Cold Email Templates: How To Write & Examples

Break the ice professionally with prospects using our effective cold email templates designed for higher open rates and responses, even when reaching out to new leads for the first time.

Cold email outreach represents one of the most effective channels for customer acquisition. However, generic sales promotional messaging fails to cut through the noise.

Well crafted email templates designed specifically for cold outreach significantly improve open, response, and conversion rates compared to off-the-cuff messaging.

In this comprehensive guide, we’ll explore everything you need to know about optimizing cold emails, including:

Benefits of Using Cold Email Templates

How to Write Effective Cold Emails

Cold Email Templates By Industry

Examples of Successful Cold Emails

Tools to Help Create Cold Emails

Let’s dive in to learn how to craft compelling cold messages that customers actually respond to.

Benefits of Using Cold Email Templates

Rather than reinventing one-off cold emails every time, building a library of reusable templates provides many advantages including:

Improves Open & Response Rates

Optimized templates outperform generic personalized emails significantly on key metrics.

Enables Personalization At Scale

Templates allow easy merging of custom details into each message with minimal effort.

Speeds Team Onboarding

Leveraging proven templates gets new hires productive faster with best practices baked in.

Boosts Convenience

Copying and tweaking pre-written templates is much faster for reps than original messages.

Facilitates Testing

The ability to reuse email copy speeds up testing of subject lines, content etc.

In summary, cold email templates make life easier while also boosting campaign effectiveness. Now let’s cover how to write compelling cold messages.

How to Write Effective Cold Emails

While templates provide initial structure, crafting messages that catalyze responses remains both art and science. Here are proven best practices:

Compelling Subject Lines

Good subject lines improve open rates by highlighting value, intrigue, social proof etc. For example:

  • “Quick question on [tool]”
  • “Some advice for [target company]”
  • “Love your approach to [niche]”

Concise Copy

Get to the point fast. Cold emails should be scannable with key info in first 3 sentences. Remove fluff.

Research Prospects

Personalization is crucial. Reference specifics like name, company, role pain points to demonstrate effort.

Focus On Value

Avoid features or capabilities. Explain how you specifically help customers achieve goals.

Social Proof

Back up claims and credibility using logos, metrics, testimonials from current customers.

Clear Call To Action

Tell readers exactly what to do next - click a link, book a meeting, visit your site etc.

These fundamentals separate good emails from great. Now let’s explore tailored templates by industry.

Cold Email Templates By Industry

While all cold messages should incorporate best practices, the messaging and offers can be adapted by target market.

Here are strong cold email template examples for:

  • Software & Information Technology
  • Marketing & Advertising Agencies
  • Business Consulting & Services
  • Healthcare & Medical Providers
  • Real Estate Agents & Brokers

Let's break down tailored concepts and templates for each vertical:

Software & Information Technology

For IT software, emphasize more efficient workflows, cost savings, scalability:

Subject Lines

  • Boosting [software] efficiency?
  • Automate reporting with [tool]?

Template

Hi [First Name],

I noticed your team at [Company] manually creates a lot of Excel reports based on the models on your site. We help companies like yours automatically consolidate all Excel, SQL, AWS data into flexible, real-time dashboards.

This usually saves 8-12 hours per week in reporting workload for finance teams while providing dynamic visibility vs static files.

Would you be open to a quick 15 minute demo to showcase capabilities? Also happy to provide examples of custom dashboard design as a starting point if helpful.

Look forward to connecting!

Best,
[Your Name]

[Your Company]

Marketing & Advertising Agencies

For marketing services positioning, emphasize ideas, expertise and results:

Subject Lines

  • New ideas for [company]?
  • Love your [campaign]!

Template

Hi [First Name],

I wanted to reach out because I love the branding you created for [Client Company]! Very impressive. Our digital marketing agency focuses specifically on healthcare space - would be great to connect.

We help medical device startups with growth hacking, SEO, paid ads, and analytics optimization. One client saw 23% moM organic traffic growth from our recent SEO expansions.

Would you be open to a quick call to share ideas on emerging patient acquisition opportunities? I have great tactics to discuss!

Looking forward to connecting.

Best,

[Your name]

[Agency Name]

Business Consulting & Services

For consulting services positioning around outcomes, expertise credibility:

Subject Lines

  • Quick question on [niche]
  • Consultation offer

Template

Hi [First Name],

Hope you had an amazing start to your week!

I noticed [Company] has been raising Series B funding recently for data platform expansions across your portfolio companies. Very exciting!

As former analytics leaders at BCG, our data consultancy helps PE firms capture more operational value through portfolio reporting automation, consolidation models, and improved visibility to support deal diligence.

Would you have 30 minutes to discuss current data effectiveness initiatives? Eager to share ideas to help continue modernizing the portfolio!

Best,

[Your Name]

[Consulting Company]

Healthcare & Medical Providers

For healthcare, focus messaging on patient outcomes, compliance, quality:

Subject Lines

  • Improving care quality?
  • Telehealth options

Template

Hi [First Name],

I understand [Clinic] has been working on enhancing patient care quality scores - fantastic initiative.

Our telemedicine platform automatically surfaces patient risk alerts enabling 30%+ higher intervention rates during the critical 48 hour discharge window. This drives dramatic reductions in complications and readmissions.

Would you be open to reviewing our patient monitoring dashboard? We customize the risk models and workflows based on past health issues seen at [Clinic] to maximize relevance.

Let me know if any other questions!

Best,

[Your Name]
[Healthcare Company]

Real Estate Agents & Brokers

For real estate focus on exclusivity, luxury, networking:

Subject Lines

  • Local luxury listing inquiry
  • Networking in [City Area]

Template

Hi [First Name],

Hope you are having a wonderful week! I came across your impressive profile while researching top brokers in [City] for a private listing opportunity.

My firm exclusively represents ultra high net worth individuals within the $5M+ luxury residential purchase segment.

Would you have time for a quick call this week to discuss networking opportunities surrounding high-end buyers visiting the area this spring? Eager to chat about referrals and intelligence sharing to better serve our exclusive clients.

Look forward to connecting!

Best,

[Your name]

[Brokerage Firm]

Hopefully these tailored examples illustrate how cold email content can be adapted creatively by industry while following proven templates. Now let’s analyze full template examples across different use cases.

Examples of Successful Cold Emails

It’s one thing to understand structuring concepts, but seeing complete cold email examples in practice is invaluable.

Let’s dissect 5 excellent real-world templates spanning different scenarios:

1. Personalized Cold Outreach

This short template keeps messaging focused while being personal:

  • Grabs attention with relevant subject line
  • Focuses details on them, not product features
  • Positions value around outcomes realized
  • Provides proof of credibility upfront
  • Enables next steps through calendar link
  • Closes politely putting control in their court

The combination of relevance and conciseness increases engagement likelihood. Now let's analyze another example.

2. Cold Email to Investors

Securing meetings with investors requires creativity. This template delivers:

  • Grabs attention with ambitious business metric
  • Quickly establishes credibility & achievements
  • Provides just enough detail on the opportunity
  • Emphasizes potential upside for portfolios
  • Easy calendar link reduces scheduling friction
  • Polite tone encourages responses

Piquing investor curiosity is key to driving conversations with cold capital allocators. Now let's review a creative services positioning template.

3. Cold Outreach for Branding Services

Selling creative solutions requires storytelling flair. This template has it:

  • Grabs attention highlighting a recent achievement
  • Quickly compliments something they created
  • Explains their services tailored to known pain point
  • Provides proof of expertise in their domain
  • Optional question gives opening to respond
  • Polite tone facilitates engagement

The casual inquisitive approach makes conversations easy. Now let's analyze an example specifically targeted to the event space.

4. Corporate Event Sales Cold Email

Promoting logistically complex events requires strategic positioning. This template nails that:

  • Grabs attention with impressive metrics
  • Quickly states their value proposition
  • Specifies locations highlighting site knowledge
  • Emphasizes smooth experience and execution
  • Provides proof of past impressive events
  • Easy calendar link to book meetings

The above template sells the full experience going beyond the core offering alone. Finally, let's analyze one last niche example.

5. Recruiting Cold Email to Passive Candidates

Securing meetings with passive but talented candidates requires finesse. This sequence has it:

  • Grabs attention highlighting impressive leadership
  • Quickly compliments their rare skillset
  • Specifies role details aligned to their experience
  • Sells the values and mission behind company’s purpose
  • Positions flexibility to fit candidate needs
  • Easy calendar link accelerates next steps

Strategic positioning sells passive candidates on culture versus income alone.

Hopefully these real-world examples provide creative ideas on proven cold email approaches across different vertical use cases.

Now let’s briefly discuss tools to help automate effective cold email execution at scale.

Tools to Help Create Cold Emails

While templates provide initial messaging, sending one-off cold emails severely limits reach and traceability.

Thankfully many excellent sales engagement platforms help by providing:

  • Easy-to-use email template builders
  • Bulk importing and organizing of lead contact data
  • Automated sequencing of cold email campaigns
  • Tracking of opens, clicks and replies
  • Integration into CRMs and other workflows

Some leaders in this category include Outreach, Salesloft, Mailshake, and Lemlist.

These tools allow best practice cold email templates to be executed at scale in a consistent, coordinated manner for improved results.

How to Use Just Think AI for Cold Email Templates

Just Think AI is an excellent tool for automating the creation of effective cold email templates. Here are some tips:

  1. Provide details on your offering, value proposition, and customer outcomes realized
  2. Specify any key product capabilities or features to highlight
  3. Share your ideal customer profile - industry, role, common pain points
  4. Indicate any preferred stylistic tone - formal, casual, technical etc.

With this information, Just Think AI can generate customized cold email templates tailored to your unique business needs.

Just Think AI Prompts for Cold Email Templates

When requesting cold email template content from Just Think AI, make sure to provide:

  • Overview of product/service & key benefits
  • Value positioning focused on customer ROI
  • Customer segment details - vertical, role, challenges
  • Desired email style - professional, conversational etc.

The more context supplied, the better Just Think AI can optimize cold message templates that resonate with your targets and accurately reflect brand voice.

Olivia Rhye
11 Jan 2022
5 min read