# Cold Email Copy Rules

Rules for writing and evaluating cold email copy. Apply to every step in every sequence.

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## First Sentence Rules

**NEVER start with:**
- "I" — e.g., "I came across your company..."
- "We" — e.g., "We help companies like yours..."
- "Our team" — e.g., "Our team specializes in..."
- "I wanted to" — e.g., "I wanted to reach out because..."
- "Hope this finds you well" or any version of it
- "My name is..." (save for follow-ups if needed, never Step 1)

**ALWAYS start with one of:**
- **Prospect's company name** — "{{companyName}}'s recent..."
- **A specific market observation** — "Most [industry] companies we talk to are..."
- **A specific finding** — "Your [blog post / LinkedIn post / job listing] on..."
- **A relevant trend** — "Since [relevant thing] happened in [industry]..."

The first sentence earns the second. If it doesn't make the prospect think "hm, relevant," the email is dead.

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## Body Length Rules

| Step | Max sentences | Notes |
|------|--------------|-------|
| Step 1 | 3 sentences | Open + value + CTA. That's it. |
| Steps 2-4 | 3-5 sentences | Add new angle or asset, not a repeat |
| Step 5 (bump) | 1-2 sentences | Short. "Still relevant?" style. |
| Step 6 (breakup) | 2-3 sentences | Leave value, don't close your file. |

If a step is longer than this, cut it. Ruthlessly.

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## Stats and Social Proof

**Correct framing (observation):**
> "Most brands we audit are leaving 30-40% of their SEO traffic unconverted."

**Incorrect framing (study/study-like):**
> "According to our data, 73% of brands have this problem."

Why: Observation sounds like earned experience. Study sounds like a marketing claim. Prospects believe the former.

**Never fabricate:**
- Specific client names unless verified and approved
- Revenue numbers or % improvements unless you have the actual data
- Podcast episodes or content references unless they exist and are linkable
- Case study specifics — if you can't verify it, generalize it

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## CTAs

**Soft asks (preferred):**
- "Worth a look?"
- "Want the data?"
- "Does this match what you're seeing?"
- "Relevant to what you're working on?"
- "Happy to share what we found — useful?"

**Hard asks (avoid in Step 1):**
- "Book a call with me" → too much commitment too early
- "Schedule 30 minutes" → presumes interest
- "Let's hop on a call" → pushy
- "Are you free Thursday?" → too forward for a stranger

Use hard asks only in Step 4+ if you've gotten engagement signals. Even then, soften them.

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## Links

- **Step 1:** No links (deliverability + trust)
- **Steps 2-3:** Max 1 link, only if it adds genuine value (a case study, a report, a tool)
- **Breakup email:** Include 1 real link to genuinely useful content (not a sales page)
- **Never:** Hallucinate URLs. All links must be verified real pages before use.
- **Never:** Link to a landing page with a form in Steps 1-2 — it signals spray-and-pray

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## Breakup Email (Final Step)

**Correct:**
> Leave something genuinely useful. A real article, a real report, a real piece of content that relates to their problem.
> "In case it's useful regardless — here's the framework we use: [real URL]. No pressure on the rest."

**Incorrect:**
> "Just wanted to close the loop / closing your file / marking you as not interested"
> This is negative framing and slightly manipulative. The prospect notices.

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## AI Engine References

When listing AI tools in copy or messaging, always include the full set:
**ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, Claude**

Do not omit any major AI platform. If listing "AI tools" or "AI search engines," include all four.

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## Personalization Rules

- `{{personalization}}` field: must be set per lead. Don't leave it generic.
- Personalization should reference something *specific* to the company: a recent hire, a published piece, a product launch, a job listing signal, a funding round.
- If you can't personalize at least 50% of the list, remove `{{personalization}}` from the template and rewrite to not depend on it.

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## Subject Lines

- Length: 3-7 words is the sweet spot
- No exclamation points
- No all-caps
- No emoji in B2B cold email (unless targeting a persona that expects it)
- Best patterns:
  - Question: "Quick question, {{firstName}}"
  - Observation: "{{companyName}}'s content strategy"
  - Specificity: "Saw your post on [topic]"
  - Intrigue: "One thing we noticed"
- A/B test 2 variants per Step 1. Pick winner after 100+ sends each.

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## Tone

- Peer-to-peer, not vendor-to-prospect
- Curious, not desperate
- Specific, not generic
- Short, not comprehensive
- Human, not corporate

If it sounds like a marketing email, rewrite it. Cold email that converts sounds like a text from a knowledgeable peer.