# cold-email

> A Claude Code skill that writes B2B cold emails and follow-up sequences that read like a sharp peer reaching out — not a template with fields swapped in.

**Use case**: Write cold emails that get replies

**Canonical URL**: https://agentcookbooks.com/skills/cold-email/

**Topics**: claude-code, skills, marketing, email, copywriting

**Trigger phrases**: "cold email", "prospecting email", "outbound email", "follow-up sequence", "nobody is replying to my emails"

**Source**: [Corey Haines](https://github.com/coreyhaines31/marketingskills/tree/main/skills/cold-email)

**License**: MIT

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## What it does

`cold-email` is a Claude Code skill from Corey Haines's [marketing-skills repo](https://github.com/coreyhaines31/marketingskills). It turns Claude into a cold email writer whose job is producing emails that read like a thoughtful colleague — not a template with `{{FirstName}}` swapped in. The skill activates when you mention "cold email", "prospecting email", "outbound email", or "follow-up sequence", and walks through subject line, opening, body, CTA, and a 3–5 step follow-up cadence.

The output of a session is a complete sequence: subject lines that look internal (2–4 words, lowercase), an opening that connects a research signal to a problem, body copy where every sentence earns its place, a low-friction CTA, and follow-up emails that each add a new angle instead of "just checking in".

## When to use it

Reach for it when:

- You have a research signal (funding, hiring, LinkedIn post) and want to turn it into a real opener
- Your reply rate is in the basement and you suspect the copy is the problem
- You're spinning up a new outbound segment and need a sequence, not just a single email

When *not* to reach for it:

- You haven't done any research on the prospect — the skill won't fabricate signals, and a good cold email needs them
- For warm/lifecycle email, use `email-sequence` instead — different rules apply

## Install

The skill is distributed via Corey Haines's [marketing-skills repo](https://github.com/coreyhaines31/marketingskills). Install via the repo's recommended path — copy the [`cold-email` SKILL.md](https://github.com/coreyhaines31/marketingskills/tree/main/skills/cold-email) into your project's `.claude/skills/cold-email/` directory, or use the repo's plugin install if you've set it up.

Once installed, the skill activates on the trigger phrases above. The first time it runs, it will check for `.agents/product-marketing-context.md` (or `.claude/product-marketing-context.md`) — populating that file with your product context first dramatically improves output quality across all of Haines's marketing skills.

## What a session looks like

A typical session has three phases:

1. **Inputs check.** Who, what outcome, what value prop, what proof, what research signal. The skill works with whatever you give it but flags weak inputs.
2. **First-touch draft.** Picks a structure (Observation→Problem→Proof→Ask, Trigger→Insight→Ask, Story→Bridge→Ask) and writes a draft where the personalization is load-bearing — if you remove the opener, the rest stops making sense.
3. **Sequence build.** 3–5 follow-ups, each with a distinct angle (case study, contrarian take, useful resource, breakup), increasing gaps between sends.

The discipline that makes it work: every sentence has to serve the reader, "you/your" has to dominate over "I/we", and the breakup email is honored — no zombie "circling back" forever.

## Receipts

Honest reporting on what `cold-email` produces and where it has limits:

**Where it works well:**
- The "read it aloud" filter strips AI-tells like "I hope this finds you well" before you ever hit send
- Subject lines that look like internal forwards beat the "Quick question?" pattern by a wide margin
- The angle rotation in follow-ups gives each touch a real reason to exist

**Where it backfires:**
- On highly technical buyer personas the skill can default to mid-market SaaS register; you'll need to tighten the voice
- Without a real research signal it produces competent-but-generic copy — the skill is honest that personalization carries the email

**Pattern that works:** feed it three actual signals (a hire, a funding round, a recent post) and ask for three first-touch variations. You'll see which signal lands hardest before you commit to a sequence.

## Source and attribution

Originally written by [Corey Haines](https://corey.co). The canonical SKILL.md and any supporting files live in the [`cold-email` folder](https://github.com/coreyhaines31/marketingskills/tree/main/skills/cold-email) of his [marketing-skills repository](https://github.com/coreyhaines31/marketingskills).

License: MIT. You can install, adapt, and redistribute the skill, with attribution preserved.

This page documents the skill from a practitioner's perspective. For the formal spec and any updates, defer to the source repo.