Cold email that gets read
28 Aug 2026 EmailProspecting
"We would like to present our services in the field of…", seven words is enough for the reader to press delete. Not because the service is bad, but because the message is about you.
The structure: four lines
1) The reason line. Why are you writing to them, today? A real signal: an expansion they announced, a role they posted, a tender they entered, an article they published. No reason, no send.
2) The problem line. A problem someone in their seat knows, in their words not yours. Not "integrated solutions" but "tracking tenders in spreadsheets means missing closing dates".
3) The proof line. One sentence with a numeric result at a peer, with no customer name you were not permitted to use: "A contracting firm of similar size cut tender detection from days to an hour."
4) The ask line. A small ask answerable in one word: "Shall I send you a two-minute example?" not "Would a 30-minute meeting next week suit you?"
What kills the message
- A marketing subject line, "An opportunity not to be missed." Make it short and descriptive: "Tender monitoring, a question".
- An attachment in the first email, sends it to spam.
- An image or logo in the signature, same effect.
- A shortened link, use the full visible URL.
- More than one link.
The sequence: three emails, not seven
| Timing | What it adds | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Day zero | Reason, problem, ask |
| 2 | +4 days | A different angle, not a reminder |
| 3 | +9 days | A polite close: "I assume this is not a priority now, shall I return next quarter?" |
The third earns more replies than you expect, because it offers a comfortable exit.
Protect your domain
If someone did not open two consecutive emails, do not send a third automatically. A bounce rate above 3% means a stale list, clean it before you are classified as spam. And never send one large batch from a new domain.
What to measure
Do not measure opens, the metric is no longer reliable. Measure reply rate and meetings per hundred emails. Fewer than three meetings per hundred means the problem is the list, not the copy.