How to Write Effective Cold Emails

With the rise of the internet, a few have harnessed an extraordinary power—the ability to reach anyone, anywhere. These modern-day magicians can unlock secrets and opportunities from people of all ranks and backgrounds. The magic? A simple cold email. Today, I’m going to show you how to master it.

A cold email is about capturing attention and delivering a concise, value-driven pitch that sparks curiosity and leads the recipient to accept your frictionless call to action. But before we dive into sculpting an irresistible email, we need to cover some foundational preparation work.

Step 1: Define Your Target and Goal

First, clearly define who you're reaching out to and what you want from them. These two questions form the backbone of every cold email. If you find yourself thinking, “I want (X thing) from (Y person),” it’s time to take action. Whether you’re asking Peter Thiel to invest in your startup, selling a product to a prospect, or seeking advice from someone you admire, once you know your goal, you’re ready to move on to step two.

Step 2: Find Contact Information

Next, we need to get your recipient's contact info, and you’d be surprised how easy this is. Head over to Rocket Reach or Apollo.io, sign up for a free account, and search for your recipient’s name to acquire their email. Rocket Reach gives you ten free emails before they start charging—but if you’re like me, you’ll have 12 accounts and avoid paying forever. If you're aiming high, like contacting Elon Musk, it may be tougher to find the email address. You’ll likely need to track down his assistant’s contact and navigate through gatekeepers. But that’s a whole other guide!

Step 3: Use a Pattern Interrupt Subject Line

Once you’ve got the email address, you’re ready to send the perfect pitch. Now comes the fun part: the hook, also known as the subject line. You could spend hours crafting the perfect email, but if the subject line doesn’t grab attention, your target will never open the email. The subject line needs to be a pattern interrupt, something that jolts them out of their routine and ignites curiosity. When I landed a meeting with RedFin founder David Eraker to get advice on my startup, I titled the subject line: “Realtor Startup by High School Kid.” David likely receives hundreds of emails from startup founders pitching their companies, but how many come from a high schooler? That’s why I emphasized it. You should highlight the most unique or unexpected aspect of your email. Most people are bombarded with pitches, so you need to stand out. Take the time to find your own personal angle that makes your subject line irresistible. Most cold emailers are lazy and use cookie-cutter lines. Don’t do this. Instead, stand out in a crowded inbox by tapping into your creativity to invent something unique.?

Step 4: Personalization

Now that your recipient is sure to open your email, the next challenge is turning that sliver of attention into a “yes” to whatever you’re offering. Your recipient thought the subject line was clever, but they’re giving you about half a sentence to grab their interest before they click off and send your email to the trash. Think about how quickly you delete emails that don’t catch your attention. This is the mindset we’re working against. Since we have so little time to hook the recipient, our only option is to earn more of their attention. Instead of jumping straight into the pitch, we need to get them more interested by using personalization. People are drawn to their own stories, so dive into who they are and reflect that back to them. I suggest going through their LinkedIn profile to review their experiences and identify areas where you can relate. You could also use a tool I created called Post Pitch, which automatically generates personalized content for cold emails: Post Pitch Demo. Once you’ve gathered insights, write a thoughtful compliment such as mentioning their keynote speech or highlighting their work on X project. Ideally, weave in some subtle self-validation without sounding boastful—maybe by highlighting a shared experience or mutual interest. But remember, the key is to make it about them. Be subtle with any self-promotion; this person doesn’t care about you yet, and they definitely don’t want to hear you brag.

Step 5: Big Fast Value

Once you’ve nailed the personalization, it’s time for the pitch. Focus on delivering big, fast value. Blow them away quickly. The best way to do this is through proof, not promises. If you’re selling something, offer them a free sample. If you’re applying for a job as a video editor, don’t just say you’re good; send them ten videos you’ve already edited specifically for them. You need to stand out by offering something better than anyone else. Always think, “What’s in it for them?” Most cold emailers don’t use empathy, but that’s the key to getting a “yes.” Put yourself in their shoes as you write. Think from their perspective, and focus on how you can genuinely help them. Don’t worry about what you’ll get out of it. If you live by this principle, you’ll be amazed at how often people reciprocate and help you in return (borrowed "big fast value" from Alex Hormozi).

Step 6: Crafting a Compelling Call to Action

If you don’t have a lot of immediate value to offer, you can still show value in yourself. Successful people want to meet other successful people. So, make sure your writing is polished and subtly sparks interest about who you are. When I cold-emailed the CEO of CoinLedger to sell Post Pitch, he wasn’t sold on the product—but he respected the quality of my email and entrepreneurial drive, so he gave me a job. Even if your direct value proposition is weak, you can still create intrigue around yourself. Curiosity alone can open doors.

After crafting your concise pitch, wrap up with a clear call to action (CTA). Your CTA should be easy to say "yes" to. Asking for too much too soon is like proposing marriage on the first date—it’s high friction and bound to fail. For example, suggesting a 3-hour conference call is a low-conversion ask, whereas a 15-minute call is much more manageable. Similarly, asking someone to buy your $100 product right away is too much. Instead, offer a risk-free trial. The goal is to make saying “yes” feel easy and low-risk.?

You can optionally add genuine urgency or scarcity to your CTA, but only if it’s real. Don’t be the cheesy salesperson making up fake deadlines. After your CTA, I like to close with a note of gratitude. Often, the recipient is doing you a favor by saying yes—they’ve seen your email, respected your hustle, and are taking the time to consider your request. So, end with a sincere thank you that shows humility and makes them feel appreciated.

Conclusion + Bonus Strategy

After sending your email, cross your fingers and hope for a response. A final strategy to boost your chances is to take that hyper-personalized email and see if it applies to anyone else. For example, if you just emailed a tech company, can you tweak that same email for other tech companies without losing its relevance? If so, you’ve just unlocked a way to multiply your success by sending numerous hyper-personalized emails with minimal extra effort. This works best when the core of your message applies to more than one person—which, more often than not, it does.

A single cold email has the potential to change your life. It can land you a meeting with almost anyone—even the most seemingly unreachable people. There are individuals who have the power to transform your career or project in unimaginable ways. With creativity and hustle, you can build relationships with them. So, when you're at your desk, investing hours into crafting that moonshot email, remember this: you are just one email away from endless possibilities.