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• Module 3: Crafting Cold Emails That Convert

Module 3: Crafting Cold Emails That Convert

Sujan Patel

Sujan Patel is the founder of Mailshake, a sales engagement software used by 38,000 sales and marketing professionals. He has over 15 years of marketing experience and has led the digital marketing strategy for companies like Salesforce, Mint, Intuit and many other Fortune 500 caliber companies.

Read more articles by Sujan Patel →

• June 3, 2025

Module 3 is where everything starts to click. If you’ve nailed your targeting (Module 2) and ensured deliverability (Module 1), this module shows you how to turn that into actual replies—and eventually, booked meetings.

Cold emailing in 2025 is like designing a great landing page: people won’t “read” your email—they’ll scan it in 7 seconds or less. You need to hook fast, speak directly to their problem, and offer a next step with zero friction.

The secret? Relevance over cleverness. Short over smart. Clarity over creativity.

The 4-Line Framework

Use this ultra-efficient structure to make every email readable, relevant, and reply-worthy.

1. Trigger / Context

Why are you reaching out now?

✅ “Saw you’re hiring SDRs.”
✅ “Noticed your VP of Sales just changed roles.”

🚫 “My name is John and I work for a company called…”

2. Problem / Pain / Insight

What challenge are they likely facing?

✅ “Most sales leaders I speak with struggle to ramp reps in under 5 months.”

🚫 “We offer an all-in-one CRM platform with world-class features…”

3. Social Proof / Value Prop

Show how you’ve solved that problem for someone like them.

✅ “We helped Salesforce cut ramp time by 40% using a structured onboarding flow.”

🚫 “Our award-winning methodology drives results for many businesses.”

4. Soft CTA

Invite—not demand—the next step.

✅ “Worth a chat?”
✅ “Open to learning how we did it?”
✅ “Want me to send a quick video?”

5. Optional: P.S. for Personality or Context

Great place to add personalization that doesn’t belong in the body:

P.S. Saw your interview on the SaaS Scaling podcast—really sharp POV on onboarding!

Example

Hey Tom,
Saw you’re hiring SDRs.
Most leaders I speak with struggle to ramp reps in under 5 months.
We helped Salesforce’s reps hit full productivity in <3 months using our process.
Worth a chat?

Proven Email Formats

Pain Point + Case Study

Are you dealing with [pain point]?
We helped [Company] go from [A] to [B] in [X time]. Curious to see how?

Lead Magnet Strategy

Tried [common method]? Most companies struggle without [resource].
We built [lead magnet] to help. Want a copy?

Trigger > Question > Value > CTA

Saw you’re expanding CS.
How are you handling onboarding at that scale?
We helped ClickUp cut ramp time in half.
Open to seeing how?

Writing Tips (2025-Proof)

• Use 6th-grade reading level (use Hemingway App to test)

• 1 sentence per line for mobile readability

• Cut intros, fluff, and adjectives

• Use hedging language: “Looks like…”, “Seems like…”, “Might be…”

• Use “you” more than “I” or “we”

• Skip greetings like “Hope you’re well” or “Happy Monday”

Subject Line Tips for 2025 Cold Emailing

What Works:

• 1–4 words

• all lowercase

• sounds internal, not promotional

• “boring” is good

• curiosity or topic-based (not benefit-focused)

✅ Good Examples:

• forecasting

• quick question

• cs ramp

• rep onboarding

❌ Bad Examples:

• Unlock Your Pipeline Growth!

• Automate Everything Instantly!

• Save Time & Boost ROI!

Call to Action Examples

Interest-Based

• Worth a quick look?

• Open to learning more?

• Mind if I send a 1-min demo?

• Curious to hear thoughts?

Specific / Outcome-Based

• Want to see how we helped [Company] cut ramp time by 40%?

• Think this would help your CS team?

Video / Resource-Based

• Want the 60-second explainer?

• Mind if I send over a case study?

Referral-Based

• Are you the right person for this?

• Should I loop in your head of enablement?

Follow-Ups & Sequences

Why Follow-Ups Matter

70–80% of cold email replies happen after email #1. Follow-ups show consistency, timing, and context—not pestering.

Follow-Up Framework:

1. New angle or insight

2. New value (stat, case study, tip)

3. Soft CTA (again)

Effective Follow-Up Formats

• Value bump

“Sharing this: ClickUp onboarded 12 reps in 30 days with our system. Could be useful.”

• Clarification bump

“Following up because we help with CS team ramp-up—still a priority for you?”

• Humor bump (last email)

“This is email #4 from me. If I’ve earned a delete, fair enough—just say the word :)”

Sequence Strategy

• Send 4–6 total emails over 2–3 weeks

• Mix tone: helpful → curious → direct → funny

• Use Mailshake for semi-automated sequences

• 2–4 day spacing between emails

• Avoid Monday AM + Friday PM; test Sunday PM or Tues AM for high open rates

Cold Email Opening Line Examples

1. “Saw you published a piece on sustainable supply chains—great angle. Curious how you’re tackling that internally?”

2. “Looks like you recently expanded to the EMEA market—how’s onboarding going with remote reps?”

Deliverability Touchpoints

• Use personal, not no-reply addresses

• Keep list clean—no mass, unverified blasts

• Avoid marketing language or spammy phrases

• Respect opt-outs and regulatory requirements (CAN-SPAM, GDPR)