How to write a cold email ?

When done correctly, cold emails might be your secret weapon for business expansion. Since most people make the same crucial errors that reduce response rates before prospects even complete reading, most struggle with cold outreach.

The reality? Crafting successful cold emails is not about flashy templates or trickery. It's about knowing a basic psychological framework that professional Jason Beraud used to help dozens of businesses grow from $0 to millions of dollars.

We will dissect the precise approach employed in live coaching sessions where actual cold email sequences are converted from spam-worthy disasters into response-generating machines in this comprehensive manual.

Table of Contents

1. The Psychology Behind Cold Emails That Work
2. The Universal Framework: Problem → Solution → Benefit
3. Email #1: Making a Strong First Impression
4. Building Your Follow-Up Sequence
5. Common Cold Email Mistakes Killing Conversions
6. Subject Lines That Actually Get Opened
7. Real Case Studies: Before and After Transformations
8. Advanced Cold Email Strategies

The Psychology Behind Cold Emails That Work

Most people mistake cold emails for something related to sales.

Actually, cold emails are about starting a conversation.

One pattern emerged repeatedly during live coaching sessions with marketing expert Jason Beraud, who scaled a waste management firm from 0 to 25 million in revenue using cold outreach:

The emails that get responses solve problems, they don't create them.

Three Types of People Reading Your Cold Email

When someone opens your cold email, they fit into one of three categories:

1. The Skeptic - "Another sales pitch, probably spam"
2. The Busy Professional - "I have 2 seconds to decide whether this matters"
3. The Problem-Haver - "Finally, someone who might understand my situation"

Your job is to immediately move people from categories 1 and 2 into category 3.

The Fatal Flaw: Making It About You

The same mistake appears in coaching session after coaching session:

"Hi, I'm John, 24 years old. Two years ago I started my company because I saw companies just like yours..."

Stop right there.

Nobody cares about your story. They care about their problems.

The Universal Framework: Problem → Solution → Benefit

Every cold email that gets responses follows this psychological sequence:

1. Identify their problem (show you understand)
2. Present your solution (prove you can help)
3. Highlight the benefit (make it irresistible)

Here's how it works in practice:

Before: The Typical Approach

Response rate: <1%

After: The Problem-First Approach

Response rate: 8–12%

See the difference? The second email immediately addresses a pain point every business owner recognizes.

Email #1: Making a Strong First Impression

Your first email has one job: get a response.

Not a sale. Not a meeting. Just a straightforward response that starts the conversation.

The Anatomy of a Perfect First Cold Email

1. Subject Line (2-4 words maximum)

• "Question [First Name]"
• "Problem inventory?"
• "[Company Name] + [Your Company]"

2. Opening Hook (Problem identification)

Start with a question that makes them think:

• "Are you spending too much time on manual inventory tasks?"
• "Do you have enough qualified prospects in your pipeline?"
• "Are you losing money on inefficient processes?"

3. Social Proof (Solution validation)

"I help [specific industry] [achieve specific result] through [your method]."

Example: "I help therapists save 1-2 hours daily through automated practice management."

4. Results (Benefit demonstration)

"Already working with 19 therapists who save up to 2.5 hours daily through automation of patient follow-ups and billing."

5. Call to Action (Conversation starter)

End with a question, not a calendar link:

• "How much time do you spend on these manual tasks?"
• "Are you interested in reducing your administrative workload?"

Real Example: Software for Therapists

Here's an actual before and after from a live coaching session:

Before:

After:

The transformation? From zero responses to a 15% response rate.

Building Your Follow-Up Sequence

Most people send one cold email and give up. That leaves 80% of potential responses on the table.

The magic happens in the follow-up sequence. Here's the proven 4-email structure:

Email #2: The Problem Agitator (3 days later)

Subject: RE: Question tools

Psychology: The "did you read my email?" hook triggers people to scroll down and actually read the first email. Then you present two scenarios – most people fit into one of them.

Email #3: The Case Study (5 days later)

Subject: RE: Question tools

Psychology: Social proof through a concrete before/after scenario. People can visualize themselves in the "after" situation.

Email #4: The Final Push (8 days later)

Subject: RE: Question tools

Psychology: The "final email" creates urgency. Asking "who should I contact" sometimes gets referrals. Only in the final email do you include a calendar link.

Common Cold Email Mistakes That Kill Conversions

After analyzing hundreds of cold email sequences in live coaching sessions, these patterns consistently destroy response rates:

Mistake #1: The Autobiography Opening

Wrong: "I'm Sarah, 28; I founded my company 3 years ago because..."

Right: "Are you generating enough qualified leads?"

Why it matters: People don't care about your story until they care about their problem.

Mistake #2: Feature Dumping

Wrong: "Our platform includes CRM, scheduling, billing, reporting, analytics, mobile app..."

Right: "Save 2 hours daily through automated patient management."

Why it matters: Features confuse; benefits sell.

Mistake #3: Spam Words That Trigger Filters

Avoid these response-killers:

• "Free" (use "complimentary" instead)
• "Limited time offer"
• "Act now"
• "Guaranteed"
• "Make money fast"

Mistake #4: Too Many Questions

Wrong: "What's your biggest challenge? How many employees do you have? What's your current process? When would be a good time to talk?"

Right: One specific question that requires thought.

Mistake #5: Calendar Links in Email #1

Wrong: "Here's my calendar; pick a time that works."

Right: Build interest first; then suggest a conversation.

Subject Lines That Actually Get Opened

Subject lines make or break your cold email. Here are the highest-performing formulas from real campaigns:

The Question Formula

• "Question [First Name]"
• "Problem inventory?"
• "Time accounting?"

Why it works: Creates curiosity while staying relevant.

The Company Combination

• "[Their Company] + [Your Company]"
• "Socorène partnership?"

Why it works: Looks like potential collaboration or internal communication.

The Problem Statement

• "Lead generation issue?"
• "Staff shortage?"

Why it works: If they have the problem, they'll open it. If they don't, they're not your prospect anyway.

What NOT to Use

• ❌ "Increase Your Revenue by 300%"
• ❌ "Free Marketing Audit for [Company]"
• ❌ "Quick Question About Your Business"
• ❌ "Following Up on My Previous Email"

These scream "sales pitch" and get deleted immediately.

Real Case Studies: Before and After Transformations

Case Study #1: B2B Software Company

Industry: Practice management software for therapists

Target: Therapists and healthcare practitioners

Before:

• Response rate: 0.5%
• 2-email sequence
• Long, story-focused emails
• Generic subject lines

After:

• Response rate: 15%
• 4-email sequence
• Problem-focused approach
• Question-based subject lines

Key Change: Shifted from "Here's my story" to "Here's your problem and how we solve it."

Case Study #2: Digital Agency

Industry: Web marketing agency

Target: Construction and home improvement companies

Before:

After:

Results:

• Response rate increased from 1% to 11%
• Qualification rate improved 3x
• Sales cycle shortened by 40%

Case Study #3: Management Consulting

Industry: Business process optimization

Target: SME CEOs and directors

The Challenge: How do you explain complex consulting services in a cold email?

Solution: Focus on one specific outcome.

Before:

After:

Results:

• 8% response rate (from 0.5%)
• Higher quality prospects
• Shortened sales cycle

Advanced Cold Email Strategies

These sophisticated methods can increase your outcomes even more once you have perfected the foundations:

The Social Proof Stack

Rather than merely stating "I work with companies like yours," be specific:

"For the Grand-Ouest region, I work with 8 construction companies. For example:

• Socorène: +22% revenue via new market validation
• Company Y: Cut project completion time by 30%
• Company Z: Improved profit margins by 15%"

The Problem Escalation Ladder

• Email 1: Surface problem
• Email 2: Deeper implications
• Email 3: Cost of inaction
• Email 4: Opportunity cost

For accounting software, consider:

1. "Manual bookkeeping taking too much time?"
2. "Plus missing invoices and cabinet delays..."
3. "Costing you an afternoon each week..."
4. "While competitors automate and grow faster..."

The Fibonacci Follow-Up Schedule

Space your emails using the Fibonacci sequence:

• Email 1: Day 0
• Email 2: Day 2 (+2 days)
• Email 3: Day 5 (+3 days)
• Email 4: Day 10 (+5 days)
• Email 5: Day 18 (+8 days)

Why it works: Decreasing frequency keeps visibility and feels less pushy.

The Industry-Specific Pain Point

Generic pain points are ignored. Industry-specific ones generate responses:

• Generic: "Need more leads?"
• Construction: "Tired of waiting weekends for prospects to visit the showroom?"
• SaaS: "Struggling with churn in your freemium model?"
• Healthcare: "Spending evenings on administrative tasks instead of family time?"

The Competitor Reference

"Do you know [Competitor] in your area? We helped them achieve [specific result]. Interested in hearing how?"

Psychology: Generates social proof and FOMO simultaneously.

Ready to transform your cold email results? Start with the fundamental framework: identify one specific problem your prospects face, show them you can solve it, and ask one thoughtful question. Track your open rates and test different subject lines.

Remember: cold emails are meant to start conversations with people you can help, not to sell.

The businesses who master this straightforward method regularly outperform their competitors depending on generic mass-email campaigns. Your prospects are waiting for someone who truly understands their challenges.

Which email will you send first?