Your best cold email is the one you never sent

I tracked 78,000 cold emails last quarter across 6 client campaigns.

62% of replies came from follow-ups — the second or third email in the sequence.

Email 1 starts the conversation. The follow-up closes it.

Here’s why most follow-ups fail.

They start with “just following up” or “circling back.”

Both phrases say the same thing: “I have nothing new to tell you, but I’m emailing you again.”

That’s a reminder. And reminders get deleted.

A good follow-up earns attention the same way Email 1 does — by giving the prospect a reason to reply.

Four approaches that work:

1. New proof point — Share a different result than Email 1. “We just helped [company] book 23 calls in 30 days using this same approach.”

2. New angle — Same problem, different direction. If Email 1 was about pipeline, the follow-up is about their competitors who already figured this out.

3. Direct question — Drop the setup. “Yes or no — is outbound on your radar this quarter?”

4. Useful resource — A relevant case study. An industry stat. Something that proves you understand their world without explaining what you do.

Real example from a SaaS campaign last month:

Email 1: Personalized opener referencing their recent product launch → 3% reply rate

Follow-up (3 days later):

“Hey Mark — we helped a dev tools company at a similar stage go from 0 to 34 booked demos in 45 days with outbound.

Happy to show you exactly how. Want me to send over the breakdown?”

That follow-up pulled a 9% reply rate. Triple the original.

The difference: it brought something new to the table.

The follow-up formula:

• Timing: 2-4 days after Email 1

• Length: Shorter than Email 1 (30-50 words)

• Tone: Casual, not desperate

• Content: New information — never a reminder

• CTA: Lower friction than Email 1

Most people treat follow-ups as a chore. The best cold emailers treat them as their highest-converting asset.

P.S. Go read your last follow-up email. If the first two words are “just” and “following” — rewrite it with one of the four approaches above. Your reply rate will thank you.

P.P.S. If you want to skip the DIY version and have us build your cold email system for you, I'm happy to talk through whether it makes sense. [Book a call here]