A good cold email is short, specific and easy to answer. It doesn't try to close a deal; it tries to start a conversation. Most bad cold emails fail for the same reasons: too long, all about the sender and ending with a big ask.
The structure
- Subject line: two to four words, lowercase, looks like an internal email. Examples: "dallas depot", "support hiring", "question about onboarding".
- First line: about them. A trigger, an observation or a relevant result.
- Problem: one or two sentences on a problem people in their role usually have.
- Proof: one line showing you've solved it for a similar company.
- Easy question: a yes/no question, not "do you have 30 minutes".
Keep the whole email under 100 words and without images or attachments.
Template 1: trigger event
Subject: support hiring
Hi Priya, saw you're hiring four support agents in Denver.
When teams grow that fast, the same ten questions often take up half of every agent's day. We helped Brightline cut repeat tickets by a third in two months, which meant they hired two people instead of five.
Is reducing repeat tickets on your list for this quarter?
Alex
Template 2: problem first
Subject: month-end close
Hi Tom, most finance directors I speak to at 200-person companies say month-end still takes a week because invoices arrive in five different formats.
Is that true for you as well, or have you already solved it?
Alex
Template 3: referral
Subject: Sam suggested I write
Hi Jordan, Sam Lee in your Chicago office mentioned you're looking at how the regional teams report pipeline.
We built the reporting for Sam's team last year. Would it be worth comparing notes for 20 minutes?
Alex
Template 4: follow-up with value
Reply to your own first email, so the context stays in the thread.
Hi Priya, one more thought: here's a two-page checklist we use to find which ticket types are worth automating first. No need to reply if it's not useful.
Template 5: closing the loop
Hi Priya, I haven't heard back, so I'll assume this isn't a priority right now. If that changes, just reply to this email. All the best with the new team.
This "break-up" email often gets the most replies of the whole sequence, because it's polite and there's no pressure.
Follow-up timing
Send three to five emails over two to three weeks, spacing them further apart each time (for example days 1, 3, 7, 12 and 19). Mix in calls and LinkedIn if you can. See the sequence in the prospecting guide.
Deliverability basics
Even a perfect email fails if it lands in spam.
- Send from a separate domain (for example
getnorthwind.com) so problems never hit your main domain. - Set up SPF, DKIM and DMARC records for that domain.
- Warm up a new mailbox gradually and stay under about 50 cold emails per mailbox per day.
- Use plain text, few links and no tracking pixels if replies drop.
- Remove anyone who asks, right away, and follow the law where your prospects are: in the US that means CAN-SPAM, and in the UK and EU the stricter PECR and GDPR rules.
Common replies and how to answer
- "Not interested": thank them and ask if there's a better person. See not interested.
- "Send more information": ask what they'd like to know so you send the right thing. See send me some information.
- "Talk to me next quarter": book a date now. See bad timing.