The Snowball Effect: How to Build Momentum with Cold Emails
[2 Minute Read]
It’s the dead of winter, and baby, without the right approach it is COLD out there. Cold email campaigns have the reputation of being the digital equivalent of an unsolicited knock at the door—too often dismissed before they’re even read. But when done right, they can be an art form, the perfect mix of persuasion and restraint. The problem isn’t cold emailing itself; it’s the way people do it—lazy, impersonal, and cringingly salesy. If you want results, here’s how to make it work.
Start With a List That Matters: Buying a list is the kiss of death. The recipients don’t know you, and worse, they don’t care. Instead, build a targeted list of people who are likely to need what you offer. If your outreach isn’t hyper-specific, it’s already a failure. Research them. Find a commonality. Then, and only then, craft your message.
Write Like a Human Being: Most cold emails read like they were generated in a lab where charisma goes to die. Skip the jargon. No one wants to “circle back” or “leverage synergy.” Instead, write the way you’d talk to a peer—clear, direct, with just enough personality to be engaging without being irritating. And for the love of all that is holy, keep it short. If your email takes more than a few seconds to scan, it’s headed straight to the trash.
The Subject Line Is Everything: You have one shot to get them to open your email. Make it count. It should spark curiosity, hint at value, or feel just familiar enough to avoid instant deletion. “Quick question” might work, but “We can 10x your revenue” feels like a scam before they even open it. If you wouldn’t open it yourself, don’t send it.
Make It About Them, Not You: People don’t care about your company, your accolades, or your origin story—they really don’t. They care about what you can do for them. The first few lines of your email should immediately communicate why they should keep reading. If it’s all about you, you’ve already lost.
A Call to Action That Feels Natural: Don’t demand a meeting. Don’t push for a sale. A simple, low-pressure ask—like “Would it be worth a quick chat?”—is enough. Make it easy for them to say yes, or at least, not immediately say no.
Follow Up Without Being a Nuisance: No response? Follow up in a few days. Still nothing? Try again a week later. If they don’t bite after three attempts, move on. The line between persistence and pestering is thin, and once you cross it, there’s no coming back.
Cold emails aren’t dead; bad cold emails are. The difference is knowing how to speak to people in a way that makes them want to listen. If you can do that, the inbox won’t be your enemy—it’ll be your secret weapon. Wanna learn more? At Valkyrie, we can help!
