Cold Email Examples: Real Campaigns and Their Reported Results

TL;DR: In these cold email examples, the list and the offer matter more than clever wording. The strongest comparison kept the script identical, changed only who received it, and reported about seven times the reply rate.

The examples

Example	Reported result	What changed
Same script, different list (James Shields)	0.4% vs 2.9% reply rate, 4 vs 41 calls on 4,200 leads each	Campaign B targeted people already showing the problem: job posts, reviews, funding news
Healthtech startup (Astris Partners)	7 clients and $150K ARR in 60 days, 5.2% reply rate across 28,700 prospects	Rebuilt outbound after earlier reply rates of 0.1 to 0.2%
Giving before pitching (James Shields)	35 to 40% close rate on calls	First email offers something usable instead of a pitch
Solo March numbers (Rook)	12.9% reply rate on 739 emails, 3.1% bounce rate	A useful small-volume reference point

What to test first

1. Target a visible trigger. Look for a public signal that the problem exists now, such as a hiring post.
2. Lead with something useful. Try a short audit or a relevant list before you ask for a call.
3. Protect deliverability. One practitioner puts infrastructure and validated lead sources first, ahead of copy.

Follow the anti-spam rules where you send, and only email people you have a lawful basis to contact.

Keep going

Browse the cold email library, or go back to the marketing case studies guide.

Results are as reported by each source. Past results do not guarantee your own.