Ep 24: Cold emails that actually work with James Milsom from Hunter.io

Episode Summary:* Jon and Alex speak with James about cold email outreach.* James explains Hunter’s analysis of over 11 million emails sent in 2024.* He shows why 61 % of decision makers still prefer email over other channels.* He reveals that 95 % of cold emails land in spam.* They cover why open rates mislead and why reply rates matter more.* They discuss targeting small lists and deep personalization.* James shares how new AI tools can scale unique messages at volume.Key Topics Discussed:* Hunter’s 2024 cold email data analysis* Decision makers’ channel preferences* Spam rates and deliverability issues* Vanity metrics vs. reply rates* Ideal campaign size and targeting* True personalisation vs. mail merge* Cold outreach as part of a multi-channel strategy* AI writing assistants for personalized scaleKey Takeaways:* 61 % of decision makers rank cold email as their top outreach channel* 95 % of cold emails are classified as spam* Open rates can be inflated by bots and spam filters* Reply rate drives real conversations and pipeline* Smaller, targeted lists (under 50) yield higher reply rates* Personalisation means relevant research, not just name merges* Cold outreach should join paid ads, events, and social* AI tools can help research and craft unique emails at scaleMemorable Quotes (Sound Bites):* “Cold email was number one.”* “95 % of cold emails that get sent are spam.”* “Open rates are a vanity metric.”* “Less is more.”* “That’s creepy as f**k.”* “It’s a conversation, not a command.”Chapters:00:00 – Introduction and Guest Welcome02:47 – Why Cold Email Still Works05:23 – Spam Rates and Deliverability07:33 – Vanity Metrics vs. Reply Rates11:11 – Targeting Small Lists for Higher Replies14:27 – True Personalization Defined19:06 – Cold Outreach in a Multi-Channel Mix26:52 – AI Writing Assistants for Scale28:28 – Messaging Madness: What Is It and Why It Matters29:27 – How We Ran the “Super 16” Cold-Email Tournament35:51 – Key Lessons from Messaging Madness42:04 – Cold-Email Quiz: Test Your Hunter 2025 KnowledgeKeywords:cold email, outreach, decision makers, spam rate, reply rate, personalisation, targeting, AI email assistant, marketing strategy, Hunter report This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit saasyasfuck.substack.com