What We Learned Sending 10,000 Cold Emails (So You Don’t Have To)

Go-to-market teams, we all know email is becoming harder and while I’m a BIG advocate of getting back on the phones, here are some email takeaways you can learn from our experiment.

Sending cold emails can feel like throwing messages into the void, hoping something sticks. After sending over 10,000 cold emails, we've gathered invaluable insights to save you time and amplify your results.

Here's exactly what we learned:

Key Insights from Our 10,000 Email Experiment:

1. Personalization Beats Volume—Every Single Time:

• Mass emailing got us response rates around 1-2%, but targeted personalization boosted replies up to 20%.

• Even minimal personalization (mentioning recent company news or the prospect’s role) significantly improves engagement.

• Important: Personalization must be relevant and impactful, avoid superficial connections like, "Hey, saw we went to school together 53 years ago!"

2. Timing Matters, A Lot:

• Emails sent Tuesday through Thursday had consistently higher open rates.

• Early mornings (7-9 AM) and late afternoons (4-6 PM) were peak response times.

3. Shorter is Better:

• Emails under 100 words drastically outperformed longer messages.

• Clearly stating value in the first sentence improved read and reply rates significantly.

4. Direct Questions Drive Engagement:

• Open-ended questions had higher reply rates than generic calls to action.

• Questions specifically addressing a known pain point doubled the effectiveness of our outreach.

5. Follow-Up Is Essential (But Timing Varies):

• A second email within 2-3 days saw the highest conversion rates.

• Follow-ups after one week had diminishing returns unless timed around a specific trigger event (new hire, funding, or industry news).

Surprising Findings:

• Simple text-based emails outperformed graphically designed emails—plain text increased reply rates by up to 15%.

• Avoiding buzzwords increased credibility—terms like "AI-powered" or "revolutionary" reduced open rates by nearly 25%.

• A clear, specific subject line consistently won over cleverness or curiosity-based tactics.

Real-World Example:

Instead of:

Try:

Quick Tips to Remember:

• Prioritize relevance and simplicity in every message.

• Optimize send times to maximize visibility and replies.

• Keep follow-ups structured around timely, meaningful triggers.

Bottom Line:

Cold email isn't about quantity, it's about strategic precision. Apply these insights and stop guessing, start generating results.

Key Takeaways:

• Personalization and brevity dramatically improve outcomes.

• Thoughtful timing and clear messaging consistently outperform high-volume approaches.

• Follow-ups are critical, but keep them timely and trigger-based.

Happy emailing! Turn insights into pipeline today.