Definitely email marketing works, this technique is also used by banks and major corporates in International Markert to boost sales.
I have done FTP consultation for several Star Export House, so I know how they work on email marketing. They work in the very planned way and uses many premium tools
Using VPN
Most good co uses EXPRESS VPN paid software, they change the IP of PC, from Indian IP they switch to foreign IP in which they want to market. For example "Canada"
Finding Right Market Place & Right Keyword.
At first, they find & check the puls and perception of people's mind, do people really want to buy their products in "Canada". So they use GOOGLE KEYWORDS PLANNER. So suppose your product is "funnel seeds" you can check monthly google search in Canada on keywords like "Funnel Seeds", Import Funnel Seeds, Supplier of Funnel Seeds (Supplier of Funnel Seeds in Canada is definitely buyer for you because they don't have good funnels grown in Canada)
Using Email Extractor
Several co uses Atom Park Email Hunter software to grab all targeted emails based on set keywords and set countries as VPN is set for targeted countries so you always get a perfect result. After switching VPN to Canada, if you type on Google "Hotels near me, they will show some results of Canada only, if you type buy mangoes, you would find some e-commerce store and supplier selling products in Canada with CAD currency price. And with Atom Park Email Hunter you don't even need to visit any website, email list would be automatically extracted into software , people gets few thousands or lacks of email via this software. You can youtube about Atom Park Email Hunter software
Sending Email
Leading Exporter does not send mass email in BCC or CC, sending mass email does not create a good impression, people get to know that its mass email, so sending personal email one to one would be the best option. To speed up this process people use Microsoft Word Mail Merge Facility, Yea Microsoft allow us to send mass email look like personally send to an individual, that tool you can also use it for FREE, just search on search engine "Microsoft Mail Merge"
In email marketing, I would like to say
“If you can't fly then run, if you can't run then walk, if you can't walk then crawl, but whatever you do you have to keep moving forward.” : Martin Luther King