Cold email templates: 16 B2B examples for every step, with subject lines and word counts
Templates for the first email, the moments that give you a reason to write, the follow-ups and the last note, each with its subject line, its length and the reason it works.
On this page 9 sections
Quick answer: A good B2B cold email template has a short, specific subject line, a first line about the reader, one sentence on what you help with, one piece of proof and one easy question, in under 100 words. The 16 templates below cover the first email, emails after a signal such as a new role or a raise, follow-ups and the break-up, each with its word count.
A cold email has one job: earn a reply from someone who has never heard of you. A template gives you the shape, but the reply comes from the parts only you can fill in: why this person, why now and what happened for someone like them.
So every template here puts those parts in brackets. Fill them with something true and specific and the rest can stay short.
What every template here has in common
- A subject line of two to six words that reads like a colleague wrote it and names their topic, not your product.
- A first line about them: their post, their new role, their company's news, a customer they would recognize.
- One sentence on what you do, in the words they use for the problem.
- One piece of proof: a result, a similar company, a number they can check.
- One question they can answer in a line, where no is an acceptable answer.
The first line carries the most weight. In Backlinko's study of 12 million outreach emails, last updated in April 2019, emails with a personalized body got 32.7% more replies than those without.
Word counts below include the greeting and the sign-off, with each bracket counted as written. First emails stay under 100 words and follow-ups under 50.
First-touch cold email templates
For the first email to someone who doesn't know you yet, when nothing in particular has happened. Each leads with a different reason to write.
The peer result
Subject: how [Customer] fixed [problem]
Hi [Name],
[Customer] had the problem most [industry] teams have: [one-line description].
They fixed it by [approach] and [result] in [time].
You're in a similar spot at [Company], so the details might be useful. Want me to send the short version?
[Your name]
- Words
- 43
- Why it works
- A story about a company like theirs does the persuading and the ask is permission to send more, not a meeting.
The observation
Subject: [Company]'s [page or product]
Hi [Name],
I was reading [Company]'s [page, report or product] and noticed [specific observation].
Teams that do that usually run into [problem] as they grow. We help them [outcome] and [Customer] is a good example.
Would a two-minute summary of what they changed be useful?
[Your name]
- Words
- 47
- Why it works
- Research on their company, not on them, gives a reason to write that never feels like being watched.
Give first
Subject: [resource] for [role]s
Hi [Name],
I wrote a one-page [checklist or benchmark] on [topic], based on [source of the insight].
Most [role]s who read it say [one finding] was the surprise.
Want me to send it? No call attached.
[Your name]
- Words
- 38
- Why it works
- Something useful before any ask makes the first yes easy and that yes tells you they care about the topic.
The right person
Subject: who owns [problem]?
Hi [Name],
I'm trying to reach whoever owns [problem] at [Company]. Is that you or someone on your team?
We help [type of company] [outcome] and I'd rather ask than guess.
Thanks either way,
[Your name]
- Words
- 36
- Why it works
- It is the easiest email here to answer: a name or a yes both move you forward.
The plain offer
Subject: [outcome] for [Company]
Hi [Name],
I'll keep this short. We help [role]s at [type of company] [outcome] without [pain].
[Customer] and [Customer 2] use it to [specific use].
Worth a conversation or not a priority right now?
[Your name]
- Words
- 36
- Why it works
- When the offer is easy to grasp, plain beats clever and the either-or question invites a quick answer.
Cold email templates after a signal
For when something just happened: a post, a new role, a hiring push, a raise, a public question. The moment is the reason, so it goes first.
They wrote about the problem
Subject: your post on [topic]
Hi [Name],
Your post on [topic] made a point most people skip: [detail].
We help [type of company] with exactly that. [Customer] went from [before] to [after] in [time].
Would 15 minutes be worth it to see if the same is possible at [Company]?
[Your name]
- Words
- 46
- Why it works
- The opener proves you read their words and the proof is specific enough to check.
They started a new role
Subject: your first months at [Company]
Hi [Name],
Congratulations on the new role. Most [role]s I speak with in their first quarter are asked to fix [problem] fast.
We help teams like [Company]'s [outcome]. For [Customer], that took [time].
If [problem] is on your list, would a short call in a few weeks help? If not, no reply needed.
[Your name]
- Words
- 55
- Why it works
- It names the pressure a new role brings and asks for time a few weeks out, after the first wave of messages.
Their company is hiring
Subject: the [role] hires
Hi [Name],
I see [Company] is hiring [number] [role]s. When a team grows that fast, [problem] usually follows within a quarter.
We help [type of company] [outcome], so new people [result] sooner.
Worth a look before they start?
[Your name]
- Words
- 40
- Why it works
- Job posts are public, so the opener reads as research and the timing gives them a reason to answer now.
Their company raised
Subject: congrats on the [round]
Hi [Name],
Congratulations on the [round]. A raise usually comes with a plan to [goal] and [problem] is often what slows it down.
We help teams at your stage [outcome]. [Customer] did it in [time] after their own [round].
Open to a 15-minute call in the next two weeks?
[Your name]
- Words
- 51
- Why it works
- It skips the generic congratulations and goes straight to what the round means for their year.
They asked for recommendations
Subject: your question about [category]
Hi [Name],
You asked on LinkedIn for recommendations on [category]. Here's one from someone who builds in it: choose on [criterion] before features.
If [criterion] matters most to you, we're worth a look. If it doesn't, [other kind of tool] may suit you better.
Happy to answer anything,
[Your name]
- Words
- 50
- Why it works
- It answers the question they asked, gives advice before a pitch and says when something else fits better, which earns trust.
Follow-up email templates
Send each as a reply in the same thread, at least three days after the last email and open straight with the point rather than their name.
New information
Subject: Re: [your first subject]
One thing I should have included: [new fact, number or short story about a similar company].
If [problem] is on your list this quarter, I can share how they set it up. If not, no problem.
[Your name]
- Words
- 38
- Why it works
- It adds something new instead of asking whether they saw the last email and opens like a colleague's note, without the name.
Three useful questions
Subject: Re: [your first subject]
Since [problem] came up, here are three questions we ask every [role] before we start: [question one], [question two], [question three].
No need to reply. If any of them is worth a closer look at [Company], I'm around.
[Your name]
- Words
- 40
- Why it works
- It gives value with no ask attached, which keeps you in their inbox for the right reason.
A different angle
Subject: Re: [your first subject]
A different angle on my last note: for [other role], [problem] usually shows up as [symptom].
[Customer] fixed that in [time]. Worth 15 minutes to see if it applies at [Company]?
[Your name]
- Words
- 33
- Why it works
- A new angle for another person on their team gives the thread a second chance without repeating yourself.
Point me to the right person
Subject: Re: [your first subject]
Should I be talking to someone else about [problem] at [Company]? If so, a name is plenty and I'll take it from there.
Thanks,
[Your name]
- Words
- 26
- Why it works
- Two sentences and a one-word answer: even a no tells you where to go next.
Break-up email templates
The last email in a sequence, also sent as a reply in the same thread. It closes the thread kindly and leaves the door open.
Close the loop
Subject: Re: [your first subject]
I haven't heard back, so I'll take it that [problem] isn't a priority right now and stop here.
If that changes, I'm easy to find and I'll still have [Customer]'s numbers to hand.
[Your name]
- Words
- 35
- Why it works
- It ends politely, takes the pressure off and leaves a reason to come back when the timing is right.
Pick a better time
Subject: Re: [your first subject]
Last note from me on this. Would it make sense to pick it up again in [month], once [reason, like planning or the new team]?
If so, I'll put a reminder in my calendar.
[Your name]
- Words
- 36
- Why it works
- It turns "not now" into a date, which is easier to agree to than a meeting.
How to space the steps
- Day 1: a first-touch or signal email.
- Day 4: the follow-up with new information.
- Day 9: the useful questions or a different angle.
- Day 16: the break-up.
Leave at least three days between emails and stop the moment they reply, whatever they say. If they answer on LinkedIn instead, stop the emails too.
The follow-ups earn their place: in the same Backlinko study, one extra follow-up lifted replies by 65.8%.
A signal makes the first email much easier to write. Sales trigger events lists the twelve worth acting on and LinkedIn buying signals shows where to spot them.
What never goes in a cold email
- A fake "Re:" or "Fwd:" on a first email. It may buy an open and it costs the trust a reply needs.
- How you know what you know. "I saw you visited our pricing page" makes a stranger feel watched. Give the reason, not the tracking.
- Attachments or several links, in a first email. Offer the file and send it when they say yes.
- More than one ask. A call, a demo and a referral in one email are three decisions. Ask for one.
- "Just checking in." Every follow-up should carry something new.
- A bracket left in or the wrong company name. Read each email once before it goes.
On LinkedIn the same rules hold in fewer words; see how to write a LinkedIn cold message.
Where FOUND fits
Every template here is only as good as what goes in its brackets. FOUND, an AI SDR for LinkedIn, finds that for you: it watches buying signals every day, such as posts about the problem you solve, new roles, hiring and fresh funding, checks each person against your buyer twice and writes each message from what that person did.
It finds each lead's verified work email and sends email from your own mailbox alongside your LinkedIn account, in one sequence. Review mode holds every invitation, message and email until you approve it and a reply stops everything queued for that person. With Ask, you describe the companies you want in one sentence and get up to 50, with the right person at each, their email and why they matched. It costs $69 a month for two agents, one LinkedIn account, one mailbox and 100 credits, with seats on the pricing page and you see your first real leads before you pay.
Questions
What is a good cold email template?
One with a specific subject line, a first line about the reader, one sentence on what you help with, one piece of proof and one easy question, in under 100 words. Fill the brackets with something true about the person.
How long should a cold email be?
Short enough to read on a phone without scrolling. The first emails here run under 100 words and the follow-ups under 50, because each makes one point.
How many follow-ups should a cold email get?
Two or three, at least three days apart and each with something new, then a short break-up note. Stop as soon as they reply.
What subject line works for a cold email?
Two to six words that sound like a colleague wrote them and name their topic, such as "your post on onboarding" or "the three SDR hires". Skip hype, capitals and fake "Re:" prefixes.
Should a cold email include a meeting link?
Not in the first email. Ask a question they can answer in a line and send the link once they say yes.
Can FOUND send cold emails?
Yes. FOUND finds each lead's verified work email, sends email from your own mailbox alongside LinkedIn, writes each message from what the person did and holds every email for your approval in review mode.