How should I start and run a speed-to-lead business: test 100 businesses with landing pages, measure lead response time, then pitch via cold emails—should I personalize based on gaps or send mass cold emails?
You can assume almost all businesses have speed-to-lead problems, so you don’t need to research each one. Instead, scrape leads and assume they have the problem; this works about 80% of the time and is much easier. By framing the issue as their specific problem, you can send cheap, high‑volume cold emails and still close deals.
I started cold emailing around 2018‑2019 with my business partner Gurinder; those early attempts didn’t work well. I kept sending emails for about three to four years before I made any money, and it was probably closer to two years before I saw real revenue. The breakthrough came in roughly 2021 with what I called 'one second copy': I ran many cold email campaigns and offered free sample articles that were produced cheaply using AI, which hardly anyone else was doing at the time. That got me attention from big companies like Kixie. The best cold‑email strategy is to front‑load value—give the recipient more work or benefit than you’re asking for. Instead of asking for free labor, identify a problem they’re suffering from, solve it, and attach the results to your email. For example, I once rewrote 40 YouTube titles for a follower, provided a one‑click doc, and they saw immediate CTR improvements. That’s how successful, ‘rich‑people’ cold emails work: you save them time or make them money, not the other way around.
I've shown how to acquire 100 leads very cheaply—about 18 cents for 100 emails. They aren't the absolute best leads, but they're probably okay, and I'd run the process. (As a side note, it takes roughly 37.9 Loom videos to close a client.)
Your situation isn't really an issue—you're already using lead‑generation strategies that don't demand daily time. The biggest improvements in life come from doing the same thing consistently over a long period. I recommend a daily lead‑generation activity that requires you to articulate the benefits of your service, such as recording a video or leaving a voice note. Examples include sending DMs on LinkedIn, X, Instagram, or TikTok, or engaging in relevant communities. Talking to people in a social‑media style helps you get 1% better each day at explaining benefits and understanding needs. You can also create personalized icebreakers for large lead lists using tools like Ampify to automate the process.
No links or HTML in cold emails; write informally, like you're texting someone at a bus stop with a 30-second pitch. Treat each second of their attention as something you're buying with the previous second—make the email worth their while. Frame email as a successive purchase of attention; assume they're also scanning other messages, which raises the bar and keeps you focused on what makes you different. Technically, limit to about 30 emails per day per mailbox; if you add images, HTML or links, cut that volume significantly. Don't worry about bounce rates with Instantly (auto-shutoff at 5%); prioritize speed to lead and market, and optimize later.