How to Write Cold Emails That Actually Get Replies

Why Most Cold Emails Fail

The average cold email reply rate is 1-3%. The best cold emailers consistently hit 10-20%. The difference is not a secret tool or magic formula — it is better writing. Specifically, it is writing that sounds like a real person who did real research, not a sales robot blasting a template.

Here are the principles and frameworks that separate high-performing cold emails from the ones that get deleted.

Principle 1: The Subject Line Is the Only Thing That Matters (At First)

If your email does not get opened, nothing else matters. Great subject lines share these characteristics:

• Short: Under 50 characters. Under 30 is even better.
• Specific: Reference their business, industry, or a real observation.
• Lowercase: Title Case Looks Like Marketing. lowercase looks like a colleague.
• No clickbait: Delivering on the promise matters for reply rates.

Examples that work:

• "quick question about [company name]"
• "idea for your [specific thing]"
• "[mutual connection] suggested I reach out"
• "noticed [specific observation]"

Examples that do not work:

• "Boost Your Revenue 10X!!!"
• "Partnership Opportunity"
• "Following Up"
• "Can I Get 15 Minutes of Your Time?"

Principle 2: Open With Them, Not You

The first sentence determines whether they keep reading. The worst possible opening is anything about you: "My name is Alex and I work at..." Nobody cares. They want to know why you are emailing them specifically.

Strong openings reference something specific about their business:

• "Saw that you just opened a second location in [city] — congrats."
• "I noticed your website is built on Squarespace, and I had a thought about your contact forms."
• "Your Google reviews mention fast service a lot. That's clearly a strength — I have an idea to help you showcase it more."

This kind of personalization requires research. Tools like Easy Email Finder can help here — when it scrapes a business website for an email address, it also detects the tech stack and social media links, giving you personalization hooks without extra research time.

Principle 3: One Value Proposition, One Sentence

After your personalized opening, state what you offer in a single clear sentence. Not a paragraph. Not a feature list. One sentence.

"I help [type of business] get [specific result] by [brief how]."

Examples:

• "I help HVAC companies fill their summer schedule through targeted Google Ads."
• "We build custom scheduling software for dental offices that reduces no-shows by 40%."
• "I create short-form videos for restaurants that drive foot traffic from Instagram."

Principle 4: Provide Proof in One Line

After your value prop, drop one piece of proof. A case study, a result, a recognizable client name. Keep it brief.

• "We recently helped [similar company] increase their online bookings by 60% in three months."
• "Last quarter, our average client saw a 35% improvement in response time."

If you do not have case studies yet, use a different form of credibility: relevant experience, a free analysis you have already done for them, or a specific insight about their business that demonstrates expertise.

Principle 5: The Call to Action Must Be Low Friction

Do not ask for a 30-minute call in your first email. That is too much commitment from a stranger. Low-friction CTAs work better:

• "Would it make sense to chat for 10 minutes this week?"
• "Interested in seeing how this would work for [their company]?"
• "Want me to send over a quick example?"
• "Open to a quick call, or would you prefer I share more details via email?"

The best CTAs give them an easy way to say yes. A question they can answer in one word.

The Complete Template

Here is the framework assembled. This is a starting point to adapt, not a script to copy verbatim:

Subject: quick question about [their business]

Body:

Hi [first name],

[Personalized observation about their business — 1-2 sentences]

[Your value proposition — 1 sentence]

[Proof or credibility — 1 sentence]

[Low-friction CTA — 1 sentence]

[Your name]

Total length: 50-100 words. That is it. Resist the urge to add more. Every additional sentence reduces the probability of a reply.

Follow-Up Emails

Your follow-ups should not just "bump" the original email. Each one needs to add something new:

• Follow-up 1 (3-4 days later): Share a quick case study or relevant insight
• Follow-up 2 (4-5 days later): Offer something free — an audit, a template, a resource
• Follow-up 3 (5-7 days later): The "breakup" email: "Looks like the timing isn't right. No worries — feel free to reach out if things change."

Breakup emails consistently get the highest reply rates of any email in a sequence. People respond when they feel the opportunity closing.

What About Personalization at Scale?

The challenge is personalizing when you are emailing hundreds of prospects. The solution is structured personalization: build your prospect list with enrichment data, then use that data in your templates.

For example, if you know a prospect's tech stack (Easy Email Finder detects this automatically), you can tailor your pitch: "I noticed you're running Shopify — we've helped other Shopify stores increase conversion rates by 25%." That is personalized enough to feel researched, but scalable because the data is captured during list building.

For more on using enrichment data effectively, check our guide on using tech stack data to personalize cold emails. And for building the list itself, see our walkthrough on building a 1,000-lead email list from scratch.

The Mindset Shift

Stop thinking of cold email as sales. Think of it as starting a conversation. Your first email is not supposed to close a deal — it is supposed to earn a reply. Write like a helpful person, not a salesperson, and your reply rates will follow.