What is cold email?

Cold email is unsolicited outreach to someone who hasn't previously engaged with you. You're initiating contact rather than responding to interest they've shown.

It's most common in B2B sales, recruiting, partnerships, and business development. You've identified someone who might benefit from what you offer and you're reaching out to start a conversation.

Cold email differs from spam in intent and execution. Spam is bulk, indiscriminate, often deceptive. Cold email, done well, is targeted, personalized, and genuinely relevant to the recipient.

The challenge is permission. Unlike marketing email to opted-in subscribers, cold email reaches people who didn't ask to hear from you. This creates deliverability challenges, compliance requirements, and higher expectations for relevance.

Success depends on value. The recipient must perceive enough potential benefit to respond despite not requesting the contact. Generic pitches fail. Specific, relevant outreach that demonstrates understanding of their situation can succeed.

Cold email is a tool, not inherently good or bad. Used thoughtfully for genuine business purposes, it creates connections and opportunities. Used carelessly at scale, it damages your reputation and annoys people.