How To Convert Customers With Cold Emails

Epstein works backward from a goal of one new customer. In his example, a 10% demo-to-customer rate, a 25% response-to-demo rate, a 10% open-to-response rate, and a 50% send-to-open rate mean sending 800 emails to get one customer. He says to track each stage, learn conversion rates through trial and error, and improve weak points before scaling.

Epstein says better targeting is the highest-leverage way to improve opens and responses: 100 well-targeted emails may outperform 1,000 untargeted ones. He recommends a personal sender name and short, relevant subject lines, and says to adapt the channel to the recipient and industry. He also describes finding contacts through introductions, LinkedIn, company websites, and email-finding tools.

Epstein lays out seven principles: set one specific goal, sound human, personalize, keep it short, establish credibility, focus on the reader, and end with a clear call to action. He recommends writing directly in the email editor for a specific person, then reading the message aloud to catch awkward wording. Useful personalization can include product knowledge or an uncommon shared connection, while credibility can come from YC, past work, customers, or mutual contacts.

Epstein recommends two to four manual follow-ups, spaced a few days apart, while accepting that a recipient may not respond. His examples show why targeting matters: a shipping pitch was irrelevant to his digital design asset company, while a message connecting over the University of Maryland got his attention. A smoothie startup improved its pitch by offering a free office smoothie party in exchange for feedback, making the recipient benefit clear.

Epstein advises founders to start manually, track conversion rates, and block time to send dozens of emails per day. Once the process works, they can explore automation. He says founder-sent, personalized messages can make a small startup's attention to each recipient an advantage.