Everyone says cold email is dead

Hey there,

Kevin from Astris Partners here.

Everyone is telling you cold email is dead. Your inbox is full of terrible pitches. LinkedIn is where the "real conversations" happen. Cold email is for spammers and dinosaurs.

But what if the data shows the complete opposite?

What if the very reason people think it's dead is what makes it so powerful for those who know how to do it right?

The Myth of the Dead Channel

Your inbox is probably a wasteland of generic spray-and-pray emails. Industry benchmarks show reply rates as low as 0.5-0.7%. Deliverability has gotten harder with Gmail and Yahoo's new sender requirements.

So when someone says cold email is dead, it feels true.

Here's what's actually happening: Bad cold email is dead. The lazy, volume-at-all-costs approach of 2015 is gone forever.

But these new rules haven't killed email. They've professionalized it. They've built a protective moat around the channel, keeping out spammers and amateurs.

Cold email isn't just alive. It's more effective than ever because the inbox is finally getting cleaner.

Why Everyone Else Is Wrong About LinkedIn and Cold Calling

LinkedIn's hidden limitations:

LinkedIn feels productive because the work is visible. But when you try to scale it, you hit walls fast.

Most users are limited to 100 connection requests per week. Get too aggressive and risk account restrictions. LinkedIn outreach scales linearly with headcount - to send more messages, you need more people.

InMail credits are limited (5-50 per month depending on plan). You can't build automated follow-up sequences. Testing new messaging takes months to gather enough data.

Cold calling's cost problem:

Live phone conversations are valuable, but as a primary outreach tool, calling is inefficient. You're paying for every dial - whether it connects, goes to voicemail, or gets screened.

A sales rep might spend all day on the phone and have five meaningful conversations. How do you A/B test scripts with that volume? You can't get statistically significant data quickly.

The Mathematical Case for Cold Email

Stop thinking anecdotally. Start thinking mathematically.

Unmatched scale: With properly configured infrastructure (multiple domains, hundreds of mailboxes), you can systematically reach thousands of targeted prospects daily. Compare that to LinkedIn's 100 weekly connection limit.

Superior cost effectiveness: Once you've invested in domains, mailboxes, and software, the cost to send email #1,001 is virtually identical to email #1. The system scales with technology, not people.

With other channels, doubling output means doubling headcount (your largest expense). With email, you load another list into the machine.

Speed and control: Cold email is the ultimate channel for rapid, data-driven learning. You can segment lists, launch multiple campaign variations, and have statistically significant data within 1-2 weeks.

You can learn more in 7 days of email testing than 3 months of LinkedIn outreach.

The New Rules of Professional Cold Email

The Gmail and Yahoo updates changed everything. Here's your non-negotiable checklist:

Technical authentication: SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records properly configured for all sending domains.

Spam complaint management: Keep complaint rates under 0.1% to maintain good sender reputation.

One-click unsubscribe: Make it easy and clear for people to opt out.

Domain and inbox warming: Gradual ramp-up over several weeks, starting with low volume.

Strategy changes:

Hyper-segmentation: Small, tightly targeted lists beat large, generic ones. Segment by industry, role, recent triggers, and business events.

Short and simple: Write at a fifth-grade reading level. Use specific outcomes with hard numbers instead of vague promises.

Relevancy over personalization: Reference recent triggers and explain why they're relevant to your outreach. Always answer "why should they care right now?"

Three-email maximum: 87% of responses come within the first two emails. Longer sequences hurt deliverability.

The Winning Multi-Channel Strategy

Don't choose email OR LinkedIn. Use email AND LinkedIn strategically:

Email as the backbone: Your primary engine for scale, speed, and systematic market coverage.

LinkedIn for air cover: Light engagement before/during email sequences. View profiles, engage with posts for high-priority accounts. This builds familiarity and can lift reply rates from 12% to 15%.

Phone for conversion: Not for top-of-funnel prospecting, but for following up on email replies and intent signals.

The Bottom Line

Cold email is only dead if you're doing it like it's 2015.

For founders and sales leaders serious about building predictable pipeline, the operational math is clear: when executed with technical precision and strategic discipline, cold email remains the backbone of effective B2B outreach.

It delivers unmatched scale, superior cost effectiveness, and the speed to insight needed to outmaneuver competition.

LinkedIn and cold calls are specialists - the scalpel, not the engine. For consistent volume, rapid learning, and operational rigor, email drives the entire system.

Talk soon,

Kevin

P.S. If you want to see how to build a professional cold email system that actually works in 2025, let’s talk.