Cold outreach
What is cold outreach?
Cold outreach is any first contact with someone you have no relationship with: cold email, cold calling, LinkedIn or social messages, or replying to someone’s public question. It is the basis of outbound sales and of influencer outreach.
It turns into warm outreach once there is a connection, such as a reply, a mutual contact or prior interaction.
Why cold outreach matters
Every new relationship starts cold. Doing it respectfully, to the right people, with a real reason to talk, is what separates outreach from spam.
Related marketing terms
Cold emailWhite hat
A cold email is a first message sent to someone you have no prior relationship with, to start a business conversation. It must follow anti-spam law.
Warm outreach is contacting someone who already knows of you, through a referral, a past conversation or engagement with your content.
Cold calling is phoning potential customers who have not asked to be contacted, to introduce a product and book a next step.
Influencer outreach is finding creators who fit your brand and contacting them with a clear, personal proposal to work together.
Prospecting is searching for and qualifying potential customers, then making first contact to start a sales conversation.