cold-email

name: cold-email description: Write high-converting B2B cold emails and sequences. Use when drafting outreach, prospecting, or cold email campaigns user_invocable: true

Cold Email Writer

Write data-driven B2B cold emails that actually get replies. Based on analysis of millions of cold emails (Gong, Belkins, Outreach, Mailshake research 2024-2026).

Triggers

• "напиши холодное письмо", "cold email", "draft outreach"
• "написать письмо для [компания/человек]"
• "email sequence", "follow-up sequence"
• "outreach campaign"

Input

• Required: Target company OR person name OR deal name
• Optional: language (EN default), framework preference, specific pain point to address

Workflow

Step 1: Gather Context

Before writing a single word, research the prospect:

# Find deal/person/org in your knowledge base (Obsidian vault path comes from config.yaml)
Glob "**/*{name}*.md" ~/Documents/MyBrain/

# Read everything we have
Read "~/Documents/MyBrain/People/{Person}.md"
Read "~/Documents/MyBrain/Organizations/{Company}.md"
Read "~/Documents/MyBrain/Deals/{Deal}.md"

Extract:

• Person: role, company, recent activity, what they care about
• Company: industry, size, stage, recent events, tech stack
• Deal: history, what was discussed, stage, objections, pricing discussed
• Trigger event: new hire, expansion, funding, regulatory change, public statement

If no Obsidian context exists - research via web:

# LinkedIn profile
/linkedin search "{person name}" at "{company}"

# Company news
WebSearch "{company} recent news 2026"

Step 2: Select Framework

Pick framework based on context. Decision tree:

Have a trigger event? → TRIGGER-BASED (#6)
Have something valuable to share (report/data)? → SHARING ASSET (#8)
Know their specific pain point? → PAS (#1)
Have a killer case study with numbers? → 3C (#5)
Know a specific achievement to praise? → 3Ps (#4)
Want to show transformation? → BAB (#3)
Have a wow-stat? → AIDA (#2)
Nothing specific, need volume? → GOATED ONE-LINER (#7)
Can create personalized visual? → CUSTOMIZED VISUAL (#9)
ICP is very clear, problem obvious? → STRAIGHT TO BUSINESS (#10)

For data/asset-heavy outreach (e.g. you're selling access to a dataset, API, or report), default order of preference:

1. Sharing Asset - you have real data to show
2. Trigger-Based - if there's a recent event
3. PAS - if you know their pain
4. 3C - if you have a relevant case study

Step 3: Write the Email

Hard Rules (non-negotiable)

1. 60-100 words. 6-8 sentences max. If it doesn't fit on one iPhone screen - cut
2. No "I/We" opening. First sentence must be about THEM
3. No links in first email. Zero. Kills deliverability
4. No images, attachments, HTML formatting. Plain text only
5. One CTA. One. Always soft: "Would this be worth exploring?" not "Book a demo"
6. No filler: "I hope this finds you well", "My name is X from Y", "I wanted to reach out"
7. Subject line: lowercase, <5 words, personal or question
8. Signature: minimal. Name + Company. No logos, no links, no phone, no title block

Personalization Requirements

Every email MUST have at least ONE of these (in order of impact):

• Reference to their specific recent action/event (best)
• Observation about their company (good)
• Reference to their content/talk/post (good)
• Industry-specific pain point (acceptable)
• Role-specific pain point (minimum)

Generic "Hi {first_name}" with zero personalization = DO NOT SEND.

CTA Hierarchy (best → worst)

1. "Would you be open to seeing how this could work for {{company}}?" ← best
2. "Is this something your team is thinking about?"
3. "Happy to send a sample report - no strings. Want me to?"
4. "Worth a quick conversation?"
5. "Mind if I send a 2-min walkthrough?"
6. "Does a 15-min call next Tuesday work?" ← too committal for first touch
7. "Let me know if you're interested." ← never use, lazy

Subject Line Formulas (by open rate)

Rules: lowercase everything, max 5 words, no emoji, no numbers, no "Partnership opportunity" / "Quick sync" / "Following up"

Step 4: Write the Sequence

Always write a 4-touch sequence, not just one email:

Day 1 - Initial Email

Main email using selected framework. Maximum personalization here.

Day 3 - Follow-up #1 (Value Add)

NOT "just following up." Add NEW value:

• New data point or insight
• Relevant case study
• Link to article that validates their problem

Template:

One more thought on this - [new insight/data point relevant to them].

[1-2 sentences connecting it to their situation].

[Soft re-ask of CTA]

Day 7 - Follow-up #2 (Social Proof)

Lead with a specific result from a similar company:

Template:

Quick update - [similar company] just [achieved specific result] using [our approach].

They [specific detail that resonates with prospect's situation].

Still think this could be relevant for {{company}}?

Day 14 - Follow-up #3 (Breakup)

The "breakup email" - paradoxically gets highest reply rate:

Template:

{{first_name}}, I'll assume the timing isn't right and won't take up more of your inbox.

If [their problem] ever becomes a priority, happy to pick this up.

[Optional: link to free public resource]

Why breakup works: Loss aversion + pressure removal. Recipients feel free to respond honestly.

Step 5: Output Format

Present the email + sequence as:

## Cold Email: [Company/Person]

**Framework:** [which one]
**Personalization hook:** [what makes this specific to them]
**Trigger:** [event that prompted outreach, if any]

### Email 1 (Day 1)
Subject: [subject line]
---
[email body]
---

### Follow-up 1 (Day 3)
Subject: [subject line]
---
[email body]
---

### Follow-up 2 (Day 7)
Subject: [subject line]
---
[email body]
---

### Follow-up 3 - Breakup (Day 14)
Subject: [subject line]
---
[email body]
---

**Send time:** [Tue-Thu, 7-9 AM recipient timezone]
**Notes:** [any strategic notes, what to watch for]

Step 6: Approval

ALWAYS present to the user for approval before any sending. If asked to batch-create for a campaign, present all as HTML view for review.

Frameworks Reference

1. PAS - Problem → Agitate → Solve

Structure: Name their pain → Amplify consequences → Present solution with proof Best for: When you know their specific problem Example pain points (substitute with pains your product actually solves):

• Manual, slow workflows the prospect is running today
• Data blind spots that cost them money or risk
• Compliance or coverage gaps
• Bottlenecks in a process they own

2. AIDA - Attention → Interest → Desire → Action

Structure: Shocking fact → Connect to them → Show what they get → Soft CTA Best for: When you have a WOW stat

3. BAB - Before → After → Bridge

Structure: Current painful state → Ideal outcome → How to get there Best for: Selling transformation

4. 3Ps - Praise → Picture → Push

Structure: Specific compliment → Bigger opportunity → Clear next step Best for: C-level outreach, when they have a public achievement to reference

5. 3C (Alex Berman) - Compliment → Case Study → CTA

Structure: Super-personal compliment → 1 sentence case study with number → 1 question Results: 10-25% reply rate Rules: 3-5 lines total. Compliment must be SPECIFIC. Case study = 1 sentence + 1 number.

6. Trigger-Based / Intent-Based

Structure: Reference event → Explain relevance → Offer value Best for: When there's a concrete trigger (new hire, expansion, funding, regulatory event) Generic triggers worth monitoring (adapt to your ICP):

• Prospect hired into a role that owns your use case (e.g. Head of Data, Compliance, Security)
• Regulatory or industry event that makes your category urgent
• Expansion, funding, or M&A activity
• Public statement about a priority that aligns with your product
• Competitor win or loss in their space

7. Goated One-Liner

Structure: 1 powerful line → 1 context line → "Worth a call?" Best for: Volume outreach without deep personalization

8. Sharing Asset

Structure: Context → Describe asset → Offer to send free Best for: When you have a report/data/case study to give away Tip: If you sell a data product, create mini-reports scoped to each prospect's industry or market

9. Customized Visual

Structure: Personalized visual → Key insights → Discussion invite Best for: When you can create an audit/mockup/sample for them Tip: Personalized audits and mockups convert dramatically better than generic collateral

10. Straight to Business

Structure: What we do → Who we help → Proof → Direct question Best for: Clear ICP, obvious problem

Credibility Stack

Use these as social proof (choose what's relevant):

• "Our data has been cited in academic research papers"
• "Used by investigative journalists at major publications"
• "Coverage across 180+ corporate jurisdictions"
• "Mapped X entities / discovered Y previously unknown connections" (use real numbers from deals)
• Published article citations
• Case studies with verified metrics (if appropriate to mention)

Sensitive info rules:

• NEVER mention specific client names (say "a major AI lab", "a major publication")
• NEVER mention pricing from other deals
• NEVER mention intermediary or referrer names

C-Level / Enterprise Rules

When targeting VP+ at companies >500 employees:

• Shorter = better. Max 5 sentences
• Outcome > Features. "Reduce compliance review time by 80%" not "AI-powered entity resolution"
• 6-9 AM send time. They check email before the day starts
• Understated tone. No hype, no exclamation marks, no CAPS
• Multi-thread: Also email 2-3 other people in the org (different angles)
• Enable forwarding: Add "If this sits with someone else on your team, I'd be grateful for a pointer"
• Low-commitment CTA: "Worth exploring?" or "Can I send a 2-min case study?"

Segment Playbooks

Key Stats Reference

• Average reply rate: 5.8% (2024). Top performers: 15-25%
• Optimal length: 60-100 words, 6-8 sentences
• Follow-up lift: +49% with 1st follow-up, +65% with 2-3
• Best days: Tue-Thu. Best time: 7-11 AM. Peak: Wed 9-11 AM
• Subject line: Personalized = 46% open vs 35% generic
• Breakup email: Often highest reply rate in sequence
• Plain text > HTML for deliverability and perceived authenticity

Anti-Patterns (never do these)

• "I hope this email finds you well"
• "My name is X and I work at Y"
• Starting with "I" or "We"
• Multiple CTAs in one email
• Links in first email
• "Just following up" without new value
• HTML formatting, images, logos
• Subject with CAPS, numbers, emoji, urgency words
• Sending from your primary domain (use aged secondaries instead)

• 50 emails/day from one inbox

• Not validating email addresses before sending

Infrastructure Checklist (for campaigns)

Before launching any campaign, verify:

• Secondary domains purchased and aged 30+ days
• SPF + DKIM + DMARC configured on all sending domains
• Inboxes warmed up (2-4 weeks, 10-50 emails/day ramp)
• Email list validated (ZeroBounce/NeverBounce)
• Sending tool configured (Instantly/Smartlead)
• Google Postmaster monitoring set up
• Unsubscribe header included
• No links in first email of sequence
• A/B test variants prepared (2-3 subject lines minimum)
• CRM tracking ready (pipeline from cold email)