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koinodkoinod/skills/ai-cold-email/SKILL.md

ai-cold-email

Skill0 starsChanged 6 months agoMITView on GitHub

Generate personalized cold outreach emails using AI

1 other project uses a version of this.

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We split this skill into the rules it gives an agent

5 rules. About 0 are common, 5 are distinctive, and 0 are very specific to this project.

  • ≈0

    Common · estimate

    Many files like this have a rule of this kind.

  • ≈5

    Distinctive · estimate

    This author's own choices. Worth a look.

  • 0

    Very specific

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  • Common
  • Distinctive
  • Very specific
  1. Distinctive:

    Before writing, analyze the inputs and build a prospect profile:

    line 39
  2. Distinctive:

    No company pitch in the first email

    line 69
  3. Distinctive:

    If you don't have a real case study, use an industry benchmark instead

    line 126
  4. Distinctive:

    NEVER say "just following up" or "circling back"

    line 195
  5. Distinctive:

    Before sending any email, verify:

    line 204

≈ “Common” is an estimate: at least 1 in 5 of the 350,495 skill files we read have a rule of the same kind, not the same words. “Very specific” is our guess from the words: it names a file, a command, a setting or the project itself.

Keep what fits and drop the rest. Your version, ready for your agents.
Files
SKILL.md

AI Cold Email Generator

Generate high-converting cold outreach emails personalized to your prospect. Uses the Observation > Question > Offer framework that consistently outperforms generic templates.

Usage

Provide the following about your prospect:

FieldRequiredExample
Prospect NameYes"Sarah Chen"
CompanyYes"Meridian Logistics"
IndustryYes"Third-party logistics / freight"
Pain PointYes"Manual load matching wastes 15+ hours/week"
Your NameYes"Alex Rivera"
Your CompanyYes"FleetMind AI"
Your OfferYes"AI-powered load matching platform"
Prospect's RoleOptional"VP of Operations"
Recent TriggerOptional"Just expanded to 3 new warehouses"
Mutual ConnectionOptional"Met at FreightWaves LIVE"

Output

You will receive 3 email variants plus a 3-touch follow-up sequence.


Step 1: Research & Personalization

Before writing, analyze the inputs and build a prospect profile:

  1. Observation: What specific, verifiable thing can you reference about the prospect or their company? (recent news, job change, company growth, public statement, industry trend affecting them)
  2. Question: What genuine question could you ask that demonstrates you understand their world?
  3. Offer: What specific, low-commitment value can you provide? (not "let's hop on a call" -- something they can use immediately)

Step 2: Generate 3 Email Variants

Variant A: The Short Punch (50-75 words)

Structure:

Subject: [Observation-based, no clickbait, under 6 words]

[First name],

[1 sentence: specific observation about their company/role]

[1 sentence: question that implies you understand their pain]

[1 sentence: concrete offer with zero commitment]

[Signature]

Rules:

  • No "I hope this finds you well"
  • No "I wanted to reach out"
  • No company pitch in the first email
  • Subject line references THEM, not you
  • Total email under 75 words

Variant B: The Value Lead (100-150 words)

Structure:

Subject: [Question format referencing their specific situation]

[First name],

[Observation paragraph: 2 sentences max. Reference something specific
about their company, industry move, or public content. Show you did
homework.]

[Bridge: 1 sentence connecting their situation to a pattern you've seen]

[Value: 2-3 sentences describing a specific insight, benchmark, or
framework relevant to their pain point. Give this away for free.]

[Soft CTA: Ask a question, don't demand a meeting]

[Signature]

Rules:

  • Lead with value they can use TODAY even if they never respond
  • The insight should be genuinely useful, not a teaser
  • CTA is a question, not a calendar link

Variant C: The Case Study Drop (150-200 words)

Structure:

Subject: [Result] for [similar company/role]

[First name],

[1 sentence observation about their specific challenge]

[2-3 sentence mini case study: "We worked with [similar company type]
who had [same pain point]. They were spending [X hours/dollars] on
[manual process]. After [your approach], they [specific result with
numbers].]

[1 sentence: what made their situation similar to the prospect's]

[Offer: share the full breakdown, a relevant resource, or a specific
recommendation -- NOT just "let's chat"]

[Signature]

Rules:

  • Case study must be from the same industry or analogous situation
  • Include at least one specific number (hours saved, % improvement, dollars)
  • If you don't have a real case study, use an industry benchmark instead
  • CTA offers something tangible

Step 3: Subject Line Variations

Generate 5 subject lines for each variant (15 total), following these rules:

  • Under 6 words
  • No ALL CAPS
  • No exclamation marks
  • No "Quick question" or "Touching base"
  • At least 2 should reference the prospect's company or situation specifically
  • At least 1 should be a question
  • At least 1 should reference a number or result

Step 4: Follow-Up Sequence

Follow-Up 1 (Day 3): The Bump + New Value

Subject: Re: [original subject]

[First name],

[1 sentence: reference original email without "just following up"]

[New value: share a relevant article, data point, or insight they
would genuinely find useful -- even if they never buy from you]

[Restate soft CTA differently than the first email]

Follow-Up 2 (Day 7): The Pattern Interrupt

Subject: [Something unexpected -- industry hot take, contrarian opinion,
or humor relevant to their world]

[First name],

[2-3 sentences: share a genuine perspective on their industry that
shows you think about this space deeply. This should NOT be a pitch.
It should be something they'd forward to a colleague.]

[1 sentence: tie it back to how this relates to their specific situation]

[CTA: even softer -- "curious if you see it the same way"]

Follow-Up 3 (Day 14): The Clean Break

Subject: Re: [original subject]

[First name],

[2-3 sentences: acknowledge they're busy, provide one final piece of
value (a resource, benchmark, or tool recommendation), and give them
a clean exit]

[Something like: "If the timing isn't right, no worries at all. But
if [pain point] becomes a priority, here's where to find me: [link]"]

Rules for all follow-ups:

  • NEVER say "just following up" or "circling back"
  • Each follow-up must add NEW value, not just remind them you exist
  • Tone should get progressively more casual, not more desperate
  • The breakup email should leave them thinking "that person was genuinely helpful"

Quality Checklist

Before sending any email, verify:

  • Opens with something about THEM, not about you
  • No jargon or buzzwords ("synergy", "leverage", "circle back")
  • A stranger could read this and learn something useful
  • CTA requires less than 60 seconds of their time to respond
  • You'd actually want to receive this email yourself
  • Subject line would make you curious enough to open
  • No more than 1 link in the entire email
  • Reads well on mobile (short paragraphs, no walls of text)
  • Specific to THIS prospect -- not a template with [brackets] filled in
  • Follow-ups each add genuinely new value

Anti-Patterns (Never Do These)

BadWhyDo Instead
"I hope this email finds you well"Generic, wastes their timeJump straight to the observation
"We're the leading provider of..."Nobody cares about your rankingShow what you did for someone like them
"Would love to pick your brain"You're asking, not givingOffer a specific insight first
"Let me know if you'd like to hop on a quick call"Too much commitment for a cold emailAsk a question they can answer in 1 sentence
Sending the same template to 500 peopleLow conversion, damages reputationBatch by persona, personalize the observation
Following up 5+ timesDesperation kills deals3 follow-ups max, then move on

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