Outreach Prompt Templates
You get a cold message short enough to read on a phone, clearly relevant to this specific person, with one low-effort ask. The prompt below works in any AI assistant. It comes with a worked example, the mistakes that make AI output for this task weak, and variations for common situations.
Write a cold outreach message. ## Who I am contacting Name and role: [first name, job title, company] Why them specifically: [something real: a post, a hire, a launch, a mutual contact] What they likely care about: [their goals or problems] ## Me Who I am: [one line] What I offer: [the result you help with, not features] Proof: [one specific customer result, credential or example] ## The ask [e.g. a 15-minute call, a reply, feedback on an idea] ## Channel [email, LinkedIn message, other] ## Instructions - Under 100 words. - First line is about them, based on the "why them" detail. No "I hope you are well." - One sentence on what I do, tied to their situation. - One piece of proof. - One clear, small ask. - No buzzwords, no fake familiarity, no invented details about them. ## Output format Three versions with different opening lines. For email, add a subject line under 6 words for each.
How to use this prompt
- 1
Copy the prompt
Use the copy button, or type its Retext trigger in any app to paste it.
- 2
Open your AI assistant
Start a new chat in ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini or whichever assistant you use, so earlier messages don't steer the answer.
- 3
Fill in the brackets
Replace every [bracketed] part with your real details. Specific inputs are what make the answer specific.
- 4
Check and refine
Read the result against the goal above, then reply with one change at a time.
Worked example
What you give it
Contacting: Ken, VP of Engineering at a 200-person fintech. Why him: he posted that his team is hiring 15 engineers this quarter. Cares about: hiring fast without lowering the bar. Me: I run a technical interview service. Offer: we run first-round interviews so engineers are not stuck interviewing. Proof: helped a payments company cut engineer time on interviews by 60%. Ask: a 15-minute call. Channel: email.
What a good answer looks like (shortened)
Version 1 Subject: 15 engineers this quarter Hi Ken, saw your post about hiring 15 engineers this quarter. That is a lot of interview hours for your current team. We run first-round technical interviews for engineering teams, so your engineers only meet candidates who already passed. A payments company we work with cut engineer time on interviews by 60%. Worth a 15-minute call to see if it fits? Version 2 Subject: Interview hours for your team Hi Ken, hiring 15 engineers usually means someone on your team is doing two interviews a day... Version 3 Subject: First-round interviews Hi Ken, quick question about your hiring push this quarter...
Tips for better results
- •The "Why them specifically" line decides whether the message gets read. Use something real and recent.
- •Pick one piece of Proof, the one closest to their situation. A single relevant result beats a list of logos.
- •Keep the ask small. A short call or a one-word reply is easier to agree to than a demo.
- •Avoid this: Using a fake personal detail the AI made up, which ruins credibility the moment the person reads it.
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Variations
Partnership
Change The ask to: exploring a co-marketing idea: [idea]. Explain what is in it for them in one sentence.
Podcast guest pitch
Replace What I offer with: a guest topic idea [topic] for their show, with two specific points I would cover.
Warm intro
Add this line to Who I am contacting: We were introduced by [name]. Mention it first and keep the message under 70 words.
Save it as a Retext snippet
Retext is a free text expander for Mac. Save this prompt once, then type ;outreach in any app (ChatGPT, Claude, your editor, a browser tab) and the full prompt is pasted in.
- Click Add to Retext. The prompt installs as a snippet with the trigger ;outreach.
- Change the trigger in Retext if you prefer a different one.
- Type the trigger wherever you want the prompt, then fill in the brackets.
Frequently asked questions
Can I send AI-written cold emails at scale?
You can draft faster, but the reason you are contacting each person should be real and specific to them. Mass messages with fake personalization tend to get ignored or marked as spam.
What is the best length for a cold email?
Short enough to read in a few seconds on a phone. Under 100 words usually works, with one idea and one ask.
How do I reuse this prompt without copying it every time?
Click Add to Retext to save it as a snippet. Then type ;outreach in any Mac app, including your AI tool, and the full prompt is pasted in.
Related Templates
Get the free prompt pack
Our best AI prompts in one Markdown file, delivered by email. The templates here stay free either way — the pack just saves you the copying.