How much does cold email lead generation cost? Real numbers, and the question to ask first.
Done for you cold email lead generation costs from $1,250 a month with us, and most of what you pay for is work you can't see: lists, sending infrastructure, copy and replies. Doing it yourself costs a salary, tools and data, plus management time. The number to compare is not the price. It is what one meeting with a real buyer costs you.
What you are actually paying for
A cold email program is six jobs, not one.
- Strategy and offer. Deciding who to write to and what to say that they'd answer.
- Data. Finding and verifying the right people.
- Sending setup. Domains, mailboxes, authentication and warmup.
- Copywriting. Emails a person would actually read.
- Campaign management. Testing, adjusting and watching the numbers weekly.
- Reply handling. Answering yeses quickly, and getting them onto a calendar.
When a quote looks cheap, find out which of the six jobs is missing.
In house or agency: a worksheet
Fill in your own numbers. The point is to see every line, not just the salary.
| Cost line | Doing it in house | With an agency like ours |
|---|---|---|
| The person | A salary, benefits and hiring time | Included |
| Data and lists | A separate subscription | Included |
| Sending domains and tools | Separate subscriptions | Included |
| Copywriting | The hire's skill, or your own time | Included |
| Management | Your time, every week | Ours |
| Reply handling | The hire, or you | Ours |
Four ways agencies charge
| Model | How it works | What to watch for |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly retainer | A fixed fee each month | You pay whether or not meetings come |
| Flat fee for a fixed period | One price for a set term | Check the exit terms |
| Pay per meeting | A fee for each meeting booked | Who decides what counts as a meeting |
| Performance or revenue share | A cut of the deals that close | Slow, and hard to audit |
What we charge
We keep it to two plans.
- Scale: $1,250 a month, month to month. We run the whole engine: offer and positioning, sending infrastructure, verified lead lists, copywriting, campaign management, reply handling and meetings booked on your calendar. There are no tool costs hiding behind it.
- Launch: $3,500 for a full year, paid upfront, plus 1 to 2% of sales from the meetings we book in the first 12 months. Everything in Scale, locked in at one price. We pass our annual tool discounts on to you. We take no more than 5 businesses a year on this plan.
You stay month to month after the first 90 days. If we can't hit the targets we agreed to, we stop billing. And we don't work with companies selling under $3k a deal, or selling to consumers.
Cost per meeting: the number to compare
Take what you pay in a month and divide it by the meetings you hold. Example arithmetic, not a client result: pay $2,000 in a month, hold 20 meetings, and a meeting costs $100. Results vary by client, and nobody can promise you a number.
Compare that with what a meeting costs from ads, events or an in house hire, and with what a customer is worth. That comparison is the only price that matters.
The real cost nobody mentions
The first two weeks. New sending domains need about 14 days to warm up before real volume goes out, so month one buys setup and the start of results, not a full month of meetings. In our work the first meeting typically lands around day 17. Budget for that, from us or from anyone.
Five questions to ask before you sign
- Who owns the domains and the lists if we stop?
- What counts as a meeting, and who decides?
- Who writes the emails, and are they in house?
- What is not included, such as tools, data or reply handling?
- What happens if the targets are missed?
Questions people ask
How much does cold email lead generation cost?
With us, from $1,250 a month. In house, it is a salary plus tools, data and management time. Agencies vary widely, so compare what is included and compare cost per meeting.
Is cold email cheaper than ads?
It depends on your market. Compare cost per meeting, not cost per click. A click tells you what attention costs. A meeting tells you what a conversation costs.
Why does the first month cost the same if meetings start later?
Because setup, domains, list building and warmup are most of that month. They are the foundation every later meeting stands on.
Do I pay extra for tools or data?
Not with us. Sending infrastructure and verified lists are part of the price.
Is there anything on top of the Launch price?
Yes. Launch is $3,500 for the year, plus 1 to 2% of sales from the meetings we book, for the first 12 months. That is how we share in the result.
Is it just spam? How to tell the difference, and when it works.
Read →The ladder of six numbers, and how to tell which one to blame.
Read →A lead is a guess. A meeting is a fact. The five ways businesses do it.
Read →Want to see what a meeting would cost you?