in.”
How to Get Better Every Week
Track These Numbers:
1️⃣ How many people open your email (this tests your subject line)
2️⃣ How many people reply (this tests your actual email)
3️⃣ How many people actually book a meeting (this tests if you’re finding the right people)
Try New Stuff Every Week:
👉 Test 2 different subject lines and see which one wins
👉 Try different opening sentences
👉 Write a 100-word email and a 150-word email, and see which gets more replies
👉 Change how you ask them to do something
Save the Good Ones:
📌 Every time someone replies with something positive, save that email
📌 Every time you convince someone who said no at first, write down what you said
📌 Every opening line that works, save it and use it again (but change it a little)
Emails You Can Actually Use Right Now
Below are simple cold email templates you can copy, customize, and send today.
When You Want to Talk About Their Problem:
Subject: Question about training your new salespeople
Hey [their name],
I saw you’re hiring 4 new salespeople this month.
Most companies take 60 to 90 days before new people start doing well.
We helped [name a similar company] cut that down to 21 days by changing how they train people and giving them help on their calls.
Want to take a quick look?
[Your name]
When You Have Something Smart to Share:
Subject: About how you’re reaching out to new customers
Hey [their name],
Quick thing I noticed—the customers you’re trying to reach look a lot like [their competitor]’s customers.
That other company was wasting leads because only 2% of people replied to their emails. Then they changed one thing in their first sentence.
Their reply rate jumped to 18% in two weeks.
I sent you a 90-second video explaining it.
Let me know what you think.
[Your name]
When Something Big Just Happened to Their Company:
Subject: Nice job on getting that funding
Hey [their name],
Congrats on getting that $15 million—I saw it in the news.
Most companies that just got money like that struggle to find good customers when they start growing their sales team.
We helped [similar company] keep closing 30% of their deals even after they doubled how many people they had.
Got 15 minutes to talk?
[Your name]
Extra Tricks That Work Really Well
Make Them a Video:
Record a 60-second video for people you really want to talk to. Show them their website or talk about something specific about them. Say their name in the first 3 seconds. This makes 3 to 5 times more people reply.
Write the First Line Just for Them:
Write the first sentence completely custom for each person. Then use the same basic template for the rest. Saves time but still feels personal.
Contact Them in Different Ways:
Send email. Look at their LinkedIn. Comment on one of their posts. Then send another email. Don’t try to sell them stuff on LinkedIn. Just be friendly and helpful. This makes them recognize your name when you email them.
Give Them Proof:
Make a 1-page PDF showing how you helped another company. Mention it in your email: “I attached how we did this for [company name].” This makes it feel more real.
What to Do Each Week
✅ Monday: Find 25 new people to email. Do deep research on the top 10.
✅ Tuesday: Write end the first 10 emails. Go look at the LinkedIn pages of the next people10 custom emails. Schedule when to send them.
✅ Wednesday: S you’re gonna email.
✅ Thursday: Follow up with people from last week. Write and send 10 more emails.
✅ Friday: Look at your numbers. Save the emails that worked. Plan who you’re emailing next week.
The Big Thing That Changes Everything
Stop thinking: “How do I make them respond?”
Start thinking: “How do I prove I deserve their attention?”
Your email is fighting against:
→ 50 other emails from strangers that day
→ Messages from their coworkers
→ Problems they gotta fix right now
→ Actual work they need to finish
You win by:
→ Showing up with something actually helpful
→ Proving you understand what their life is like
→ Making it super duper easy to say yes
→ Not wasting their time
What You Should Do Right Now
Pick 5 people you want to reach this week. Spend 15 minutes learning about each one. Write 1 email using that first template I showed you. Send it. See what happens. Then do it again.
The difference between getting 2 people out of 100 to reply versus 25 people out of 100 isn’t about being naturally good at this. It’s about doing your homework, being specific, and actually caring about the person you’re emailing.
The difference between getting 2 people out of 100 to reply versus 25 people out of 100 comes down to learning how to get replies to cold emails the right way.
Share this article who are also looking for answer on how to get replies to cold emails
Cold Email FAQs:
1. What is a good response rate for cold emails?
You’ll usually get 1-10 replies for every 100 cold emails you send.
→ 1-3 replies = normal (basic emails)
→ 4-7 replies = really good (targeting the right people)
→ 8-10+ replies = excellent (super personalized)
But don’t just chase numbers. Getting 5 replies from people who actually want to talk beats getting 20 replies from people who don’t care.
2. How many follow-up emails should I send if I don't get a reply?
Send 3 to 5 follow-ups after your first email. Most people actually reply to the second or third message, not the first one.
→ Make each follow-up count by adding something new:
→ Share a helpful tip
→ Show their problem from a different angle
Mention something happening at their company
Skip the ‘just checking in’ messages. They’re boring and get ignored. Give people a real reason to write back.
3. Does personalizing the subject line actually increase replies?
Yes! Personal subject lines get 20% more opens.
Make it about them by mentioning:
→ Their company name
→ What they do at work
→ Something new happening there (like hiring people or getting money)
More opens = more replies. Just make sure what you say actually matters to them, or it won’t work.
4. How long should a cold email be for maximum engagement?
Keep your cold emails between 50 to 125 words.
Short emails work better because:
→ People can read them quickly on their phone
→ You’re not wasting their time
→ You’re just trying to start a chat, not tell them everything
Remember: your goal is to get them to reply, not to explain your whole pitch in one email.
5. What are the best times and days to send cold emails?
Send cold emails in the middle of the week, during morning hours.
Best times:
→ Tuesday to Thursday
→ 8 AM to 11 AM (their time zone)
Skip Mondays, everyone’s inbox is packed. Fridays don’t work well either because people are checked out for the weekend.
