Cold email templates for B2B sales
A cold email works when the first line could only have been written to this person. This template gives you the structure (an observation about them, the problem it usually causes, one question) and puts your cursor where the observation goes. It stays under 90 words, because a cold email that needs scrolling is already lost.
;sl-coldopen;sl-coldopen in any app.Variations
The same message for a different channel or tone. Copy the one that fits.
For senior buyers who read on a phone. The observation and the question, nothing else.
When you're the founder and so are they. Plainer, more direct, and it says who you are.
When to use it
- First touch to someone who has never heard of you, after you've spent two minutes on their site or LinkedIn.
- You can name a customer like them, in the same industry or at the same size.
- You have a real reason to write now: a new hire, a launch, a job post that hints at the problem.
What to avoid
- Don't open with your company or your product. The first line is about them.
- Don't attach a deck or add three links. One email, one question.
- Don't send it if you can't write the observation line. Research first or skip the account.
The fields in this template
Retext fills these in when the snippet expands. In plain text they become [brackets] to replace by hand.
- First name
{fill:First name} - The prospect's first name, exactly as they use it on LinkedIn.
- Cursor
{cursor} - Where your cursor lands after the snippet expands, so you can start typing the personal part straight away.
- Problem
{fill:Problem} - The specific problem, in their words if you can: "tickets reopening after handoff", not "efficiency challenges".
- Similar customer
{fill:Similar customer} - A customer they'd recognise as a peer. Only use names you're allowed to share.
- Thing they'd dread
{fill:Thing they'd dread} - The cost they'd expect the fix to have: "a six-month migration", "hiring another admin".
- Company
{fill:Company} - The prospect's company name.
- ;sig-work
{snippet:sig-work} - Pulls in your ;sig-work snippet, so a change to that snippet updates every reply that uses it. Create a snippet with that trigger first (any template in the email signatures pack works), or the field stays as typed.
Tips
- •Write the observation from something specific: "Saw you're hiring three support leads in Austin" beats "Congrats on the growth."
- •Keep {fill:Similar customer} truthful. Name a company only if they've agreed to be a reference.
- •Type ;sl-coldopen in LinkedIn too. For a shorter LinkedIn version, save it under its own trigger: LinkedIn runs in your browser, so per-app snippets can't single it out.
Works in Gmail, Outlook, LinkedIn, HubSpot, Salesforce and every other app
Retext types the snippet wherever your cursor is. To use a different version in one app, give it the same trigger and limit it to that app with per-app snippets. They go by app, not website, so every tab in your browser counts as one app.
Share one cold opener across the team and ask reps which version gets replies. If two versions compete, keep both in the pack for a month and keep the one reps reach for.
See Retext for TeamsQuestions
How long should a cold email be?
Short enough to read without scrolling on a phone: roughly 50 to 100 words. Every sentence should either show you know their situation or make the ask.
What's a good subject line for a cold email?
Something a colleague might write: two to four lowercase words that point at the topic, like "support handoffs" or "question about onboarding". Avoid anything that looks like a newsletter.
Should I personalise every cold email?
At least the first line. The template handles the rest with fill-ins, and Retext puts your cursor on that first line so the personal part is the only thing you type.
Related templates
Cold email follow-up
;sl-coldfuSales
Hi [First name], One more thought on [Problem]: If it's useful, I can walk you through how [Similar customer] handled it…
LinkedIn connection request
;sl-li-connectSales
Hi [First name], I work with [Their role]s at companies like [Company] and would like to follow what you share. Happy to…
Sales email signature
;sig-salesEmail signatures
[Full name] [Job title], [Company] Direct: [Direct phone] Book a time: [Booking link]
Type ;sl-coldopen, get the whole reply
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