4 emails you can copy
Four first emails for four starting points. Each has one fact about them, one line about you, and one question. Replace every [BRACKET] with a real fact.
- Starting from their websiteSubject: [THE THING YOU SAW, IN THEIR WORDS]Hi [FIRST NAME], On [PAGE] I saw that [ONE FACT FROM THEIR PAGE]. I [WHAT YOU DO] for [TYPE OF COMPANY]. Would it help if I sent [ONE SPECIFIC THING], or is this not a priority at [COMPANY]? [YOUR NAME] [YOUR POSTAL ADDRESS] If you would rather I did not write again, tell me and I will stop.
- Starting from news about themSubject: Your [NEWS ITEM]Hi [FIRST NAME], I read that [COMPANY] [WHAT HAPPENED, WITH WHERE YOU READ IT]. I [WHAT YOU DO] for [TYPE OF COMPANY]. If [RELATED TASK] is on your list, I can send [ONE SPECIFIC THING]. If not, no problem. [YOUR NAME] [YOUR POSTAL ADDRESS] If you would rather I did not write again, tell me and I will stop.
- Starting from a questionSubject: How does [COMPANY] handle [TASK]?Hi [FIRST NAME], How does [COMPANY] handle [TASK] today? I ask because I [YOUR TRUE REASON, FOR EXAMPLE: HELP [TYPE OF COMPANY] WITH IT]. If it is worth a short call, tell me a day that suits you. If not, a one-word answer is fine. [YOUR NAME] [YOUR POSTAL ADDRESS] If you would rather I did not write again, tell me and I will stop.
- When someone suggested you writeSubject: [PERSON] suggested I writeHi [FIRST NAME], [PERSON] at [COMPANY] suggested I write to you about [TOPIC]. [PERSON] and I [HOW YOU KNOW EACH OTHER]. I [WHAT YOU DO]. Would [ONE SPECIFIC THING] be useful to you? [YOUR NAME] [YOUR POSTAL ADDRESS] If you would rather I did not write again, tell me and I will stop.
Subject lines
- Subject line[THE THING YOU SAW, IN THEIR WORDS]
- Subject lineHow does [COMPANY] handle [TASK]?
- Subject line[PERSON] suggested I write
Why this works
- Open their page and find one fact. Quote it exactly, and say where you saw it.
- Say what you do in one sentence. If you give a result, it must be one you can prove.
- Ask one question that can be answered in a line.
- Add your name, postal address and a way to stop hearing from you.
- Read it as the person who gets it. Would you answer?
What to avoid
- Do not use a false opener: "I saw you just launched" when the page does not say so.
- Do not pretend to know them. No "hope you are well", no "I loved your post" if you did not read it.
- Do not use a number you cannot prove, such as "we helped 40 companies".
- Do not ask for 30 minutes in the first email. Ask a smaller question first.
Official pages. Rules for commercial email differ by country. Not legal advice: check the rules that apply to you.
- United States: FTC: CAN-SPAM Act: A Compliance Guide for Business. It says the law covers all commercial email, with no exception for business-to-business email, and lists what each message needs, read 5 October 2026.
- United Kingdom: ICO: Electronic mail marketing. It says you must not send marketing emails to individuals without specific consent, that you can send marketing emails to companies, and that it is good practice to keep a do-not-email list of companies that object. The ICO says the page is under review. Read 5 October 2026.
What the tools add
The first is free. Start there.
Cold Email Checker
Paste your draft and the text of the prospect's page. It tests every claim about them against that text, flags claims about you that need proof, and checks the subject line, the single ask and the length. It lists the commercial email basics from the US FTC's CAN-SPAM guide that the draft is missing. You get a verdict, a claims table, quoted issues and a tightened version with unsupported claims removed.
Cold Email from a Website
What you give it: a company's website address and a line on what you sell. If you have a proof point, add it, and you confirm it is true.
What you get: a three-email sequence and two subject lines, each built on something visible on their site, with the page it came from, and a list of what to check before sending.
$9, one price, no subscription. It reads up to three public pages, does not find email addresses, and does not send anything.
Questions people ask
How long should a B2B cold email be?
Short enough to read on a phone without scrolling. About 50 to 90 words is plenty, and each of the emails above is shorter than that.
Do I need a postal address and an unsubscribe line?
In the US, the FTC's CAN-SPAM guide says commercial email must include your valid postal address and a clear way to opt out, with no exception for business-to-business email. Rules in other countries differ. See the pointers on this page.
Can I use ChatGPT to write cold emails?
You can, but check every fact it adds about the person. Wrong or invented facts are the commonest problem. The checker linked below tests each claim against the page text.
Where do I find the one fact about them?
On their own site: the homepage, an about page, a product page, a news page. Copy it word for word and check that you read it right.