How This Freelancer Made $5K From Cold Emails (Without a Sales Team or Ad Budget)

Would you send someone $5,000 after getting a cold email from them?

Sounds unlikely, right?

Well… Bamidele Onibalusi made it happen.

He didn’t use fancy automation tools.
He didn’t have a sales team.
He didn’t even run ads.

All he did was write a smart, simple, and effective cold email—and send it out to the right people.

💰 The Numbers:

• He sent 104 cold emails manually.
  
• He made $5,025 in revenue.
  
• His open rate? A stellar 64.4%.
  

That’s an average of $48 per email sent—and for context, many email campaigns struggle to make that kind of ROI, even with large lists and paid tools.

🔍 Why This Worked:

Let’s break down the magic behind Bamidele’s approach:

1. Personalized Subject and Opening Line:
   He didn’t go with clickbait or generic intros. He kept it direct and relevant:
   “I’m reaching out to see if you need someone who can help with content at CompanyName.”

2. Establishes Credibility Quickly:
   Within the first few lines, Bamidele mentions:
   
   • He’s been featured in Forbes, Huffington Post, and Digital Journal.
     
   • His blogs have reached millions of readers.
     This builds instant authority, making the recipient want to read further.

3. Offers a Clear, Valuable Service:
   He doesn’t just say, “I’m a writer.” He lists specific deliverables like blog posts, newsletters, landing pages, and guest posts. That helps the reader immediately see where his skills could fit in.

4. Low-friction Call to Action:
   He doesn’t ask for a sale or a meeting right away.
   He just says:
   “I’d be happy to discuss my experience and how I can be of help, if you’re interested.”
   That makes it feel more like a conversation and less like a pitch.
   

📩 The Cold Email Template (Copy + Adapt for Yourself)

You don’t need to be a freelance writer to use this. This exact template can be adapted for any product or service—just change the offer and adjust the value proposition.

Here’s the full email Bamidele used:

Subject: [Optional – He kept it short and personalized]

Body:

Hi FirstName,

I’m reaching out to see if you need someone who can help with content at CompanyName.

I’m Bamidele Onibalusi. I’ve been featured in Forbes, Huffington Post and Digital Journal, and I run blogs that have been read by millions of people over the past few years.

I’d like to know if you need a freelance writer who can help with your, and your clients’, content needs.

I can help with writing blog posts, guest posts, resources, newsletters, landing page content, and any of your other content marketing needs.

I’d be happy to discuss my experience and how I can be of help, if you’re interested.

Best Regards,
Bamidele

🧠 Lessons You Can Apply Right Now:

• Don’t overthink your cold outreach. A clean, personalized message beats a fancy-looking one.
  
• Build trust fast—mention relevant social proof or results early.
  
• Focus on what the recipient needs—not just what you’re offering.
  
• Make your ask small and easy to say yes to.
  

⚡️Final Thought:

Cold email still works—when it’s done the right way.
You don’t need a massive audience, a team, or a funnel.
You just need the right message, delivered to the right person, with the right intent.

If Bamidele could earn $5K with 104 emails, you probably can too. 😉