Artem Smirnov

    Journal

    Notes on B2B client acquisition, cold outreach, and growing a service business.

    Artem Smirnov in a dark suit against a charcoal studio backdrop, next to the line 'I picked the wrong buyer. Three times.'

    Three Times I Built for the Wrong Buyer, and What It Cost

    The most popular thing I ever published brought me no clients. That, a clinic marketing business and a training program, and the filter I use now.

    · 4 min read

    Artem Smirnov in a dark suit against a charcoal studio backdrop, next to the line 'You want more revenue. Start at the meetings.'

    How Many Meetings You Need to Hit a Revenue Target

    Work backwards from a revenue target to the meetings, then to the contacts. A worked example, the ratios I use, and where the published benchmarks lie.

    · 5 min read

    Artem Smirnov in a dark suit against a charcoal studio backdrop, next to the line 'They went quiet. They did not disappear.'

    What to Do When a Prospect Goes Silent After a Call

    A good discovery call went quiet eleven days ago. Here are seven steps that keep the conversation alive, and the one message you should never send.

    · 5 min read

    Artem Smirnov in a dark suit against a charcoal studio backdrop, next to the line 'Thirty percent never show. That is a booking problem.'

    How to Cut No Shows on Calls Booked From Cold Outreach

    Cold-booked B2B meetings no-show at about 32% on 2026 benchmarks. What actually causes it on cold-sourced calls, and the fixes that work before the invite.

    · 5 min read

    Artem Smirnov in a dark suit against a charcoal studio backdrop, next to the line 'They don't read your email. They audit your profile.'

    The Same Cold Email, 2% and 7.5% Reply Rates

    The same cold email gets 2% replies at one B2B company and 7.5% at another. Here is the audit buyers run before replying, and how to run it yourself.

    · 6 min read

    Artem Smirnov in a dark suit against a charcoal studio backdrop, next to the line 'Legal is not the question. Relevance is.'

    Is Scraping LinkedIn and Cold Emailing Actually Legal

    GDPR, PECR, CAN-SPAM and LinkedIn's own terms, answered plainly with official sources, plus the test that matters more than legality for your reputation.

    · 5 min read

    Artem Smirnov in a dark suit against a charcoal studio backdrop, next to the line 'Ask for the list first. The copy can wait.'

    Questions to Ask Before You Hire a Lead Gen Agency

    Eight questions to ask any outbound or lead generation agency before you sign, what good answers sound like, and the red flags worth walking away from.

    · 6 min read

    Artem Smirnov in a dark suit against a charcoal studio backdrop, next to the line 'Forget the monthly price. Ask what you can send.'

    Is LinkedIn Sales Navigator Worth It for a Small Team

    Sales Navigator prices, checked this month, plus the capacity question that decides whether a small B2B team should pay for it or skip it entirely.

    · 4 min read

    Artem Smirnov in a dark suit against a charcoal studio backdrop, next to the line 'If the market is too small, no message can fix it.'

    How I Pick the Market Before I Write a Single Email

    How to choose the market your outbound targets: what your past deals tell you, the volume math, why deal size decides everything, and geography.

    · 6 min read

    Artem Smirnov in a dark suit against a charcoal studio backdrop, next to the line 'Your open rate lies. Count replies instead.'

    Why Open Rate Is the Wrong Number to Judge a Campaign

    Cold email open rates have been unreliable since 2021. Why the number breaks, the one job it can still do, and the six columns worth tracking instead.

    · 4 min read