What you'll get
- 15 copy-ready blocks
- 8 min read
- Research inputs
- 1. Trigger event
- 2. Published initiative
- 3. New executive
- 4. Problem you can see from outside
- 5. Finance leader
- and 9 more
How to use it
- Step 1: Fill in the research inputs first. No inputs, no email.
- Step 2: Pick the template that matches your reason for writing.
- Step 3: Replace every bracket with something you can point to. If you would not say it to their face, delete it.
- Step 4: Run the check at the end before you send.
These templates are for a short list of accounts you have chosen, not for a mass send. Each one is under 110 words, asks for one thing and needs facts you can only get by looking at the company.
Part 1: Research inputs
Research inputs
Account: [company]
Person: [name, title, role in the decision]
Trigger or initiative: [what happened, with date and source link]
What it implies for their team: [one line]
Problem we solve, in their words: [one line]
Proof we are allowed to share: [customer type or named case study]
Others in the account: [names or roles; who we have already spoken to]
One question worth asking: [ ]Part 2: Opening emails
1. Trigger event
Use when something has changed at the company in the last few weeks. Research: the event, its date, a source.
Subject: [Trigger, in three or four words]
Hi [First name],
I saw that [company] [trigger, stated plainly]. That usually puts [specific pressure] on [their team].
We help [type of company] with [problem]. I have one question: how are you planning to handle [specific part] over the next two quarters?
If it's useful, I can share how others in [sector] approached it. Worth 20 minutes?
[Your name]2. Published initiative
Use when the company has stated a goal in an annual report, earnings call or interview. Research: the exact wording and where it appeared.
Subject: [Initiative name]
Hi [First name],
In [source], [company] said it plans to [initiative, close to their wording]. Your team seems to carry [the part this person owns].
The piece that tends to be harder than expected is [specific obstacle]. That is the part we work on.
Would a short conversation about how you're approaching it be useful?
[Your name]3. New executive
Use in a leader's first months in the role. Research: start date, previous company, what they were hired to do if it is public.
Subject: Your first months at [company]
Hi [First name],
Congratulations on the move to [company]. New leaders in [function] often start by reviewing [area], so I'll keep this short.
We work with [type of company] on [problem]. If [area] is on your list, I can send a one-page view of what peers looked at first.
Would that help, or is it too early?
[Your name]4. Problem you can see from outside
Use when public signals such as job posts, reviews or tools in use point to the problem. Research: the signal itself.
Subject: [Signal, e.g. "the three planning roles you're hiring"]
Hi [First name],
I noticed [signal]. When we see that, it often means [problem] is taking up more of the team's time than anyone wants.
I may be wrong about [company]. If I'm not, we've helped [type of company] with exactly that.
Am I close?
[Your name]Part 3: Role-specific emails
5. Finance leader
Subject: [Cost or risk area] at [company]
Hi [First name],
I'm writing to you, not only to [operating function], because [problem] usually shows up in [finance measure: working capital, cost to serve, audit findings] before anyone names it as a problem.
We help [type of company] with that. I don't have your numbers, so I won't guess at a saving.
Would you be open to 20 minutes on how you measure it today?
[Your name]6. Technical evaluator
Subject: [Topic]: how it would fit with [their system]
Hi [First name],
If [company] ever looks at [category], your team will be asked whether it fits with [their system or standard]. I'd like to answer that before anyone asks.
Short version: [one factual line on integration, security or deployment].
Can I send the technical summary, or is there someone on your team who would rather review it?
[Your name]7. Head of the team that would use it
Subject: [Daily problem, in their terms]
Hi [First name],
Your team lives with [daily problem] more than anyone at [company]. I'd like to understand how it works today before I say anything about what we do.
Two questions: where does [process] slow down most, and who feels it first?
Glad to share what similar teams changed, if that's useful.
[Your name]Part 4: Multithreading emails
8. Referred by a colleague
Use only after a real conversation, and only when your contact has agreed.
Subject: [Colleague's name] suggested I write
Hi [First name],
I spoke with [colleague] on [day] about [topic]. They said [the part that concerns this person] sits with you and that you'd have a view.
My question is [specific question]. Could we speak for 15 minutes this week, so that what we discuss with [colleague] fits how your team works?
[Your name]9. Second stakeholder, no introduction yet
Use when you are already writing to others in the account. Be open about it.
Subject: [Topic] at [company]
Hi [First name],
To be transparent, I've also written to [name or role] about [topic]. A decision like this rarely sits with one person, and I didn't want [their function] to hear about it second-hand.
From your side the question is usually [their concern]. How does [company] look at that today?
[Your name]Part 5: Proof and follow-up
10. Sharing a case study without pitching
Use a customer you have permission to name, or describe the type of company.
Subject: How [customer or type of company] handled [problem]
Hi [First name],
No ask in this one. [Customer or type of company] had [situation similar to theirs]. They changed [what they did], and the result was [outcome, only as published].
The part that might apply to [company] is [specific parallel].
The full write-up is here: [link]. If you'd like the detail behind it, tell me.
[Your name]11. Follow-up that adds something
Send three to five working days after no reply. Never send "just bumping this".
Subject: Re: [original subject]
Hi [First name],
One thing I should have included: [new fact, source or observation about their company].
It made me think [one-line implication]. Does that match what you're seeing?
[Your name]12. Closing the loop
Send after your last planned touch.
Subject: Re: [original subject]
Hi [First name],
I've written a few times and don't want to keep landing in your inbox if the timing is wrong.
I'll stop here. If [problem] moves up the list, or if someone else at [company] is the better person to speak to, a one-line reply is all I need.
Thanks for reading.
[Your name]Worked example (illustrative, not a real company)
Template 1 from a warehouse-software seller to "Northfield Logistics". Names are invented.
Research inputs, filled in
Account: Northfield Logistics
Person: Dana Whitfield, VP Supply Chain, budget owner
Trigger or initiative: second distribution centre announced in March (company news page)
What it implies for their team: two sites to plan with one team
Problem we solve, in their words: "slotting plans go stale by mid-shift"
Proof we are allowed to share: third-party logistics operators, no names
Others in the account: Head of IT Applications, not yet contacted
One question worth asking: how will slotting be planned across both sites?Template 1, filled in
Subject: Second distribution centre
Hi Dana,
I saw that Northfield announced a second distribution centre in March. That usually puts planning for two sites on a team sized for one.
We help third-party logistics operators keep slotting plans current through the shift. I have one question: how are you planning to handle slotting across both sites over the next two quarters?
If it's useful, I can share how other operators approached it. Worth 20 minutes?
Sam Carter, QuaywiseCheck before you send
- Could this email be sent to another company without changes? If yes, rewrite it.
- Is every claim about their company true, and can I show where I found it?
- Is there exactly one question or one ask?
- Is it under 110 words and readable on a phone?
- Does it give an honest way to say no, and do I meet the email rules for their country (identify yourself, honour opt-outs)?
Why this works on named accounts
Common questions
How long should a cold email be?
Every template here is under 110 words with one question or one ask, so it reads on a phone without scrolling.
How many people in one account can I email?
Everyone with a real stake in the decision, each with a message for their role. Say openly that you have written to a colleague (template 9).
Can I send these templates to a bought list?
They will read like every other sequence. Each bracket needs a fact about one company, which is only practical on a short named list.
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