Killer Cold Email Opening Lines

What Not to Do

❌ I hope this email finds you well.

❌ Allow me to introduce myself.

❌ My name is … and I work for …

Do This Instead

✅ Have you considered repurposing your YouTube videos for TikTok so you can broaden your reach? (Content amplification agency)

✅ Listening to your podcast episode with … Enjoyed your two cents on…

✅ Unlike being an amateur wine connoisseur, reps can’t smell the butter aroma of a good inbound lead. (LeanData for a prospect who’s a wine connoisseur but the formula works for any hobby. For example, “Unlike being collegiate breaststroker, BI analyst can’t run 200 queries in 2:10.”

✅ Are you open to a new level of sorcery to remove “um” and “ahs” in your podcast with a click? (Descript)

✅ Bob suggested I get in touch with you regarding . . .

✅ Hi {first name}. JK I know your name is Josh.

✅ If you run MVRs in January, how do you know there aren’t at-risk drivers in March? (Samba Safety)

✅ How do you know SDRs that interview well will perform well? (Recruiter)

✅ Are you open to a different perspective for finding top-performing SDRs that don’t respond to traditional job postings?

✅ You must be some sort of spreadsheet magician if you’re using Excel and Google Sheets to calculate and run commission statements. (CaptivateIQ) Hat tip to Armand Farrokh for this structure. You can also use “wizard” “virtuoso” “genie” or “erudite”.

✅ Noticed you’re spinning up your SDR team which suggests you’re going to be making more cold calls.

✅ Honestly now, did you spend your youth dreaming about someday hard-pasting entire Excel pages into Google Sheets and then manually making adjustments, one sheet at a time to determine payouts? (CaptiveIQ)

✅ No John, you don’t have to hard-paste entire Excel pages into Google Sheets and then manually make adjustments, one sheet at a time to determine payouts. (CaptiveIQ)

✅ I noticed the negative review for Annie Pizza on Page 1.