Cold email that gets replies
Cold outreach fails for one reason: it is about you. "Hi, I build websites, want one?" gets ignored because it is generic and self-centered. Outreach that works opens with something specific and true about them, ties it to money, and makes a small ask.
The four-line structure
- Line 1: a specific observation about THEIR business. Proof you actually looked.
- Line 2: tie it to money. Missed calls, lost jobs, wasted ad spend.
- Line 3: a small, easy ask. Not "buy a website." A two-minute video, a quick look, a yes/no question.
- Line 4 (optional): one line of who you are, in their language.
The base script
Subject: your website on a phone
Hi Mike,
I pulled up [Business] on my phone while looking at roofers in [City]. The site takes about 8 seconds to load and the phone number is not tappable, which usually means people give up and call the next roofer on the list.
I recorded a 2-minute video showing the three things costing you calls. Want me to send it over?
Ethan
[Agency], websites for roofing companies
Notice what it does not do: no "hope this finds you well," no paragraph about your passion for design, no link dump, no meeting request. The only decision the reader makes is "do I want the video," and that is an easy yes because it costs them nothing.
Variants for the common situations
The ads variant: "I saw your Google ad for [service] today. The ad is solid, but the page it lands on has no way to request a quote without a phone call during business hours. You are paying for clicks that cannot convert after 5pm. Want the 2-minute breakdown?"
The no-website variant: "Searching [service] in [City], you show up on the map but there is no website linked. Right now [Competitor] gets the click. I mocked up what a one-page site for [Business] could look like. Want the link?"
The outdated variant: "Your site mentions your 2019 award, which made me check the rest. It has not been touched in a while, and it shows in the ranking: page 3 for [main service] in [City]. I noted the five quickest fixes. Want them?"
The rules that make it work
- One prospect, one specific observation. If the first line could be sent to anyone, delete it and start over.
- Short. Four to six sentences on email, two or three on DM. Respect the phone screen it will be read on.
- Ask for a micro-yes, never a meeting. The meeting comes two messages later.
- Plain text, no images, no attachments, one link at most. You are a person, not a campaign.
- Send from your normal address at normal volumes. Deliverability infrastructure is a scale problem; you have a starting problem.
Follow-up is where the replies live
Most replies come from the second, third, or fourth touch, not the first. Silence is not rejection; it is a busy owner on a roof. Follow up three to four times over two weeks, and make each touch add something new instead of "just bumping this."
Touch 2 (day 3): "Made the video anyway, here it is: [link]. The mobile fix alone is probably worth a few calls a week."
Touch 3 (day 7): "One more thing I noticed: searching [service] in [City], you are behind [Competitor] and their reviews are worse than yours. Fixable. Happy to show you how."
Touch 4 (day 14): "Last note from me. If the website is not a priority this quarter, totally fine, I will check back in a few months. If it is, my calendar is here: [link]."
Personalization at scale
You cannot hand-research a thousand prospects, and you should not blast a thousand identical messages. The middle path: your agent builds the list and drafts the specific first line per prospect from real site data, and you review and send. The observation stays true, the volume stays high, and you stay a person.
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