cold-email

Files (4)

• SKILL.md
• deliverability_checker.py · scripts/
• sequence_optimizer.py · scripts/
• subject_line_scorer.py · scripts/

SKILL.md (first lines)

# Cold Email Outreach

Production-grade B2B cold email that sounds like it came from a person, not a sequence tool.

---

## Table of Contents

- [Keywords](#keywords)
- [Quick Start](#quick-start)
- [Core Workflows](#core-workflows)
- [Writing Principles](#writing-principles)
- [Voice Calibration by Audience](#voice-calibration-by-audience)
- [Subject Line Framework](#subject-line-framework)
- [Follow-Up Strategy](#follow-up-strategy)
- [Personalization Framework](#personalization-framework)
- [Deliverability Setup](#deliverability-setup)
- [Compliance Requirements](#compliance-requirements)
- [Anti-Patterns](#anti-patterns)
- [Best Practices](#best-practices)
- [Integration Points](#integration-points)

---

## Keywords

cold email, cold outreach, prospecting email, SDR email, sales email, first-touch email, follow-up sequence, email prospecting, outbound email, sales development, sequence building, email personalization, email deliverability, CAN-SPAM, GDPR, B2B outreach, email compliance, subject lines, reply rates, breakup email

---

## Clarify First

Before generating the email, settle the inputs below. When one is missing or vague and would change the result, ask about it; when it wouldn't, use a sensible default and say which one you used.

- **ICP / prospect context:** job title, company type/size, seniority (drives the opener, relevance, and voice calibration).
- **Specific problem + outreach trigger:** the pain and why now (selects the framework and shapes the opener).
- **The one proof point:** a specific number, named customer, or result (drives the credibility line).
- **The single CTA / goal:** book a call, get a reply, or get a referral (drives the one ask).

Ask about the two or three inputs that matter most for this request, not the whole list. If the user wants a result straight away, produce it and state your assumptions at the top.

## Quick Start

### Write a First-Touch Email

1. Define the ICP, specific problem, and outreach trigger
2. Select voice calibration based on recipient seniority
3. Write opener about their world (not yours)
4. State relevance in 1-2 sentences with specific proof
5. Close with a single, low-friction ask
6. Generate 3 subject line variants
7. Validate: under 150 words, no corporate speak, one CTA

### Build a Full Sequence

1. Write the first email (above)
2. Plan 4-5 follow-ups, each with a different angle
3. Set escalating gap cadence (Day 1, 4, 9, 16, 25, 35)
4. Write each follow-up as a standalone (recipient does not remember earlier emails)
5. End with a breakup email that closes the loop professionally
6. Validate deliverability setup before sending

---

## Core Workflows

### Workflow 1: Single First-Touch Email

**Step 1: Gather Context**

Required information:
- **Sender context**: Role, company, what they sell, key proof points
- **Prospect context**: Job title, company type/size, likely problem, trigger for outreach
- **Goal**: Book a call? Get a reply? Get a referral?

**Step 2: Choose Framework**

| Framework | Best When | Structure |
|-----------|-----------|-----------|
| Problem-First | Prospect has a visible pain point | Problem observation > Relevance > Ask |
| Trigger-Based | There is a specific event (funding, hiring, news) | Trigger reference > Connection to problem > Ask |
| Mutual Connection | Referral or shared network | Name drop > Context > Ask |
| Value-First | You have something genuinely useful to share | Insight/resource > Brief context > Ask |
| Direct Ask | Prospect is high-intent or very senior | Brief context > Direct question |

**Step 3: Draft the Email**

Structure:
```
Subject: [2-4 words, looks like an internal email]

[Opener: 1 sentence about their world — trigger, observation, or question]

[Relevance: 1-2 sentences connecting their situation to what you do]

[Proof: 1 sentence of credible evidence — specific number, named customer, result]

[Ask: 1 sentence with a single, specific, low-friction CTA]

[Sign-off]
```

**Step 4: Validate**

- [ ] Under 150 words total
- [ ] Opener is about them, not you
- [ ] No sentence starts with "I" or "We"
- [ ] One CTA, not multiple
- [ ] CTA is a question, not a statement
- [ ] No jargon or corporate speak
- [ ] Would a friend send this to another friend in business?

### Workflow 2: Full Sequence Build

**Step 1: Write Email 1 (Using Workflow 1)**

**Step 2: Plan Follow-Up Angles**

Each follow-up needs a distinct angle. Plan before writing:

From borghei/Claude-Skills, MIT.

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