Confession time: How many times have you clicked delete on a sales email without opening it? 

If you’re like me, one of your morning routines is to bin the tons of cold emails that land in your inbox, slithering their way past your spam filters. 

We’re speaking about the poorly written and irrelevant ones that you scan for less than a second before hitting delete. After years of receiving (and deleting) endless emails and marketing messages, I wondered if email outreach is worth the effort (and money) spent on it? 

This was when I came across the story of how Dhruv Gulati, a first-time entrepreneur with no product (yet), landed a kick-ass $500,000 investment from Mark Cuban, the American billionaire entrepreneur by - dramatic suspense - 

Sending a cold mail.

Yes, Gulati, the founder of Factmata, an AI that analyzes content for clickbait, hate speech, and bias, landed the deal of his life when he sent a cold email to Cuban. You can read the entire text of the half-a-million-dollars worth email right here. 

Suffice to say, I was convinced that cold emails work, and it restored my trust in the power of the email gods. 

This got me wondering what makes a great email that captures the attention of your sales prospect and evokes a response from them, and what makes a terrible email - the ones that are deleted unread every day (RIP). 

In this post, I share some of the best and most effective cold email templates you can use in your marketing campaigns. 

Top 6 cold email outreach templates 

Template #1: the “quick question” 

Subject Line: Quick Favor 

Good afternoon [first name],

This is Shane, and I am the senior sales lead at Variable Soft CRM. 

Could you share the name of your sales team lead and how I may connect with them? 

Thank you

Why does this work? 

This is a great beginner template. It doesn’t have a typical sales pitch, nor does it take much time to respond to. All you’re asking for is the right person's name, email, or phone number. It’s a great way to get past the gatekeeper - the person tasked with responding to emails, usually an executive assistant - and helps you reach the decision makers. 

When to use this template? 

Use this template when you’ve researched and found a company on your email list that is suited for your product or service, but you’re unsure of the right person to contact. It also works well for lead generation through cold email campaigns.

Points to keep in mind:

• Get to the point quickly. Keep the email as short as possible and be mindful of the time it will take the busy executive to read and respond. 
• Introduce yourself properly, state your role in the organization, and use your official email id, so the prospect doesn’t toss the mail to spam. 

Template #2: the “genuine compliment” 

Subject line: You’re awesome & we would love to help

Hello [first name],

First, I would like to congratulate your company on the spectacular growth you have shown the last year. It’s super impressive for a startup in the product space. 

At Smart Ledgers, we have certified accountants ‌we can deploy quickly to help handle your company's payroll, accounting, and taxes so that you can continue doing more of what you love - launching fantastic products. Our team has a vast skill set and the experience to handle all your accounting needs. 

Do you have 15 minutes next week for a quick call? I’d love to explain how we can help you guys with your incredible startup journey! 

Thanks,

[First name] 

Why does this work? 

This email starts by telling your prospect how awesome they are. A genuine compliment works like a charm to break the ice. 

Next, the email explains - in two short sentences - what the company offers. It also describes how the prospect could benefit from working with them. Also, the email sets the time expectation, making it easy for the prospect to know how much time they would have to invest if they choose to respond. Finally, the email ends by stating how they would love to help - something every startup could use. 

When to use this template? 

When you have researched a company and see an issue or need that your products/services could help them with. 

Points to keep in mind:

• Offer genuine compliments that resonate with the prospect. You can use LinkedIn and other social platforms to research the company and your prospect’s profile to find the best compliments.  
• Explain your service or product in simple terms - no complicated language or jargon. 

Template #3: the problem-solve-agitate approach 

Subject line: Hey [prospect’s first name], this is Jim from Wingman

Hello [prospect’s first name],

I noticed that your company has some negative reviews due to poor customer service. It’s frustrating to lose sales because of the lack of tools and disorganization in the customer service department.

Wingman integrates all your customer conversation data into one centralized dashboard, making it super easy for your customer service and sales teams to track, measure, and manage customer interactions, no matter the channel. 

Would you like to hear more about how Wingman can help you convert turn those negative reviews into super-satisfied, loyal customers? 

Thanks,

Jim

Why does this work? 

This template follows a three-part formula:

1. Problem - It identifies a problem specific to the customer. 
2. Agitate - Once you have identified the problem, the next step is to ‌evoke an emotional response from the reader by stating why that problem is frustrating. 
3. Solve - Finally, offer a solution to the problem. 

It convinces the prospect that they can make their problems disappear by choosing the product or service offered by your company.  

When to use this template? 

You can use this template when you’ve done your research and identified the prospect company’s pain points. 

Template #4: the “straight to business” approach

Subject line: We can help you reduce customer service costs 

Hello [First Name] 

Are you losing money because of your customer support system? We’ve helped startups like yours lower customer support costs by X% and improve sales by Y% within six months. 

Our SalesFlex CRM is quick and easy to integrate with your existing customer support systems. Would you like to get on a quick phone call with our sales reps to discuss how our product can help you cut down on customer service costs? 

Looking to hearing from you. 

Regards, 

[First Name] 

Why does this work? 

Sometimes, the direct approach is the best. This template gets right down to the point by identifying the problem and offering an immediate solution to overcome the issue. It presents the crucial points with factual data (note the figures and numbers) without adding fluff. 

Also, this template has nailed the intro hook for a busy prospect: it’s short, engaging, and attention-grabbing. The email indicates that you mean business and has a higher chance of the prospect believing that your company can add value to their business. 

When to use this template? 

This approach is perfect for busy professionals with inboxes flooding with too many sales emails. It quickly answers the question, “What’s in it for me?” by highlighting the value proposition and has a low-commitment CTA that will work well with busy prospects. 

Template #5: the “paint a rosy picture” approach 

Subject line: Wingman is the magic wand to solve all your customer interaction troubles! 

Hello [First name], 

Nothing is more frustrating than losing a deal because you don’t have access to critical customer data! 

Imagine a world where all customer conversation information is organized in one simple, easy-to-find dashboard that also offers intuitive, real-time sales assistance? 

Wingman does that and plenty more. We help you autonomously capture and understand every single customer interaction, providing your sales team with actionable intelligence that helps them make smarter decisions and close deals more efficiently. 

With Wingman, your team can reduce their time spent on routine manual tasks and focus on things that matter the most - like, providing your clients with an unparalleled sales experience, thereby accelerating your revenues. 

Our customers have seen:

• X% increase in sales efficiency
• Y% increase in win rates
• Z% increase in annual contract value

Would you love to make these numbers yours? How about joining us on a quick 15-minute call this week for a brief demo of our sales intelligence platform in action? Or would you be interested in going through a few of our case studies?

Looking forward to catching up with you. 

[First name] 

Why does this work? 

This template is about getting potential customers to visualize how sweet their life would be with your product or service. It convinces the prospect that they can solve their troubles by signing up for the product. Also, the strong CTA makes this a great cold email template. Moreover, you can make this email even more effective by adding your meeting link which takes your prospects to your calendar where they can book a meeting with you in a few quick steps.

When to use this template? 

Cold emails work best when the product or service you’re pitching makes sense to the prospect. The prospect needs to know how this product benefits them, before they agree to review it. This template answers that question by clearly explaining how the prospect can enjoy a more productive, easier, and better sales process with Wingman. It’s a shortcut to get the prospect to convert as quickly as possible. 

Template #6: the “Starbucks gift card” approach 

This one’s a bit out of the left field and requires you to spend a small sum of money. But the amount you spend is so worth it if you can snag the attention of the prospect. 

Subject line: Did you get your free Starbucks coffee (and a SalesFixer CRM demo)? 

Hello [First name],

USPS mentioned ‌they delivered your free Starbucks card today. We hoped to grab your attention by sending a small gift as thanks for your time.

We noticed ‌you follow us on LinkedIn, and have made a quick demo to show you how SalesFixer CRM can help your business increase customer satisfaction and improve productivity. It is less than two minutes: [link]

Or

[embed video]

Would you be interested in a quick follow-up chat where we can explain more about how SalesFixer CRM can help improve the performance of your [prospect’s company name]?

Thanks.

Psst: The coffee is on us. Go ahead and redeem it. 

Best

Jim

Why does this work? 

Coffee and humor - a brilliant combination, and this template gets both right. Even though the gift might be small, it’s the gesture that counts. Plus, the prospect will likely grant you a meeting, even if it’s just to thank you for the coffee. Also, it has an attention-grabbing email subject line that is hard to ignore.

When to use this template? 

This template works well when you have the right point of contact in a company, preferably the critical decision-maker. 

Craft fantastic & engaging cold emails that convert

The best cold emails are genuine, likeable, warm, and human (like a trusted old friend). But it’s hard to get this balance right when talking to total strangers. This is why we recommend using the sales email templates above as a starting point to build your conversations. Once you’ve set the ball rolling, keep the conversation going with a great discovery call. 

And now that you’ve captured the interest of your prospect, it’s time to switch to action mode. Use Wingman, the AI-powered conversation intelligence software, to put your sales team back in the driver’s seat of the closing process. 

Not convinced? Why don’t you take Wingman for a free spin? Sign up for a free demo and start closing deals without missing your mark. 

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