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 'Every sentence pays rent. Most of yours does not.'

    What I Cut From Cold Emails Before Anyone Sends Them

    Most cold email edits that matter are cuts. Here is what I delete from a B2B cold email, in order, and the few sentences usually left at the end.

    · 5 min read

    Artem Smirnov in a dark suit against a charcoal studio backdrop, next to the line 'One channel is a guess. Two is a sequence.'

    How to Run LinkedIn and Email as One Outreach Sequence

    LinkedIn first, email second, one list, one owner. The exact touch order, the gaps between touches, and the three places a two-channel sequence breaks.

    · 5 min read

    Artem Smirnov in a dark suit against a charcoal studio backdrop, next to the line 'One message is not outreach. It is a lottery ticket.'

    How to Build a Follow-Up Sequence That Gets Replies

    One message is a lottery ticket. Here is the step-by-step follow-up sequence my team runs in B2B outbound, and the metric to count instead of calls.

    · 5 min read

    Artem Smirnov in a dark suit against a charcoal studio backdrop, next to the line 'You have no case studies. You still have proof.'

    What to Put in a Cold Email When You Have No Proof

    No case studies yet? Here is what actually works as proof in a cold email, what never does, and the build order that gets you to a real result faster.

    · 4 min read

    Artem Smirnov in a dark suit against a charcoal studio backdrop, next to the line 'Month one looks like nothing. Month four looks like luck.'

    What the First 90 Days of Outbound Really Look Like

    A month by month picture of a real outbound engagement: the quiet setup weeks, the ramp, the lag before revenue, and what the client has to do.

    · 5 min read

    Artem Smirnov in a dark suit against a charcoal studio backdrop, next to the line 'Your profile is a page. Not a CV.'

    How to Turn Your LinkedIn Profile Into a Sales Page

    Your LinkedIn profile is read by buyers, not recruiters. A section by section walkthrough of the job each part has to do to earn a reply from one.

    · 6 min read

    Artem Smirnov in a dark suit against a charcoal studio backdrop, next to the line 'The first seven days. Four contracts signed.'

    How a Financial Services Firm Booked 344 Calls in 60 Days

    A teardown of one B2B rebuild: a financial services firm that could only grow by buying traffic, the nine fixes, and the 60 days that came after.

    · 4 min read

    Artem Smirnov in a dark suit against a charcoal studio backdrop, next to the line 'Both is not an answer. Pick by budget.'

    Should You Start With Cold Email or LinkedIn Outreach

    Cold email or LinkedIn first? The answer comes down to budget, how many conversations you need, and whether your buyer keeps a profile. Here are the rules.

    · 5 min read

    Artem Smirnov in a dark suit against a charcoal studio backdrop, next to the line 'They loved the work. Then they took it.'

    What Five Days of Free Work Taught Me About Proof

    I once did five days of unpaid work to prove myself, and watched it go live without me. What that taught me about proving value without giving it away.

    · 4 min read

    Artem Smirnov in a dark suit against a charcoal studio backdrop, next to the line 'Five data vendors stacked. Same ignored email.'

    Do You Actually Need Waterfall Enrichment for Outbound

    Waterfall enrichment raises email coverage from about half a list to most of it. Here is the one question that decides whether you need to pay for that.

    · 5 min read