1. Pick one buyer and one problem
Choose a single job title at a single type of company, like a VP of Operations at a 50 to 200 person logistics firm, or a Head of RevOps at a Series A SaaS company. Then name the one problem you fix, such as messy CRM data or slow month-end close. If you cannot say it in one sentence, your email will not land either.
2. Find people with a trigger
Target companies where something just changed, because change creates consulting work. Look for new hires in your buyer's role, recent funding, or job posts that describe your problem. On LinkedIn, search the job title plus "new position". On Indeed, search something like "Salesforce admin" posted in the last 7 days. A company hiring for the problem may pay a consultant to fix it faster.
3. Get the right email address for free
Use the free tiers of Hunter.io or Apollo.io to find work emails. You can also guess common formats like first@company.com and check them with a free verifier. Send from your own domain, not Gmail, and send no more than 20 to 30 emails a day at first so you stay out of spam.
4. Write a subject line that looks internal
Keep it to 2 to 4 lowercase words that sound like a colleague wrote it. Examples: "month-end close", "your ops hire", "question about hubspot". Leave out your company name and words like "partnership" or "opportunity".
5. Keep the email under 90 words
Use four parts: the trigger, the likely problem, a specific thing you have done, and a small ask. Example: "Hi Dana, saw you're hiring a RevOps manager. Teams at that stage usually have pipeline data no one trusts. I've cleaned up HubSpot for B2B teams so forecasts match reality within a few weeks. Worth a 15-minute call to see if that's on your list before the hire starts?" Only claim results you have actually delivered.
6. Offer something small before the big project
A buyer who has never heard of you will not sign a retainer from an email. Offer a fixed-price audit, a 30-minute teardown, or a one-page plan for their situation. Example ask: "Happy to send a short list of the three things I'd fix first, no call needed. Want it?"
7. Follow up twice, then stop
Most replies come after the first email, so send two short follow-ups 3 and 7 days later in the same thread. Each one should add something new, like a quick observation about their site or a relevant question. Example: "One more thought: your pricing page lists three plans but your demo form doesn't ask which one. Easy fix if useful." After the third email, move on.
8. Track it and send every day
Keep a simple spreadsheet with name, trigger, date sent, follow-ups, and reply. Each week, review which titles and triggers got replies and send more of those. Hulby, an AI cofounder, can do this research and drafting daily so you can spend your time on calls.
Mistakes to skip
- Listing every service you offer instead of one problem
- Opening with your background instead of their situation
- Asking for a 60-minute call in the first email
- Sending the same template to hundreds of people with no trigger
Want this done for your consulting business, every day?
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Find my first customersQuestions
How many cold emails should a consultant send per day?
Start with 20 to 30 well-researched emails a day. Quality matters more than volume, and low volume protects your sending domain.
Should I attach a deck or case study?
No. Attachments hurt deliverability and nobody opens them. Offer to send one if they reply.
Is cold email legal?
In the US, B2B cold email is allowed under CAN-SPAM if you use honest subject lines, include your address, and honor opt-outs. In the EU and UK, rules are stricter, so check GDPR and PECR before emailing there.
What if I have no past clients to mention?
Mention relevant work from a previous job or a concrete result from a project you did. You can also offer a free or low-cost audit to get your first case study.