Quickstart tutorial: cold mailing in Germany
Cold calling is well received in Germany, and Xing—a professional network with 19 million active users—rivals LinkedIn in adoption. Here’s how to launch B2B lead generation campaigns targeting German businesses.
Core requirements
To succeed, you need:
- Clear target definition (industry, company size, job titles)
- Prospect sourcing methods
- Understanding of your audience for customized messaging
- Email enrichment tools
- Appropriate CRM or outreach platform
Copywriting strategy
Keep it brief and relevant
- Minimize sales language - Focus on starting conversations around problems you solve
- Keep subject lines brief - Avoid excessive clickbait tactics
- Limit copy to 4-5 lines - This constraint naturally reduces promotional language
- Use industry vocabulary - Demonstrate understanding of prospect pain points
- Include clear CTAs - Provide calendar links, call setups, or opt-out options
- Plan 4-5 follow-ups - Strategic persistence yields better results
Multi-channel outreach works well—mention previous contact attempts in initial emails.
Sourcing prospects
Sales Navigator provides fine-grained targeting capabilities. Export tools like Phantombuster, DuxSoup, and ProspectIn can help.
Particularly valuable in Germany with:
- Cheaper premium access (7x less than LinkedIn Sales Navigator)
- Largely untapped prospecting potential
- Strong adoption in DACH region
Email enrichment
Tools like Dropcontact, Hunter.io, and Snov.io find corporate email addresses at approximately 40-50% discovery rates through simple CSV file uploads.
Sending best practices
- Ramp up gradually: Start with 20 emails daily, reaching ~100 over two weeks
- Respect daily limits: Maintain inbox deliverability
- Don’t rush: Exceeding limits risks spam folders, negating all previous efforts
Key takeaway
Success in German B2B lead generation depends on leveraging Xing’s underutilized prospect pool alongside highly relevant, personalized outreach messaging.
Ready to reach the German market? Try XingZap free.