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March 4, 2025
Anwesha Mishra
Sending cold emails is easy; getting a response is hard.
With thousands of emails clogging our inboxes and spam filters working overtime, the margin for error is razor-thin. If you’re still following outdated advice, it’s no surprise your email response rates are in free fall. Wondering why?
Cold emails are often one of the first tools for starting out with lead generation. Done great, and they can open doors for lasting client relationships. But cold emails with a catchy, hooking subject line alone doesn’t cut it anymore.
About 45.6% of all emails sent worldwide are spam! Hence, email providers have become stricter than ever. Gmail uses AI to detect spam patterns. Apple masks open rates. Microsoft automatically archives anything & everything that looks ‘too salesy’. Room for being noticed has come closer to negligible.
But there’s still light at the end of the tunnel.
Cold email experts talk about how following a few rules can help you outsmart your competition. Let’s explore the essentials.
P.S. We’ve enlisted 12 rules throughout the blog, divided into the following three chapters—
Dig in!
Before we tackle technical solutions, you must understand this fundamental truth: Your prospect's brain is wired to ignore patterns.
When every sales email starts with “I hope this email finds you well,” or “I noticed your company,” pattern recognition kicks in, and your message gets mentally filed under 'typical sales pitch'.
What actually works:
Use AI. Here are some best AI tools to help boost your cold emailing efforts.
For research & personalization, use:
For writing & optimization, use:
What do email deliverability and your credit score have in common?
Ignore them, and doors start closing.
To improve your deliverabities,
Additionally, track a systematic A/B testing of subject line variations, email copy elements, call-to-action (CTA) placements, and spam complaint rates.
Flip the page to know how to improve your email deliverability rates.
ESPs (email service providers) like Gmail and Outlook have sophisticated filtering systems that scan for specific words commonly associated with spam. These trigger words can automatically route your carefully crafted emails straight to the spam folder, compromising your entire outreach campaign.
Common spam trigger words to avoid include:
| Related read: Checkout this list of 188 spam trigger words to avoid.
While it's challenging to memorize every spam trigger word, modern email outreach platforms like Email Chaser incorporate built-in detection systems that alert you when your content contains these problematic terms. This proactive approach ensures your emails maintain a professional tone and maximize their chances of reaching the primary inbox.
Although it might sound counterintuitive, removing open tracking can significantly improve your email deliverability.
Why open tracking should be avoided because:
Ensure following these actionable tips:
By eliminating open tracking, you improve your chances of landing in the recipient's primary inbox while also ensuring compliance with evolving privacy regulations.
Email warm-up tools have been widely advocated in the cold email community, but they may not be as effective as they claim to be.
Major ESPs like Google and Microsoft employ advanced algorithms that can detect artificial warm-up patterns, which may result in your emails being flagged.
Why are email warm-up tools ineffective?
Alternative strategies for better email deliverability:
By avoiding email warm-up tools and focusing on natural, organic email-sending practices, you can build a solid sender reputation and improve deliverability.
Your prospects are already drowning in “just checking in” and “wanted to follow up” emails. They don't need any more of that. The key is creating a synchronized multi-channel presence.
Besides, the magic isn't in the channels you use – but the story you weave across them. Each touchpoint should feel like a natural continuation of a conversation.
Modern email timing is about understanding your prospect's workflow patterns. For instance, a CFO might check emails at 7 AM before their day gets crazy. A creative director might be most responsive after their afternoon stand-up.
The real secret is pattern interruption. If every sales rep is hitting send on Tuesday morning, that's exactly when you shouldn't. Test unconventional timing – like Sunday evenings when executives are planning their week, or Thursday afternoons when they're wrapping up projects.
The best days to send emails are Tuesday and Thursday, showing the highest open and click rates. Moreover, timing solely isn't everything. Backlinko’s research says that sending emails to multiple contacts can increase response rates by 93%.
Shift from ‘self-centered’ copy to ‘client-focused’ copy. Your prospects won’t bother hopping on to a ‘quick call to discuss solutions’ unless it entails discussing their problems, challenges, goals, and reputation. Your email copy should address at least one of these – without being pushy!
Research indicates crazy stats about the cold emails that actually work:
Short, simple, and actionable. That’s how it should be. Short emails draw more attention over longer ones. Ensure these best practices for writing cold email to make them successful.
Next, build credibility by establishing shared business challenges. Your prospects need to know you truly understand their professional world and the obstacles they face. That's what makes you worth their time.
People naturally connect with others who understand their daily professional struggles. Focus on identifying and acknowledging these shared business challenges. It shows you're not just another sales folk, but someone who genuinely comprehends their world and might have valuable insights to offer.
Done with your cold emailing, it’s time to follow-up!
One follow-up is essential, but two or three can work wonders. Don’t just remind them; add value, share a relevant case study or invite them to a webinar to keep the conversation flowing.
To save time and effort, let AI do the heavy grinding. It’s crucial to opt for automation tools which don’t compromise the quality of your follow-ups.
Take Sybill, for example - it transforms meeting notes into crisp, context-rich follow-up emails that capture every nuanced conversation without breaking a digital sweat. (Interested in a free tour? Click here.)
Lastly, don’t rely on available cold email templates. A quick Google search shows hundreds of email scripts, but copying and pasting doesn't create connection.
Real outreach is about understanding each prospect's unique context. Instead of recycling ‘one-size-fits-all’ templates, thoughtfully and carefully personalize them.
Keep the above 12 principles in mind for your cold email success. Create your own winning templates. Follow the same practice for your follow-up emails.
In case you’re looking for a brainstorming partner, Sybill generates tailored, non-robotic, personalized templates from your past emails. Fascinating, isn’t it?
Book a demo to check out how.
Sending cold emails is easy; getting a response is hard.
With thousands of emails clogging our inboxes and spam filters working overtime, the margin for error is razor-thin. If you’re still following outdated advice, it’s no surprise your email response rates are in free fall. Wondering why?
Cold emails are often one of the first tools for starting out with lead generation. Done great, and they can open doors for lasting client relationships. But cold emails with a catchy, hooking subject line alone doesn’t cut it anymore.
About 45.6% of all emails sent worldwide are spam! Hence, email providers have become stricter than ever. Gmail uses AI to detect spam patterns. Apple masks open rates. Microsoft automatically archives anything & everything that looks ‘too salesy’. Room for being noticed has come closer to negligible.
But there’s still light at the end of the tunnel.
Cold email experts talk about how following a few rules can help you outsmart your competition. Let’s explore the essentials.
P.S. We’ve enlisted 12 rules throughout the blog, divided into the following three chapters—
Dig in!
Before we tackle technical solutions, you must understand this fundamental truth: Your prospect's brain is wired to ignore patterns.
When every sales email starts with “I hope this email finds you well,” or “I noticed your company,” pattern recognition kicks in, and your message gets mentally filed under 'typical sales pitch'.
What actually works:
Use AI. Here are some best AI tools to help boost your cold emailing efforts.
For research & personalization, use:
For writing & optimization, use:
What do email deliverability and your credit score have in common?
Ignore them, and doors start closing.
To improve your deliverabities,
Additionally, track a systematic A/B testing of subject line variations, email copy elements, call-to-action (CTA) placements, and spam complaint rates.
Flip the page to know how to improve your email deliverability rates.
ESPs (email service providers) like Gmail and Outlook have sophisticated filtering systems that scan for specific words commonly associated with spam. These trigger words can automatically route your carefully crafted emails straight to the spam folder, compromising your entire outreach campaign.
Common spam trigger words to avoid include:
| Related read: Checkout this list of 188 spam trigger words to avoid.
While it's challenging to memorize every spam trigger word, modern email outreach platforms like Email Chaser incorporate built-in detection systems that alert you when your content contains these problematic terms. This proactive approach ensures your emails maintain a professional tone and maximize their chances of reaching the primary inbox.
Although it might sound counterintuitive, removing open tracking can significantly improve your email deliverability.
Why open tracking should be avoided because:
Ensure following these actionable tips:
By eliminating open tracking, you improve your chances of landing in the recipient's primary inbox while also ensuring compliance with evolving privacy regulations.
Email warm-up tools have been widely advocated in the cold email community, but they may not be as effective as they claim to be.
Major ESPs like Google and Microsoft employ advanced algorithms that can detect artificial warm-up patterns, which may result in your emails being flagged.
Why are email warm-up tools ineffective?
Alternative strategies for better email deliverability:
By avoiding email warm-up tools and focusing on natural, organic email-sending practices, you can build a solid sender reputation and improve deliverability.
Your prospects are already drowning in “just checking in” and “wanted to follow up” emails. They don't need any more of that. The key is creating a synchronized multi-channel presence.
Besides, the magic isn't in the channels you use – but the story you weave across them. Each touchpoint should feel like a natural continuation of a conversation.
Modern email timing is about understanding your prospect's workflow patterns. For instance, a CFO might check emails at 7 AM before their day gets crazy. A creative director might be most responsive after their afternoon stand-up.
The real secret is pattern interruption. If every sales rep is hitting send on Tuesday morning, that's exactly when you shouldn't. Test unconventional timing – like Sunday evenings when executives are planning their week, or Thursday afternoons when they're wrapping up projects.
The best days to send emails are Tuesday and Thursday, showing the highest open and click rates. Moreover, timing solely isn't everything. Backlinko’s research says that sending emails to multiple contacts can increase response rates by 93%.
Shift from ‘self-centered’ copy to ‘client-focused’ copy. Your prospects won’t bother hopping on to a ‘quick call to discuss solutions’ unless it entails discussing their problems, challenges, goals, and reputation. Your email copy should address at least one of these – without being pushy!
Research indicates crazy stats about the cold emails that actually work:
Short, simple, and actionable. That’s how it should be. Short emails draw more attention over longer ones. Ensure these best practices for writing cold email to make them successful.
Next, build credibility by establishing shared business challenges. Your prospects need to know you truly understand their professional world and the obstacles they face. That's what makes you worth their time.
People naturally connect with others who understand their daily professional struggles. Focus on identifying and acknowledging these shared business challenges. It shows you're not just another sales folk, but someone who genuinely comprehends their world and might have valuable insights to offer.
Done with your cold emailing, it’s time to follow-up!
One follow-up is essential, but two or three can work wonders. Don’t just remind them; add value, share a relevant case study or invite them to a webinar to keep the conversation flowing.
To save time and effort, let AI do the heavy grinding. It’s crucial to opt for automation tools which don’t compromise the quality of your follow-ups.
Take Sybill, for example - it transforms meeting notes into crisp, context-rich follow-up emails that capture every nuanced conversation without breaking a digital sweat. (Interested in a free tour? Click here.)
Lastly, don’t rely on available cold email templates. A quick Google search shows hundreds of email scripts, but copying and pasting doesn't create connection.
Real outreach is about understanding each prospect's unique context. Instead of recycling ‘one-size-fits-all’ templates, thoughtfully and carefully personalize them.
Keep the above 12 principles in mind for your cold email success. Create your own winning templates. Follow the same practice for your follow-up emails.
In case you’re looking for a brainstorming partner, Sybill generates tailored, non-robotic, personalized templates from your past emails. Fascinating, isn’t it?
Book a demo to check out how.
