Cold emails are a challenging part of any sales and marketing strategy. There’s the (justified) concern that emails are either going to be ignored or that they’re going to be instantly trashed. But if you’re using effective and personalized cold email templates, this tactic is a powerful way of generating new leads and accessing new markets. Let’s explore a few tips that can help your cold emails stand out from the rest.

What is a cold email template?

A cold email template is a basic framework that you use to develop cold emails. It’s intended to be a skeleton: not something that you send as is, but rather a structure that you flesh out and personalize.

Sending copy-and-paste cold emails out is never a good idea. In fact, it’s sure to give your emails a one-way ticket to the bin. By the same token, sending out completely personalized emails, while increasing your chances of success, is so time-consuming that it’s almost not worthwhile. Strong templates strike a happy medium between the two.

(Psst, Magical can help!)

How do you write a killer cold email?

If your cold email is one of the 2% of cold emails that results in an appointment, it’s got to meet as many of the following criteria as you can:

1. Write a blistering subject line. Keep it super short (less than 60 characters is best), and make it interesting and personal. This part of the process is so important, we’ve dedicated a whole article to it—complete with 100 different ideas.

2. Do your research. Know exactly who you’re speaking to, how best to approach them, and what platform to use. We’re talking about cold emails here (after all, 89% of marketers use email as their primary lead generation channel), but you could contact someone by cold calling them, or reaching out on social media instead.

In your introduction, make it clear that you’re informed about who your respondent is and what they do.

3. Explain who you are. You’ve done your research, but to the person you’re writing to, you’re a complete stranger. Mention a mutual contact, refer to a conference you both attended, or find some other point of commonality if you can—even if it’s just explaining that you’re an authority on an issue relevant to them. Be approachable and warm.

4. Solve a problem or make an offer. This is an important point, and you should get to it pretty quickly. What do you know about their pain points? How can you solve one or more of them? How can you improve their business? Alternatively, what can you offer them that they might be interested in?

5. Keep it short. Like, really short. The whole thing shouldn’t be more than 200 words—even less if you can. If you feel like you’re waffling, get out your hypothetical red pen and edit it down. Having good templates on hand can help to keep you in line.

6. Be humble. A cold email is a bit of an imposition. You’re asking for someone’s time and attention without (immediately) offering anything in return—or anything that your reader knows they need. Be cognisant of this in your tone. Be respectful.

7. Use a call to action. Close with something clear and actionable. This might involve asking for a reply to a question you’ve asked, or suggesting a meeting at a date and time. Don’t leave this up to your respondent to decide on. Be specific: “If you’re available, we could discuss this further on a call at 10am on Friday?” sounds better than, “Let me know when you’re free to meet up.”

Keep these points in mind as you put your templates together. But remember (we’re going to say this a lot in this article), personalize, personalize, personalize.

What are good first lines for cold emails?

Ah, the opening line. Is there anything more powerful? Anything more capable of drawing someone in or pushing them away? If you’re going to write cold emails that get read—let alone cold emails that get responses—your opening line has to be just right.

Let’s take a look at a few tactics:

1. Tie it to an event
2. Ask an enticing question
3. Demonstrate your research
4. Start with a compliment
5. Follow up on website visits
6. Comment on an achievement
7. Mention a competitor

The best cold email templates: 26 examples

Let’s put these opening lines to the test in a few templates.

These templates are designed to give you some ideas on how to write cold templates. We don’t recommend that you use them exactly as they are. Select what resonates most for you and tweak it so that it sounds like it’s coming from you.

Once you have a few sentences, phrases or even paragraphs defined, you can automate your template-writing process so that it’s quick and seamless.

Magical text expander helps you do this with a few simple keystrokes takes it further by allowing you to effortlessly insert larger variable chunks of text.

Template 1: Tie it to an event

Make it clear that you know what’s going on in their business, and use it as an opportunity to show how you can help.

Subject: Congrats on your award!

Template 2: Ask an enticing question

They’ve got the problem; you’ve got the solution—show this in a question.

Template 3: Demonstrate your research

What did you research about this particular company? What did you find?

Template 4: Start with a compliment

Don’t overdo it, but a gentle compliment can help to catch your reader’s attention.

Template 5: Follow up on website visits

This involves having a strong handle on your website traffic.

Template 6: Comment on an achievement

Keep a firm handle on your customer’s achievements, both company-wide (such as awards), and personal (such as promotions).

Template 7: Mention a competitor

Again, this one shows you’ve done your research.

Template 8: Looking for the right contact

Reach out to a potential client to introduce your new platform and seek the right contact to discuss its benefits to their business.

‍Why This Template is Effective:

• Tactful approach: The email is carefully composed, considering that the recipient may or may not be the right person to talk to. This shows respect and awareness of the recipient's position and their potential role in the topic.
• Reason for contact: The template specifies the purpose of the outreach by mentioning your platform and how it's relevant to the prospect's company. This makes the email highly specific and targeted, increasing the chances of a response.
• Call-to-action: By proposing a specific time and date for a call and asking the recipient to either confirm or direct you to another contact, you make it easy for them to take action and decide the next steps, enhancing the likelihood of a connection being made.

Template 9: Exploring partnerships

Seek to establish a partnership with a company by finding the right contact person to discuss the potential collaboration.

‍Why This Template is Effective:

• Partnership focus: The email highlights your interest in forming a partnership, evoking curiosity and indicating that your goal is a mutually beneficial connection rather than a one-sided sales pitch.
• Unique benefit: Mentioning a specific unique benefit showcases what sets your company apart, enticing the recipient to learn more about what you have to offer.
• Respectful inquiry: Asking for the appropriate contact person in a polite and professional manner demonstrates respect for the recipient's time and position within the company, increasing the chances of a helpful response.

Template 10: Tackling pain points

Target a specific pain point that your prospect is likely facing and offer a solution through your product or service.

‍Why This Template is Effective:

• Empathy and understanding: The email begins by showing awareness of the prospect's challenges and additional pain points, demonstrating that you've taken the time to research and understand their situation.
• Credibility through references: Mentioning the success of your existing clients, along with specific metrics, conveys a sense of reliability and trustworthiness, making your company more appealing to the prospect.
• Clear scheduling: Offering two specific dates for the call and providing a link to your scheduling platform makes it easy for the recipient to respond and book a call, increasing the chances of engagement and meaningful conversations.

Template 11: Congrats on recent milestone

Capitalize on a recent event in the prospect's company and demonstrate how your product or service can help them navigate the changes or growth that may come as a result.

Why This Template is Effective:

• Timely congratulations: Acknowledging and congratulating the recipient on their recent event creates a positive impression, showing that you're up-to-date with industry news and genuinely interested in their success.
• Relevant offering: By mentioning a common shift of focus after the event and describing how your company can help in achieving specific goals, you establish a meaningful connection between your offerings and the prospect's current priorities.
• Simple scheduling: Suggesting dates for a chat and listing your available time slots or linking to your calendar allows the recipient to pick a convenient time easily, ensuring smoother communication and increased chances of a follow-up conversation.

Template 12: Finding the lead

This template is useful when you're unsure of the right person to reach out to within a company and are seeking assistance from someone who may be able to direct you to the appropriate contact.

‍Why This Template is Effective: 

• Fast response: Framing your request as a "quick" favor makes it more likely for the recipient to respond, as it demonstrates that you respect their time and are asking for a simple piece of information.
• Pain points: Mentioning that your company can help address specific challenges or pain points relevant to the prospect's company creates intrigue and provides a clear reason for the recipient to connect you with the appropriate person.
• Gratitude: Expressing gratitude for the recipient's assistance in advance helps to build rapport and sets a positive tone for future interactions, increasing the likelihood of a helpful response.

Template 13: Enhancing company performance

Show you've done research on your prospect and want to offer your product or service to address specific pain points they may be experiencing.

‍Why This Template is Effective:

• You’ve done your homework: By mentioning your research on the prospect's company and their role, as well as acknowledging their successes and contributions, you demonstrate genuine interest and create a personal connection, increasing the likelihood of a response.
• Competitor as social proof: Providing a real-life example of a recognizable competitor who has benefited from your solution serves as social proof and creates a sense of urgency for the prospect, making them more inclined to engage in a conversation with you.

Template 14: Enhancing team performance

For when you find the prospect's contact information through a colleague or online research and want to introduce your product or service to their team.

‍Why This Template is Effective:

• Nothing to hide: Explaining how you obtained the prospect's contact information adds transparency and demonstrates that you've done your homework, making the recipient feel more comfortable and open to your message.
• Easy next step: By providing a specific date and time for a call, you streamline the scheduling process and show that you value their time, increasing the likelihood of receiving a positive response or a commitment to the call.

Template 15: Platform pitch

For when you've discovered a prospect through a specific source, such as social media or a networking event, and want to introduce your platform and its benefits to their organization.

‍Why This Template is Effective:

• Transparency: Mentioning the source where you found the prospect's profile shows that you've done the research and adds context to your outreach, making your message more personalized and relevant to the recipient.
• High-level benefits: Listing the unique features and benefits of your platform helps the prospect understand the value you bring and sparks interest in learning more, increasing the chances of a response.

Template 16: Executive referral

For when you've been asked by an executive in your company to reach out to a prospect and introduce your company's products or services.

‍Why This Template is Effective: 

• Message from the top: Mentioning that an executive position in your company instructed you to reach out adds authority to your outreach and shows that your company values the prospect's business, increasing the likelihood of a response.
• On-point audience: Clearly stating your target audience and what your company does helps the prospect quickly understand whether your offering is relevant to their needs, which can encourage them to engage with your email.

Template 17: Inspired outreach

For when you want to praise the prospect for their expertise in a specific industry or topic and engage them by sharing a relevant piece of content that you've created.

‍Why This Template is Effective:

• Personal touch: Complimenting the prospect's work and expressing how it inspired you to create your own content builds a personal connection and shows genuine interest in what they do, increasing the likelihood of a response.
• Sharing expertise: Sharing a piece of content that you've created demonstrates your own expertise and offers value to the prospect, making it more likely for them to engage with your email and check out your work.
• Asking for feedback: Inviting the prospect to share their thoughts on your post and suggesting a call to discuss the topic further opens the door for a meaningful conversation and provides an opportunity to establish a relationship with the prospect.

Template 18: Impressive growth data

For when you have exciting growth data or results to share with a prospect and want to discuss the next steps with them.

‍Why This Template is Effective:

• Lead with the numbers: Starting the email by sharing positive growth data immediately grabs the prospect's attention and creates interest in learning more about how they can achieve similar results.
• Show, don’t tell: Including a chart or visual representation of the data makes your email more engaging and helps the prospect quickly understand the key information, increasing the likelihood of a response.
• Coming from a place of authority: Mentioning that your CEO is excited to connect with the prospect adds a sense of importance to the call and can make the prospect feel valued, making them more likely to engage in a conversation and explore the next steps.

Template 19: Streamlined services

Introduce your company and the services you provide to a prospect in a specific industry, highlighting your past success with other clients.

‍Why This Template is Effective:

• Social proof: Citing past customer success stories and results adds credibility to your email and demonstrates the value you can provide to the prospect's company.
• Going the extra mile: Offering to send a video with helpful tips related to your service not only shows your expertise but also provides immediate value to the prospect, increasing the chances of a response and further engagement.

Template 20: After a trigger event

For when you want to congratulate a prospect on a recent event or achievement and introduce your value proposition as a way to help their company continue to succeed.

Why This Template is Effective:

• Cheerleader effect: Acknowledging the prospect's recent event or achievement shows that you're informed about their company and genuinely interested in their success, which can make them more receptive to your message.
• No pressure: Recognizing that the prospect may be busy and offering flexibility in scheduling a call shows respect for their time and increases the likelihood of receiving a positive response or a commitment to the call.

Template 21: Tap into FOMO

For when you want to introduce your software to a prospect and offer a personalized demo to showcase its benefits.

Why This Template is Effective:

• It’s who you know: Mentioning well-known experts who use and endorse your software serves as a powerful form of social proof, increasing your credibility and the likelihood of the prospect's interest in your offering.
• Hands-on approach: Offering a personalized demo demonstrates your willingness to invest time in helping the prospect understand the benefits of your software, making it more likely that they will agree to a call and seriously consider your product.

Template 22: The 5-minute special

For when you have a specific growth idea to share with a prospect and want to offer a brief call to discuss its potential benefits for their company.

Why This Template is Effective:

• Specificity is key: Presenting a clear value proposition in the form of acquiring the next 500 best customers creates interest and encourages the prospect to learn more about your idea.
• The shorter, the better: Offering a concise, 5-minute call to discuss the growth idea demonstrates respect for the prospect's time and makes it more likely they will agree to the call, as the commitment required is relatively low.

Template 23: Founder outreach

 For when you want to introduce your software tool and offer a brief demo to showcase the benefits it can bring to the prospect's team.

Why This Template is Effective:

• It’s a perfect fit: Mentioning that your software is specifically designed for their job title immediately establishes relevance, making the recipient more likely to be interested in learning more about your offering.
• No time wasted: Offering a concise, 10-minute demo to showcase the benefits of your software demonstrates respect for the prospect's time.

Template 24: Mutual connection

For when you're reaching out to someone who is connected with the person you want to establish contact within their company and needs an introduction to exploring potential collaboration.

Why This Template is Effective:

• It’s a small world: Addressing the nature of the recipient's relationship with the person you're trying to connect with shows that you're considerate and respectful of their connections, making them more likely to help you with the introduction.
• A win-win situation: Clearly stating the purpose of the introduction and mentioning potential collaboration demonstrates that you have a genuine interest in creating value for both parties, which can make the recipient more inclined to assist with your request.

Template 25: Same-same but different

Seeking an introduction to someone at another company to explore a potential mutually beneficial partnership, particularly related to email list growth.

Why This Template is Effective:

• Thinking ahead: Explaining the potential benefits of the partnership for both parties, like leveraging existing user bases for growth, demonstrates that you have a well-thought-out plan and that you value the prospect's time and resources.
• Not your first rodeo: Mentioning a past successful collaboration with a competitor serves as social proof that your proposed partnership idea has merit and can deliver positive results, increasing the likelihood of receiving the introduction.

Template 26: Competitor poaching

Reach out to a potential client to introduce your new product or service that could benefit their business.

Why This Template is Effective:

• Personalization: The template begins by mentioning the recipient's name and demonstrates that you've done your research on the person and their company. This approach shows that you're genuinely interested in addressing their specific needs and not just sending a mass email.
• Clear call-to-action: The email makes it easy for the recipient to take action by offering specific availability for a call and asking them to either confirm or direct you to the right person. This increases the chance of getting a response.
• Brevity: This template is concise and to the point, mentioning the product's purpose and how it can benefit the recipient's business. Busy professionals appreciate short, relevant emails that don't waste their time.

Cold sales email templates: The bottom line

Templates are useful—we would argue essential—to the cold emailing process. But you’ve got to be strategic in your templating process.

Select from some of the options above and tailor them to your needs. You can also combine elements of one with elements of another. Do what feels natural and true to your brand, while also meeting the criteria we described above.

‍Use Magical’s free chrome extension to save your templates to save time while you work. Just by typing in “//”, Magical will add your tailor-made message and automatically fill out your contact’s information saving you loads of time.