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 '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 '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 '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 'AI can send the message. It cannot be the sender.'

    Where AI Helps in Outbound, and Where It Ruins It

    AI belongs in the parts of outbound a buyer never sees. Here is the line I draw between what to automate and what has to stay human, and why it holds.

    · 3 min read

    Artem Smirnov in a dark suit against a charcoal studio backdrop, next to the line 'Posts get you attention. Messages get you contracts.'

    Should You Post on LinkedIn? Five Honest Answers

    Five questions B2B founders ask me about posting on LinkedIn, answered honestly: what content is for, why it is not closing deals, and how much is enough.

    · 4 min read

    Artem Smirnov in a dark suit against a charcoal studio backdrop, next to the line 'You see three contracts. I see ninety-seven losses.'

    Booked Calls Mean Nothing Until Someone Closes Them

    A booked call costs thousands of contacts to produce. What happens after it lands in the calendar decides whether any of that spend turns into revenue.

    · 6 min read

    Artem Smirnov in a dark suit against a charcoal studio backdrop, next to the line 'Send from your main domain. Burn it in a month.'

    Domains, Inboxes, and the Boring Part of Cold Email

    Cold email fails in the setup more often than in the copy. Domains, mailboxes, warmup, volume per inbox, and the month of work before the first send.

    · 5 min read

    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 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 '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 '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 '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 'The money was good. The client was not.'

    Who Outbound Actually Works For, and Who It Doesn't

    Outbound results depend on who signs the contract. Seven lessons on client selection from campaigns that worked, ones that stalled, and one I refused.

    · 5 min read

    Artem Smirnov in a dark suit against a charcoal studio backdrop, next to the line 'A message for everyone lands with nobody.'

    Pick One Offer, One Audience, and Give It Twelve Months

    Companies with seven services and one message for everyone stall in outbound. The case for one offer, one audience, and twelve months of commitment.

    · 4 min read

    Artem Smirnov in a dark suit against a charcoal studio backdrop, next to the line 'Nobody ignored your email. You emailed the wrong people.'

    Your Cold Email Is Fine. The Problem Is Your List.

    Most cold email problems are list problems. Here is how my team takes a B2B lead list apart, what to cut, what to verify, and what changes once you do.

    · 5 min read