Cold email

Cold email templates.

Five to seven lines, one single ask. Anything longer is deleted before it is read.

In short

An effective cold email is five to seven lines: a first sentence showing why you are writing to this company, one sentence on the problem you solve, one short proof point, and one easy ask. No attachment, no company introduction up front, no more than one link.

The structure behind the templates

Line 1, context: what you noticed about this recipient. It is the only line that proves the message was not sent to a thousand people. Line 2, the problem, phrased in their trade's words rather than yours.

Line 3, proof: a result, a comparable client, a fact. Short. Line 4, the ask, small and dated. Fifteen minutes is accepted or declined in three seconds; an hour-long demo requires a decision.

The mistakes that get you deleted

Introducing your company first: the reader has no reason to care before knowing what you want. The attachment, which trips filters and is never opened on a first contact. The three links, which turn a message into a landing page.

And the most common one: length. A fifteen-line cold email is not more complete, it is simply unread. If you cannot fit it into seven lines, it usually means your proposition is not clear to you either.

Three templates

Replace what is in brackets. Keep the length: it is doing the work.

First contact, observation angle

When you have spotted something verifiable about the company.

Objet : [Company] and [subject in two words]

Hello [first name],

I saw that [verifiable observation: you're hiring two salespeople / you've just opened in Leeds].

With [trade] of your size, that moment usually brings up [specific problem].

We work with [comparable type of client], who were at the same point a year ago.

Would fifteen minutes next week make sense? Tuesday or Thursday morning, your choice.

[First name last name] — [company] — [phone]

First contact, question angle

When you have no particular observation but know the trade well.

Objet : Question about [trade subject]

Hello [first name],

Quick question: how do you handle [specific task] today?

I ask because most [trade] we work with did it [common method], until [concrete consequence].

If that rings true, I'll show you in fifteen minutes how [type of client] handle it now.

[First name last name] — [company] — [phone]

After an unanswered call

Sent the same day as a call where you did not reach them.

Objet : Following my call this morning

Hello [first name],

I tried to reach you this morning about [subject in five words].

In two lines: [concrete benefit], as we did for [comparable client].

I'll call again [day] early afternoon, unless another time suits you better.

[First name last name] — [company] — [phone]

Frequently asked questions

How formal should you be?

Match the sector. Formality costs less than misplaced familiarity: the error in that direction is cheaper than the other way round.

Should you link to your website in the signature?

One link maximum, in the signature, without images or banners. Image-heavy signatures hurt deliverability and make the message look like a campaign.

How long before following up?

Three to five working days for the first follow-up. Sooner and you have not allowed time to read; later and the context is lost.

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