B2B Outbound Best Practices: What’s Working Now with Cold Email and Paid Ads (with Alex Fine)

The Exit Five CMO Podcast (Hosted by Dave Gerhardt)

#245: Cold Email | Danielle Messler sits down with Alex Fine, co-founder of Understory, the agency behind some of the most effective outbound and paid strategies in B2B right now. Alex is leading the charge on a smarter approach to outbound called “Allbound”, a tightly integrated blend of outbound, paid media, and LinkedIn tactics that actually convert.

If you’re tired of cold emails that go nowhere or ad campaigns that burn cash without ROI, this one’s for you.

Danielle and Alex cover:

• Why most B2B outbound strategies fail and how Allbound fixes the disconnect between ads, email, and LinkedIn
• The cold email deliverability tactics that actually work in 2025 (including tools like Instantly, Smartlead, and Clay)
• Real-world examples of hyper-personalized, AI-powered outreach that book meetings with high-ACV prospects

Timestamps

• (00:00) - – Intro
• (03:08) - – What Is “Allbound”?
• (05:08) - – Cold Email Isn’t Dead (But It’s Evolved)
• (07:38) - – Tools to Improve Deliverability
• (09:53) - – Personalization That Actually Works
• (11:23) - – Real Example: Fraud Detection SaaS Cold Email Strategy
• (13:08) - – How to Keep Messaging Consistent Across Channels
• (15:08) - – Treating Each Channel Differently
• (18:19) - – Ads as a “Cheat Code” in B2B
• (20:49) - – Building Genuinely Personalized Emails at Scale
• (23:49) - – From Swiffer to SaaS
• (27:19) - – What Sales Teaches Marketers
• (36:04) - – Where to Find Alex + Upcoming Exit Five Event Plug

Send guest pitches and ideas to [email protected]
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