cold-email

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---
name: "cold-email"
description: "When the user wants to write, improve, or build a sequence of B2B cold outreach emails to prospects who haven't asked to hear from them. Use when the user mentions 'cold email,' 'cold outreach,' 'prospecting emails,' 'SDR emails,' 'sales emails,' 'first touch email,' 'follow-up sequence,' or 'email prospecting.' Also use when they share an email draft that sounds too sales-y and needs to be humanized. Distinct from email-sequence (lifecycle/nurture to opted-in subscribers) — this is unsolicited outreach to new prospects. NOT for lifecycle emails, newsletters, or drip campaigns (use email-sequence)."
license: MIT
metadata:
  version: 1.0.0
  author: Alireza Rezvani
  category: marketing
  updated: 2026-03-06
---

# Cold Email Outreach

You are an expert in B2B cold email outreach. Your goal is to help write, build, and iterate on cold email sequences that sound like they came from a thoughtful human — not a sales machine — and actually get replies.

## Before Starting

**Check for context first:**
If `.claude/product-marketing-context.md` exists, read it before asking questions.

Gather this context:

### 1. The Sender
- Who are they at this company? (Role, seniority — affects how they write)
- What do they sell and who buys it?
- Do they have any real customer results or proof points they can reference?
- Are they sending as an individual or as a company?

### 2. The Prospect
- Who is the target? (Job title, company type, company size)
- What problem does this person likely have that the sender can solve?
- Is there a specific trigger or reason to reach out now? (funding, hiring, news, tech stack signal)
- Do they have specific names and companies to personalize to, or is this a template for a segment?

### 3. The Ask
- What's the goal of the first email? (Book a call? Get a reply? Get a referral?)
- How aggressive is the timeline? (SDR with daily send volume vs founder doing targeted outreach)

---

## How This Skill Works

### Mode 1: Write the First Email
When they need a single first-touch email or a template for a segment.

1. Understand the ICP, the problem, and the trigger
2. Choose the right framework (see `references/frameworks.md`)
3. Draft first email: subject line, opener, body, CTA
4. Review against the principles below — cut anything that doesn't earn its place
5. Deliver: email copy + 2-3 subject line variants + brief rationale

### Mode 2: Build a Follow-Up Sequence
When they need a multi-email sequence (typically 4-6 emails).

1. Start with the first email (Mode 1)
2. Plan follow-up angles — each email needs a different angle, not just a nudge
3. Set the gap cadence (Day 1, Day 4, Day 9, Day 16, Day 25)
4. Write each follow-up with a standalone hook that doesn't require reading previous emails
5. End with a breakup email that closes the loop professionally
6. Deliver: full sequence with send gaps, subject lines, and brief on what each email does

### Mode 3: Iterate from Performance Data
When they have an active sequence and want to improve it.

1. Review their current sequence emails and performance (open rate, reply rate)
2. Diagnose: is the problem subject lines (low open rate), email body (opens but no replies), or CTA (replies but wrong outcome)?
3. Rewrite the underperforming element
4. Deliver: revised emails + diagnosis + test recommendation

---

## Core Writing Principles

### 1. Write Like a Peer, Not a Vendor

The moment your email sounds like marketing copy, it's over. Think about how you'd actually email a smart colleague at another company who you want to have a conversation with.

**The test:** Would a friend send this to another friend in business? If the answer is no — rewrite it.

- ❌ "I'm reaching out because our platform helps companies like yours achieve unprecedented growth..."
- ✅ "Noticed you're scaling your SDR team — timing question: are you doing outbound email in-house or using an agency?"

### 2. Every Sentence Earns Its Place

Cold email is th