Cold email copy lives in a weird dilemma. You want: • opens • replies • booked calls But you also need to: • avoid spam • not sound salesy • not trip deliverability Most people overcomplicate this. After sending hundreds of thousands of cold emails, and helping 1,281+ people write cold email copy that actually gets replies, I simplified everything into a 3-step framework. Step 1: Bait the Open Before anyone reads your email… they decide whether to open it. That decision is driven by: • the subject line • the preview text (first sentence) Together, they must spark curiosity and stay relevant. They cannot sound promotional. The goal is simple: Make it feel like it could be from a colleague, client, or vendor. If it sounds like marketing → spam risk goes up. Step 2: Win the 3-Second Impression Once the email is opened, you have about 3 seconds. Your first 2–3 sentences should do three things: 1. Surface a real problem they recognize 2. Hint at a solution 3. Establish quiet credibility Not a pitch. Not a bio. Just enough context to make them think: “This might be relevant.” Miss this window, and the email is dead. Step 3: Get the “Yes” Cold email is not about closing. It’s about starting a conversation. The easiest way to do that? • Ask a clear, low-friction question • Make the reply effortless If they can respond with a simple “Yes”, you’ve done your job. Everything after that is sales. By the way, I’ve got something that makes this entire process much easier. Comment “Cold” and I’ll send it over.

A lot of people blame copy. Or deliverability. Or “the market being saturated.” But in reality, many cold email campaigns are dead before the first send. The reason? Bad lists. If your list quality is off, nothing downstream matters. Let me break down how to solve this today, so your cold emails actually reach the right inboxes. Step 1: Confirm Where Your Buyers Actually Exist Before scraping anything, answer this: Are your buyers active on LinkedIn? • If yes → use LinkedIn-based sources (Apollo works fine) • If no → look elsewhere (Google Maps, niche directories, other socials) Step 2: Filter Like Your Reputation Depends on It Because it does. When I build lists in Apollo, I stack filters aggressively: • Job titles • Company size • Location • Email status set to "verified" Loose filters = inflated lists = reputation damage. Step 3: Clean the List (No Exceptions) Export the list and run it through a verifier. With Apollo data, you’ll usually see: • ~70–80% clean • ~20–30% questionable What you do next matters. You can: • double-check the risky segment with a tool like Clay • or discard them entirely What you shouldn’t do is email unverified addresses. Ever. Bad email addresses kill your sender reputation… And no great offer, no “high converting copy”, and no street cred will save you. If you get the list right, everything else becomes easier. Try this out, and let me know if it's helpful!

Quick pulse check for the group 👇

If I had to rebuild everything tomorrow, these two tools would definitely make the cut. Most of the leverage comes from tool decisions made early - especially CRM and outbound. Once those two are right, everything else compounds. When they’re wrong, teams spend months duct-taping workflows together. After testing dozens of platforms over the years, only two tools have survived every scale phase we’ve gone through. 1) CRM: GoHighLevel GoHighLevel works because it reduces surface area. Instead of juggling: • Scheduling • Forms • Funnels • Automations • Client reporting …it centralizes everything in one environment. Fewer handoffs. Fewer failures. Easier scaling across teams and clients. This is why most serious agencies eventually converge on GHL - not because it’s flashy, but because it’s stable under pressure. 2) Cold Email: Instantly Outbound lives or dies by deliverability and iteration speed. Instantly wins here because: • It’s built for multi-inbox scaling • Warmup is native, not bolted on • Personalization workflows are practical • Product velocity is miles ahead of competitors Most tools try to look innovative. Instantly actually ships. You don’t need more tools. You need fewer tools that don’t break when volume increases. That’s the difference between systems that look good in demos and systems that survive real usage. Comment “Stack” if you want to see a full list of the tools I use to run my companies.

We’ve officially launched Inbox 2.0 - our new mailbox service built to streamline your experience with cold email mailboxes. It is my very first Claude Code web application that I have built. The goal was straightforward: Give you more control and visibility without adding complexity. Here’s what’s new: • A clean dashboard to manage your subscriptions • Easier onboarding for new customers • Smooth migration for existing customers (we’ll handle it for you) This is a new launch, so if you notice anything that can be improved, please share your feedback - we’re actively refining it based on community input. 👉 Want to see how it works? Check the pinned comment. For those interested in building tools like this using n8n and Claude Code, join our new AI Automation Insiders. And if you want to try Inbox 2.0, you can place your orders here: 👉 leadgenjay.com/inbox