Templates
Cold email templates that get replies
This is the 5-step sequence structure that consistently pulls double-digit reply rates: a disarming opener, a bump, a tangible asset, a short nudge, then a second angle. Swap the bracketed parts for your offer — keep the rhythm. Every email is plain-text, one soft question, no links, no signature.
Email 1 — Opener · Day 0
Subject: {{companyName}} I almost just called about this, but figured a short note was less annoying. I figured you're probably [specific pain, hypothesised — e.g. "losing a few deals a month to slow follow-up"]. If [that were handled for you], would it help? I put together a short example of what it looks like. Mind if I show you?
Why this works
- The subject is just their company name — it looks like you actually know who they are, and it beats a first-name merge every time.
- It hypothesises the pain instead of claiming it. “You’re probably losing X” reads as a human reaching out; “you are losing X” reads as a script.
- The soft permission CTA is tied to a real artifact, so you’re asking to show something, not to pitch.
Swap the bracketed parts, keep the rhythm.
All five templates with send delays and the reasoning behind each step — as one print-ready PDF.
How to use these
Personalize the company, not the person. A clean {{companyName}} in the subject line beats a first name every time — it looks like you actually know who they are.
Hypothesize the pain, don't claim it. “I figured you're probably losing X” reads as a human reaching out. “You are losing X” reads as a script.
Lead with an artifact. Emails 1 and 3 both reference something concrete you can send. People reply to things they can look at, not to pitches.
Before you hit send, run your draft through the spam word checker and confirm the sending domain passes the deliverability checker. Great copy in a bad domain still lands in spam.