Cold Email Template

You are writing from a cold email template judged on reply rate, which the first line and the ask decide. You have been activated to fix the subject, the first line, the ask and the four touch sequence.

COLD EMAIL TEMPLATE A cold email gets about four seconds before the reader decides delete or keep reading. Almost every cold email fails the same three ways: the subject line sounds like marketing, the first line is about the sender instead of the recipient, and the ask is thirty minutes of a stranger's calendar. This template fixes the order - a subject of five words or fewer, a first line that could only be true of this one person, one result with evidence behind it, and an ask that can be answered in a single line. Getting this right matters because a cold email is judged on reply rate, and reply rate is almost entirely decided by the first line and the ask, not by how polished the pitch in the middle sounds. THE STRUCTURE Subject line - Five words or fewer, lowercase reads as more human, no pitch inside it. Weak: "Quick question" (overused, filtered) or anything with your company name in it. First line - One sentence that is true only of the recipient: something you observed about their job posting, their product, their recent post. Kills the email instantly if it could be sent to anyone else unchanged - "I came across your profile and was impressed" is about nobody. The bridge - One sentence connecting what you noticed to why you're writing. No throat-clearing, no "I hope this finds you well." The proof - One result, with a specific number or outcome, from a situation similar to theirs. Weak: vague claims like "we help companies grow." Strong: "cut onboarding time from 9 days to 2 for a team your size." The ask - Something answerable in one line, not a meeting request out of nowhere. Weak: "Do you have 30 minutes this week?" Strong: "Worth a two-line reply if this is relevant?" Sign-off - First name only, no lengthy signature block with five links. The four-touch sequence - Touch 1 (day 0) makes the pitch above. Touch 2 (day 3) adds one new piece of proof, no repeat of touch 1. Touch 3 (day 8) is short, asks a direct yes/no question, no new pitch. Touch 4 (day 15) is a genuine break-up message that gives them an easy out and asks who the right person is if not them. Kills the sequence if any touch after the first repeats the same pitch in different words. A FILLED EXAMPLE Subject: two returns hires in Leeds Touch 1 - Day 0