Let’s get this out of the way: cold outreach still works — when it’s done well. But if you’re a founder, consultant, or solo operator trying to book meetings and not getting replies, you’ve probably heard the same thing:
"Cold email is dead."
"People ignore LinkedIn DMs."
"Outbound doesn’t work anymore."
That’s not true. The problem isn’t outreach — it’s how it’s being done.
Here’s how to fix it.
Most cold emails or DMs fail because they’re generic.
They don’t speak to the recipient’s role, timing, or problem.
Bad:
“Hey, I help businesses grow with cutting-edge AI solutions.”
Better:
“Hi [Name], saw [Company] just hired their first AE — I help early-stage teams build pipeline fast without hiring an SDR.”
Rule: The more specific your message, the higher your reply rate.
Don’t pitch in your first message. Start a conversation.
Good cold outreach is like dating:
You don’t open with “Wanna get married?” — you ask a question, share something relevant, and gauge interest.
Start with:
A compliment
A relevant insight
A light CTA like “Open to hearing more?”
80% of replies come after message 2 or 3.
If you send one email and never follow up, you’re wasting your list.
Simple follow-up flow:
Day 0: First touch
Day 3: Value add
Day 6: Light bump
Day 10: Breakup / opt-out
Spray-and-pray lists burn fast.
Start with a small, tight list of 25–50 ideal leads.
Ask:
Do they look like past clients?
Have they shown a relevant trigger (hiring, raising, launching)?
Can I write something personalized in 10 seconds?
You don’t need a $1,000/month tech stack to make outbound work.
You need:
Templates that are tested
A tracker to manage follow-ups
A clear ICP
And a quick-start plan that gets you out of your own head
It includes:
6 cold email templates
A LinkedIn message sequence
Personalization framework
Lead tracker
And a 1-week launch playbook
All built for founders doing their own sales.
Want to start doing outbound the right way?
Grab the toolkit here