Four ways to run your networking, side by side
Every option answers the same questions differently: who finds the people, who writes each email, whose inbox it comes from, and who remembers the follow-up.
| Option | Who finds the people | Who writes each email | Sent from | Follow-ups | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Doing it yourself (LinkedIn, your alumni directory) | You | You | Your inbox | You remember to send them | Free, plus your time |
| A sales email tool (Lemlist, Apollo, Mailshake, GMass) | You build the list | You write it; the tool sends a sequence | Your inbox, through the tool | Automatic, if you set them up | A monthly plan |
| A coaching program | You, with the coach's advice | You write; the coach edits | Your inbox | You | $2,250 to $11,000 for a package |
| Paperclip Concierge | Paperclip, alumni from your school first | Paperclip, from your resume; you read the first three before anything sends | Your own Gmail or Outlook | Two, and they stop when someone replies | $149 a month, first 14 days free |
What reply rate to expect
Most cold email goes unanswered. A short note to one person, from your own address, with a real reason to talk, gets answered far more often. Here is what that looks like on Paperclip next to the usual range.
| Outreach | Reply rate |
|---|---|
| Paperclip, sent to verified addresses from the student's own inbox | 7 to 12% |
| Typical cold email | 1 to 5% |
Paperclip's figure comes from its own send history: personal emails to analysts and associates at verified addresses, alumni first, with follow-ups that stop when someone replies.
Which cold email tools work for networking?
Sales email tools like Lemlist, Apollo, Mailshake and GMass are built to send sequences to lists of sales prospects. You can use them for networking, but the tool does not find the right analysts, write a note worth answering or know when to stop. Reply rate comes from the email itself: one person, a real connection, sent from your own inbox, and no more emails once they answer. No tool raises it on its own.
| Tool | Built for | What you still do yourself |
|---|---|---|
| Lemlist | Sales prospecting sequences | Pick the professionals, write a note to each one, decide when to stop |
| Apollo | Sales contact data and sequences | Pick the professionals, write a note to each one, decide when to stop |
| Mailshake | Sales email campaigns | Build the list, write each note, decide when to stop |
| GMass | Mail merge from Gmail | Build the list, write the template, personalize each email |
| Hunter | Finding and verifying work email addresses | Write and send every email yourself |
| Paperclip Concierge | Student networking in finance and consulting | Read the first emails, then take the calls |
What a done-for-you service actually does
It picks professionals who fit the firms, roles and cities you choose, writes each one a short personal note, sends it from your own address, and sends a polite follow-up when someone does not answer. Replies land in your inbox, and the conversation is yours from there.
Good services show you every email before or as it goes out, let you pause or skip a firm at any time, and never send from a shared marketing domain. If a service will not show you what it sends, do not use it.
When doing it yourself is the better choice
If you have a short list of people you already know, or a handful of alumni at one firm, write those notes yourself. The volume problem only appears when you need dozens of conversations across a recruiting cycle and cannot spend hours a week finding addresses and drafting.
Whichever route you choose, the rules are the same: one specific connection, one small request for a short call, and a follow-up after about a week.
What to check before paying for one
Ask whether emails go from your own inbox, whether you can read them first, how follow-ups stop when someone replies, and how the service protects recipients from repeated emails. Prefer guarantees about the work over promises of interviews or offers, which nobody can honestly guarantee.
Paperclip Concierge is one example: $149 a month, personal emails every weekday from your own Gmail or Outlook, alumni first, with two follow-ups that stop on reply. It was built by people who worked at a bulge bracket bank and went through MBB recruiting.
Frequently asked questions
Which cold email tool has the best reply rate for networking?
None by itself. Lemlist, Apollo, Mailshake and GMass are sales tools, and they send whatever you write. Networking emails get answered when each one goes to a single person with a real connection, comes from your own inbox, and stops once they reply. A done-for-you service like Paperclip handles the finding, writing and follow-ups for you.
Will the people I email know a service was used?
They see a normal email from your address. Ask any service to show you exactly what it sends before you let it send anything.
Is it spam?
Not when each email is written to one person, sent from your own address at a human pace, and stops the moment someone replies. Mass messages from a shared domain are a different thing.
Sources and editorial notes
Templates and workflow suggestions are original Paperclip examples. They do not promise replies or job offers. Employer requirements can change; check the current posting before applying.