If you’re sending cold emails in 2025 and getting ghosted, you’re not alone. Most cold emails never get opened, let alone a reply. But when done right, cold outreach can be one of the easiest ways to land clients, close deals, and grow your business.
Personalization, clarity, and using tools like Mailbutler to speed up the process. In this guide, I’ll break down how to write cold emails that actually get replies, step-by-step, while showing you how to use Mailbutler to save time and improve your results. Let’s get into it.
Why Cold Email Still Works
Cold email isn’t dead. Bad cold email is.
The best cold emails are short, tailored, and packed with value. They feel like 1-on-1 messages, not mass blasts. The reply rate sweet spot is around 8–15%. If you’re hitting that, you’re doing it right. If you’re below that, keep reading.
Mailbutler: Your Cold Email Sidekick
Mailbutler is a Gmail and Apple Mail plugin that helps you write better and faster emails.
Use our Code to get 15% discount: CHARLIECHANGMEDIAMB Email Tracking & Scheduling: Monitor when recipients open your emails and schedule messages to be sent at optimal times, even if your email client is closed Mailbutler improves your existing email client, be it Gmail, Apple Mail, or Outlook. By adding powerful productivity features without requiring you to switch platforms. Its AI capabilities and collaboration tools make it ideal for professionals and teams aiming to streamline their email workflows
Starting from $3.95/month
AI-Powered Smart Assistant: Utilize AI to draft responses, summarize lengthy emails, and identify tasks within messages, streamlining your email management
Shared Inbox Collaboration: Assign emails to team members, share notes and tasks, and manage shared inboxes like info@ or sales@ directly within your email client
Here’s what it gives you:
- Contact research
- Smart email templates
- Tracking (opens, clicks, replies)
- Follow-up reminders
- Send later + timing optimization
It’s perfect for solopreneurs, agencies, or anyone doing outbound without a big sales team.
How to Write a Cold Email That Gets a Reply
A good cold email has three parts. Here’s the structure that works in under 125 words.
1. Context: Show You Did Your Homework
Start with something personal. It shows this email isn’t copy-pasted.
Example: “I saw your recent post about simplifying customer onboarding, and I completely agree that less friction = more conversions.”
Keep this part real. No fake flattery.
Use Mailbutler’s contact insights to pull relevant details from LinkedIn or past emails to make it easier.
2. Value Proposition: Show How You Can Help
Right after the opener, get to the point. What problem do you solve? And how have you helped similar people?
Example: “I help B2B SaaS teams increase user activation by automating onboarding emails. One client saw a 37% boost in week-1 retention using a simple 3-email sequence.” Avoid buzzwords. Keep it short, clear, and focused on outcomes.
Save your best version as a Mailbutler template, then tweak it slightly for each person.
3. Call to Action: Be Specific
End with one clear ask. Make it easy for them to say yes.
Example: “Would you be open to a 15-minute call next week to walk through a few ideas?”
That’s it. Don’t overload the ask. One CTA is enough.
Cold Email Subject Lines That Work
Short, personalized subject lines get the best open rates. Aim for 3–5 words max.
Some examples:
- “Quick idea for [First Name]”
- “About your [company name] launch”
- “Saw your [LinkedIn post/podcast/interview]”
- “A suggestion for [team function]”
Use Mailbutler’s tracking to see which ones get the most opens and tweak over time.
Follow-Up Strategy: Where Most Replies Happen
Here’s the truth: 50% of replies happen after the first follow-up.
Most people never follow up. That’s why most people get ignored.
Here’s how to do it the right way:
- Wait 2–4 days
- Add new value or insight (don’t just say “bumping this”)
- Keep it short—under 50 words
- Use a clear CTA again
Mailbutler’s task feature lets you schedule and manage follow-ups so you don’t forget. You can also use Send Later to schedule emails for Tuesday–Thursday mornings, when reply rates are highest.
How Long Should Cold Emails Take?
Plan on spending 3–5 minutes per contact if you’re doing proper research and customizing the message. It’s worth it. Ten personalized emails will always beat 100 spammy ones.
Mailbutler speeds this up by saving templates, giving you contact context, and letting you track engagement in real time.
Bonus Tip: Build a Googleable Personal Brand
When someone gets a cold email from you, one of the first things they’ll do is Google your name.
Make sure they find:
- A professional LinkedIn profile
- A simple website or portfolio
- Clear social proof (testimonials, case studies, content)
People reply to people they trust. Having a personal brand—even a basic one can double your reply rate.
Final Thoughts
Cold emailing isn’t just about writing better emails—it’s about creating real conversations.
Here’s the playbook:
- Personalize each message
- Show real value in under 125 words
- Have one clear ask
- Follow up consistently
- Track everything using Mailbutler
It’s not about spamming 1,000 people. It’s about building trust at scale with the right 50. With Mailbutler, you’ll write faster, track smarter, and close more deals without burning out.
