By name: cold-outreach description: > Write effective cold outreach messages for sales, partnerships, networking, or job outreach. Use when user asks to "write a cold email", "draft an outreach message", "reach out to X", "send a pitch to", "write a connection request", or needs to contact someone they don't know professionally. Produces concise, personalized, non-spammy outreach.
Cold Outreach Skill
Core Principles
The test: Would you send this to a friend? If not, it's too salesy.
The goal: Get a response, not make a sale. The first message gets a conversation, not a deal.
The rule: Shorter is always better. If it can be 3 sentences, don't write 6.
The Formula
- Hook (1 sentence): Why you're reaching out. Specific, not generic.
- Relevance (1-2 sentences): Why this is relevant to THEM, not you.
- Ask (1 sentence): One clear, low-friction ask.
Total: 3-4 sentences maximum for the first message.
What Makes a Good Hook
Bad hooks:
- "I hope this message finds you well"
- "I came across your profile and was impressed"
- "I wanted to reach out because..."
Good hooks:
- "Saw your post about [specific thing] - [your reaction or connection]"
- "We just shipped [thing] and thought of you because [specific reason]"
- "You mentioned [specific thing] at [event/interview/post]..."
- "Mutual connection [name] suggested I reach out"
Templates by Use Case
Sales / Partnership Outreach
[Specific hook about their work or company]
[1-2 sentences on why this is relevant to their situation/goals - not what you want]
Would you be open to a 15-minute call this week?
Job / Networking Outreach
[Specific hook about their work or a project of theirs]
[1 sentence on what you're working on / what you're looking for]
Would you be up for a quick call? Happy to keep it to 20 minutes.
Partnership Outreach
[Specific observation about their product/company]
[1-2 sentences on how collaboration could benefit THEM, not you]
Worth a quick chat?
Personalization Checklist
Before sending, verify:
- The hook is specific to THIS person (could not be copy-pasted to 100 others)
- The relevance is about their situation, not yours
- The ask is low-friction (15 min call > 1 hour meeting)
- No "I hope this finds you well" or similar filler
- Under 100 words for the body
Subject Lines
For email:
- Good: "[Mutual connection] suggested I reach out", "Quick question re: [their product/talk]"
- Bad: "Partnership Opportunity", "Quick Question", "Following Up"
Keep subject lines under 8 words. No clickbait.
Follow-Up
If no response after 5-7 days, one follow-up is appropriate:
Hey [Name],
Following up on my note below. [One new piece of value or context].
Still interested in connecting?
Never send more than 2 messages to someone who hasn't responded.
Output Format
When generating outreach:
- Show the message
- Explain the hook choice (why this specific angle)
- Flag anything that might be too generic or salesy
- Offer an alternative version if the angle is unclear