How to Write Cold Emails That Actually Get Replies

Most cold emails fail for one simple reason: they're about you, not your prospect.

You've probably received hundreds of these. "Hi, I'm John from XYZ Corp, and we're the leading provider of..." Delete.

Here's how to write cold emails that actually work.

The 5-Second Rule

Your prospect decides whether to read or delete within 5 seconds. That means your subject line and first sentence do 80% of the work.

Bad subject line: "Quick question about your marketing strategy"

Good subject line: "Saw your Series A - congrats"

The good one works because it's personal and relevant. It shows you did research.

The AIDA Formula for Cold Email

Attention: Grab them with something relevant to them (not you).

Interest: Show you understand their problem.

Desire: Paint a picture of the solution.

Action: Make the ask crystal clear.

What to Say in Each Section

Opening (1 sentence)

Reference something specific about them or their company. This proves you're not mass-blasting.

"Saw you just hired 5 SDRs - scaling up the outbound team?"
"Your post about CAC last week resonated - we're seeing the same thing"
"Noticed you're using Salesforce - how's that working with the HubSpot stack?"

Problem (1-2 sentences)

Show you understand their pain. Don't guess - research.

"Most teams scaling from 10 to 50 reps hit the same wall: reps spend 4 hours a day on admin instead of selling."
"When you're running 10+ campaigns, it's impossible to track what's actually working."

Solution (1-2 sentences)

Don't pitch features. Pitch outcomes.

"We help teams cut that admin time to 30 minutes so reps can focus on closing."
"Our customers typically see which campaigns generate pipeline in real-time."

Call to Action (1 sentence)

One clear ask. Not "let me know your thoughts" - that's too vague.

"Worth a 15-minute call to see if this fits your workflow?"
"Can I send a 2-minute video showing how this works?"
"Would Tuesday or Thursday work better for a quick chat?"

The Length Rule

If your email is longer than 100 words, you're probably writing about yourself too much.

Ideal length: 50-80 words.

Short emails get read. Long emails get skimmed. Or ignored.

What Not to Do

Don't start with "I" - "I wanted to reach out..." is the most ignored opening in cold email
Don't use jargon - "Synergistic solutions" means nothing
Don't attach files - They kill deliverability
Don't ask for a 30-minute call - Ask for 15 minutes max
Don't follow up 5 times in a week - 3 touches over 2 weeks is plenty

A Template That Works

Subject: [Specific observation about their company]

Hi [Name],

[1 sentence about something relevant to them]

[1-2 sentences about the problem you solve]

[1-2 sentences about the outcome you deliver]

[Clear CTA with specific ask]

[Your name]

Example

Subject: Saw the Phoenix warehouse expansion

Hi Sarah,

Congrats on the new warehouse - 3PL scaling is no joke.

Most ops teams we talk to struggle to keep inventory visibility across multiple locations. Real-time stock levels and automated reorder points end up being a nightmare in spreadsheets.

We built a dashboard that gives you cross-warehouse visibility in real-time. Cuts stockouts by 40% for most customers.

Worth a 15-minute call to see if this fits?

Best,

Mike

The Follow-Up

Most deals close after the 2nd or 3rd email, not the first. But most salespeople give up after one.

Wait 3-4 days between follow-ups. Keep them short:

"Hi Sarah, just bubbling this up - worth a quick look?"

That's it. No need to repeat your entire pitch.

Final Thoughts

Cold email isn't dead. Bad cold email is dead.

Personalize genuinely. Keep it short. Make the ask clear. Follow up without being annoying.

Do those four things and you'll outperform 90% of cold emails hitting inboxes today.