The Cold Email Reality Check

Hey, It’s Kevin from Astris Partners, and this is the first edition of what I hope becomes your go-to resource for everything outbound sales.

Our team has generated 8-figures in qualified pipeline this year alone for B2B companies using strategic cold email outreach. If you think cold email is dead, you’re missing out.

While most businesses are watching their cold email results crater, we're still booking meetings with Amazon, Google, Walmart, and hundreds of other Fortune 500 companies. The difference? We've adapted to the new reality of 2025.

If you've been burned by cold email before, whether through a disappointing agency experience or a failed in-house attempt, I get it. But before you write it off completely, let me share what's actually changed and what you need to know.

The Three Pillars That Make or Break Your Success

Think of successful cold email like a pyramid. Most people obsess over the tip (the copy) while ignoring the foundation. Here's what actually matters:

1. Infrastructure & Deliverability (The Foundation)

Stop sending from your main domain.

I can't believe I still see this in 2025, but companies are literally shooting themselves in the foot by using their primary business domain for cold outbound.

Here's the brutal truth: cold email will generate spam complaints. It's not personal—it's just the nature of reaching out to people who didn't ask to hear from you. When those complaints hit your main domain, they don't just hurt your cold email—they torpedo your regular business communications too.

Instead, use secondary domains like "goyourcompany.com" or "tryyourcompany.com." Your future self will thank you.

Volume up, quantity per mailbox down.

We're setting up around 500 mailboxes for new clients now, sending just 2-4 emails per day per mailbox. Compare that to 2021 when one mailbox could blast 5,000 emails daily. Those days are dead and buried.

Diversify your email providers.

Don't put all your eggs in one basket. We split our setups, for example: 50% Google, 30% Microsoft, 20% private SMTP. Why? Because inbox placement varies wildly, and what works for Gmail might flop for Outlook.

Warm up religiously.

Every new domain and mailbox needs 2-3 weeks of warming before you send a single cold email. And here's the kicker—keep the warm-up running even after you start your campaigns. Think of it as email insurance.

2. Data & Copy (The Middle Layer)

Never trust database emails blindly.

Apollo and Sales Navigator are OK for building lists, but sending directly to their email addresses? That's dangerous. Always run your lists through verification tools like Million Verifier or ZeroBounce.

I've seen companies get excited about a 10,000-contact list, discover only 2,000 are valid, then ruin their deliverability by sending to the remaining 8,000 anyway. Don't be that company.

Clean your data obsessively.

Take 10 minutes to remove "LLC" from company names and fix obvious errors. With tools like Clay and GPT, there's no excuse for sloppy personalization.

Personalize your list building, not just your emails.

Here's where most people get it backwards. Instead of writing generic emails and adding surface-level personalization, build hyper-targeted lists and write messages specifically for those groups.

Quality beats quantity every time. A smaller, relevant list will outperform a massive, generic one.

3. Reply Management (The Often-Ignored Peak)

This is where good campaigns become great ones, and it's the piece most people completely neglect.

Speed wins.

You should be responding to replies within 5-10 minutes, not 5-10 hours. The momentum is hot when someone responds - capitalize on it immediately.

Make booking effortless.

When someone says "let's chat on Tuesday," don't just throw a calendar link at them. Offer specific times: "I can do Tuesday at 10 AM, 2 PM, or 4 PM - which works better for you?" Then send the calendar invite once they pick.

Be prepared for objections.

Have concise, value-driven responses ready for common questions. Don't write novels, create curiosity that gets them on the call.

The Bottom Line

Cold email isn't dying - it's evolving. The companies crushing it in 2025 understand that success comes from nailing the fundamentals, not chasing the latest growth hack.

I'll be sharing more insights in future newsletters to help you get better at cold email and avoid the common pitfalls that sink most campaigns.

Until then, if you're serious about fixing your outbound, start with infrastructure. Everything else is just noise if your emails aren't landing in the inbox.

Talk soon.

P.S. If you're serious about growing your business and think you’re ready to partner with experts to help you implement these strategies, let’s chat.