Article

Do execs really reply to cold email? Here's what the data says

Gong Free Intermediate

Directly useful if part of your targeting question is whether you should even be emailing the CEO. It looks at how seniority changes reply behavior, which helps you decide whether your near-zero reply rate is because you are aiming too high, or too low, in the org chart.

  • Reply likelihood varies meaningfully by seniority, and the pattern is not simply that executives never reply.
  • Shorter, sharper emails do better the more senior the recipient is.
  • Titles alone are a weak targeting signal, role and context in the outreach matter more.
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It answers 2 questions

  1. What's a good response rate for cold email, and how do I know if mine is broken?
  2. How do I cold email people at big enterprises when I'm a small unknown startup from outside the major hubs?

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