What are ethical rules around cold outreach?

Ethical rules around cold outreach are contested. Some consider all unsolicited commercial email unethical; others accept it within limits. Regulations vary: B2B cold email is more permissible than B2C in many jurisdictions.

If engaging in cold outreach, ethical practice suggests genuine relevance (not mass blasting), honest identification, immediate opt out honoring, and limited follow up. Persist only with signals of potential interest.

Consider recipient perspective. Would a reasonable person in that role appreciate this contact? Genuine value proposition and respectful approach differentiate legitimate prospecting from spam.