The HorizonX team was recently a guest on an exciting episode in the hungarian Biznisz Boyz podcast, where we discussed one of the most persistent and effective tools for B2B lead generation: cold emailing. As this is one of HorizonX’s main areas of expertise, we were happy to share our experiences and best practices. If you missed the episode, or just want to refresh the most important information, in this blog post we summarize the essence of the conversation.

Why Does Cold Email Still Work in 2025?

Many are burying cold emailing, saying that inboxes are overflowing and people have become immune to this type of outreach. In the podcast, we highlighted that this approach is too simplistic. The reality is that a well-planned and executed cold email campaign can still be one of the most cost-effective and targeted methods for acquiring new B2B clients and partners. The key is in the word “well.” We emphasized that while many view cold emails as spam, it can be exceptionally effective in the B2B area. We also shared a specific success story where we achieved an 8.5% positive response rate on one campaign.

The Cornerstones of a Successful Cold Email Campaign (As Explained in the Podcast)

During the conversation, we highlighted several critical factors that are essential for success:

• Laser-Accurate Targeting and Quality List: Forget randomly purchased, generic lists! The basis of success is the precise definition of your Ideal Customer Profile (ICP) and building a verified contact list that includes relevant decision-makers matching this profile. The better you target, the higher your open and response rates will be. We highlighted that the quality of the contact list is one of the three main pillars of cold email.
• The Power of Personalization: No one likes receiving templated, mass-sent messages. An effective cold email shows that you took the time to get to know the recipient and their company. Reference a recent article they wrote, a LinkedIn post, or a challenge they are facing. This dramatically increases the chance of them taking you seriously. In the podcast, we also emphasized the crucial role of personalization in success.
• Value-Centric Message: Don’t just talk about what you’re selling! Clearly articulate what specific problem you can solve for the recipient and what value your service or product represents. Why should they spend time on you? We discussed that the focus of the email copy should be on the recipient’s problems and the solutions offered to them, avoiding company-centric phrasing.
• Clear Call-to-Action (CTA): What is your goal with the email? The next step you want the recipient to take should be clear and easy to complete (e.g., “Book a 15-minute slot here:”, “Reply to this email if you’re interested in a brief demo”).
• Persistent and Strategic Follow-up: Deals are rarely closed after the first email. A polite, value-adding, multi-step follow-up sequence is essential to maximize results without becoming intrusive. We specifically highlighted the importance of follow-up emails.

Technical Foundations and Common Pitfalls to Avoid

We also discussed the typical mistakes that cause many cold email campaigns to fail. An important technical aspect is the infrastructure, including using a separate domain for cold email activities to avoid damaging the reputation of your main domain. Furthermore, warming up this domain is essential. We also touched upon the fact that while manual cold emailing exists, it is not effectively scalable. Other pitfalls can include an overly salesy, “me-centric” tone, ignoring legal regulations (e.g., GDPR) – especially in B2C, which presents much greater challenges –, the lack of testing the subject line and message content, and ending up in the spam folder due to poor technical settings. As an example of an effective subject line, we mentioned the format “Interest – [Your Company Name]”. Regarding the length of emails, we suggest keeping initial emails short.

You can check out the Podcast here if you are a Hungarian speaker: