If your emails are not converting, its probably not your subject line or your copy.

It’s how you are approaching the game.

Let’s break down 5 uncommon but powerful cold email tactics that top agencies and closers quietly use to dominate reply rates and how you can steal them.

1. Start With the Company, Not the Contact

Most people look for decision makers first. Wrong move.

Start with the company context:

• Is it growing?

• Using certain tech?

• Recently funded?

Once the company qualifies, only THEN look for the right person.

Use tools like Scrapeamax to find companies based on:

• Tech stack (BuiltWith)

• Local reputation (GMB, BBB, Trustpilot)

• Industry directories (Clutch, GoodFirms, Store Leads)

Then plug into Clay or Smartlead to get the right contact.

2. Use 'Ice Cubes' Instead of 'Ice Breakers'

Forget “Saw you went to {college}” intros.

Start with what they care about today:

• “Noticed your team is hiring 3 SDRs”

• “Saw you launched 2 new products this quarter”

• “Saw {{competitor}} just raised $10M, curious if you’re adjusting your GTM?”

This is called contextual cueing. It shows you are not just personalizing, you are paying attention.

3. Lead With Discovery, Not the Offer

Instead of:

“We help SaaS companies book 30 demos/month.”

Try:

“How are you currently handling outbound? In-house team? External agency?”

You do not always need to sell in the first email. Get them talking. Once you know their setup, pain, or objections, THEN pitch.

4. Make Your CTA Fit the Risk

If you are cold emailing a $20M company, do not ask:

“Want to hop on a 30 min call?”

Start smaller:

• “Cool if I send a short Loom?”

• “Want me to send a teardown of your current GTM?”

• “Would a few examples help?”

Make the commitment match the temperature.

5. Run a Signal Driven Follow Up Flow

Most people follow up every 2 to 3 days. Top closers? They trigger follow ups based on behavior:

• If opened 3+ times, follow up with Loom.

• If clicked but did not reply, send social proof.

• If no reply in 7 days, change angle completely.

Smartlead lets you do this easily But even if you're doing it manually signals > sequences.

Bonus: Want Us to Build This For You?

If your company does $250k+/year and you are not in crypto, gambling or adult

we will build the full outbound system for you:

• Verified Lead Lists (with Scrapeamax)

• Full Copywriting + Sequences

• Smartlead Campaign Setup

• Inbox + Deliverability Infra

First list is free.

Book a Call

Remember: Great cold email does not feel cold.

It feels like someone who did their homework.

Use these 5 tactics and watch your replies go from "Not interested" to "Let’s chat."

Stay sharp,

The Scrapeamax Team