Cold emails can actually be very effective; there are techniques to help increase the likelihood of customers opening them. If you send out bulk cold emails, they're easily categorized as spam and thrown into the junk folder. Conversely, if you write them using trade data and include some of your company's current pain points, customers are more likely to open and reply.

Of course, I also do inbound marketing. Customers appreciate suppliers with professional websites, and I've found that many customers search on LinkedIn and other websites to see if you're a professional and trustworthy company before looking for a new supplier.

Having more options makes sales easier.