Most cold emails get ignored. The problem isn't email. It's that most reps send generic messages that waste the prospect's time.
At ZoomInfo, we've spent years building and refining outreach practices that you can employ in your sales motions.
It only takes one great cold email to get started. Here's how to write yours.
What Is a Cold Email?
A cold email is unsolicited B2B outreach to a prospect with no prior relationship. It's your first contact with someone who doesn't know you or your company, and it works when you write it with relevance, personalization, and focus on their specific needs rather than your sales pitch.
The goal is to start a conversation, not close a deal in the first message. When done right, cold outreach remains one of the most effective ways to build pipeline.
What Is a BASHO email?
BASHO emails were a popular cold outreach strategy in the early 2010s, named after Jeff Hoffman's sales training at Basho Strategies. BASHO emails emphasized being hyper-specific, referencing the prospect’s role, company, recent activity, or pain points in detail.
The approach worked, but buyers got wise when the same “saw you just raised your Series B” email showed up from five vendors in the same week. And once that happened, open and reply rates dropped.
That said, BASHO still left a mark. It taught GTM teams the value of relevance in outreach. Today, top sellers know that personalization only works when it’s paired with real insight and a reason to care.
Who to Email and How to Find Them
Before you write a single word, you need to know who you're writing to. The wrong list kills even the best message.
Start with accounts that match your ideal customer profile. Look at company size, industry, tech stack, and growth signals. Then identify the people within those accounts who have budget, authority, or influence over the problem you solve.
The best cold email lists are built on three criteria:
Target Accounts: Companies matching your ICP based on firmographics and technographics
Buying Signals: Intent data and trigger events that indicate readiness to buy
Right Contacts: Decision makers and influencers who control budget and feel the pain
Target Accounts and Fit Criteria
Use firmographic and technographic data to identify high-fit accounts. Filter by industry, revenue, employee count, location, and technology usage. ZoomInfo's platform provides access to 100 million company profiles, letting you build precise account lists based on the criteria that matter to your business.
Buyer Signals and Readiness
Not every account is ready to buy. Look for trigger events like funding rounds, leadership changes, expansion announcements, or product launches. These signals indicate timing and create natural conversation starters.
Intent data shows which accounts are actively researching solutions in your category. Prioritize prospects showing buying behavior over static lists.
Decision Makers and Contact Paths
Find the right person within the target account. This means identifying who owns the budget, who feels the pain, and who influences the decision.
Use accurate contact data to reach decision makers directly. ZoomInfo maintains 500 million contact profiles with verified email addresses, direct dials, and mobile numbers. The right message to the wrong person wastes everyone's time.
How to Write a Cold Email That Gets Replies
Now you know who to email. Here's how to write a message they'll actually read and respond to.
Lead with a single persona-based challenge or priority
Connect that challenge or priority to a solution or value
Finish with a strong call to action
Notice the F-shape of the text in effective cold emails. Attention fades quickly, so the content of your email should get tighter with each paragraph. Lead with what matters most.
Cold Email Structure: Advanced Tips
Want to dive deeper? Here are some advanced elements of email to consider customizing and updating before you hit send. going beyond the basics can give your message additional surface area, increasing the chances it's seen, remembered, and acted upon.
Cold Email Element | Purpose | Best Practice |
|---|---|---|
From Line | Build credibility before the open | Use real name and company |
Subject Line | Get the email opened | Under 60 characters, specific not clever |
Opening Hook | Show you did your homework | Reference specific news or initiative |
Value Proposition | Connect to their outcomes | Focus on their problem, not your features |
Call to Action | Make the next step easy | Low-commitment, single ask |
Signature | Provide contact path | Name, title, one contact method |
Step 1: Edit the From Line
The from line determines whether your email gets opened. Use your real name and company. Avoid generic addresses like info@ or noreply@.
Format it clearly: "Jane Smith at Acme" or "Jane Smith, Acme Solutions." Build credibility before they even see your subject line.
Step 2: Write the Subject Line
Keep it under 60 characters. Make it specific, not clever. Personalize when possible. Avoid spam triggers like "Free," "Act Now," or excessive punctuation.
Good subject line formats:
Question about [specific pain point]: "Question about your Q1 pipeline goals"
Quick thought on [company initiative]: "Quick thought on your Southeast expansion"
[Mutual connection] suggested we connect: "Sarah Chen suggested we connect"
Step 3: Open With a Personalized Hook
The first line shows whether you did your homework. Reference recent news, a company initiative, or a specific challenge they're facing.
Bad opener: "I hope this email finds you well."
Good opener: "Saw your Q3 expansion into the Southeast. Growing into new territories usually means pipeline pressure."
Get straight to the point. Skip formalities and preamble.
Step 4: Present a Value Proposition
Focus on their outcomes, not your product features. Connect your solution to their specific situation.
Don't sell your company first. Lean into problem solving. If you're sending an email to VPs of marketing for industrial companies, craft your message with that persona in mind.
Demonstrate that you know their pain points, their needs, and their goals. Limit your email to three to four lines with one idea per section. Remove the fluff.
Adverbs and adjectives are easy cuts. Every line should move the prospect toward a decision.
Step 5: Ask for a Clear Next Step
End with one specific call to action. Make it low-commitment and easy to say yes to.
Good CTA examples:
Worth a quick call next week?
Can I send you a case study?
Open to learning more?
Step 6: Add a Lean Signature
Keep your signature simple. Name, title, company, one contact method. Optional: LinkedIn profile or calendar link.
A cluttered signature with logos, disclaimers, and ten links undermines an otherwise tight message.
Should You Use AI to Write Cold Emails?
AI tools allow anyone to create, tweak, and customize emails instantly. Used at scale, they can cut the time spent on crafting email copy by massive amounts.
But remember that AI is a tool, not a magic bullet.
Like any sales technology that offers a shortcut, AI emails done without personalization or customized voice and tone attributes can become duplicative and commoditized.
Yes, use AI to reduce your slowest email crafting work. But make sure you're training your AI on best practices, and fueling it with precise data and accurate buying signals. Without those steps, you'll just be sending more bad emails that nobody reads.
Solutions like ZoomInfo Copilot combine industry-leading GTM Intelligence and advanced AI to help reps capitalize on prospects that are ready to have a valuable conversation, and craft personalized emails that you can edit, tweak, and send at scale.
Follow-Up Cadence and Send Windows
One email rarely closes the deal. At ZoomInfo, we find it takes 8-11 touchpoints to convert a lead. That means multi-step email sequences, calling behind successful sends, and varied approaches.
Don't just resend the same message. Each follow-up should bring new value or a different angle.
Space your messages appropriately. Prospects are busy. Persistence shows commitment, but too much frequency looks desperate.
ZoomInfo lets you automate and customize those outreach sequences, saving research hours for actual prospect conversations. Build cadences that combine email, phone, and social touches to maximize response rates.
Cold Email Writing FAQs
How long should a cold email be? Keep your cold email to three to four lines with one focused idea per section, making it scannable and quick to read.
How many follow-up emails should you send? Send three follow-ups spaced 2-3 days, 4-5 days, and one week apart, with each message bringing new value or a different angle.
What's the best time to send a cold email? Send cold emails Tuesday through Thursday between 8-10 AM or 3-4 PM in the prospect's timezone when inbox competition is lower.
Should you personalize every cold email? Yes. The opening line must reference specific company information, recent news, or relevant challenges to show you did your homework.
What makes a cold email subject line effective? Keep it under 60 characters, make it specific to their situation, and avoid spam triggers like "Free" or excessive punctuation.