How to Write a B2B Cold Email That Gets Replies

Why 95% of cold emails fail

The average cold email gets a 1-3% reply rate. Main reason: the message talks about the seller, not the prospect.

The structure that works

Line 1 — Context. Show you know the prospect. Lines 2-3 — Value. What you offer in one sentence with a number. Line 4 — The ask. Ask for little: a reply, not a meeting.

Mass personalization with ContactEra

ContactEra exports data by industry and city. Personalize each email with: business name, city, Google rating, industry, and even the owner's name via company data.

Concrete cold email examples

Example 1 — Web agency selling local SEO:

Hi,

I noticed your accounting firm in Nantes has an excellent 4.8 Google rating (37 reviews). Quick question: are you getting enough inquiries through your website?

We help accounting firms double their inbound requests through local SEO. Would you be interested in a free audit of your Google visibility?

Adrien

Example 2 — Software vendor:

Hi Mr. Dupont,

Quick question: how do you handle quoting and invoicing in your garage in Bordeaux today?

We built software used by 200+ garages in France that reduces admin time by 40%. Want me to show you in 5 min?

Adrien

Timing: when to send

Tuesday-Thursday, 8-10 AM — optimal window. Monday is too busy. Friday, nobody commits to anything new.

Avoid school holidays and long weekends. Open rates drop 30-40%.

Follow up on the same day of the week. If you send on Tuesday, follow up next Tuesday. Weekly habits work in your favor.

The follow-up sequence

Email 1 (Day 0): First contact. Question + value + light CTA.

Follow-up 1 (Day 3-4): "Following up on my Tuesday message — is this relevant for you?" Short, direct.

Follow-up 2 (Day 7-8): Bring new value. A stat, case study, useful link.

Final follow-up (Day 14): "Don't want to bother you — this is my last message. If the timing isn't right, no worries." This "breakup" follow-up often generates the most replies.

FAQ