ReachScoutStart freeCold email templates
Cold email templates you can copy today
Six openers and three follow-ups, written for the kinds of businesses that actually use ReachScout — agencies, advisers, venues, software and local services. Each one explains why it works, so you can adapt it honestly rather than paste it blindly.
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The four rules before you copy anything
A template only works when it sounds like it was written for the person receiving it. These four rules matter more than the wording below.
Don't write
“Your pet food storefront lists prices in sterling for UK shoppers.”
Write instead
“You've just added a subscription box option to a storefront that's traditionally been one-off purchases.”
State something they'd learn about themselves. If the sentence would be true for half your list, delete it.
Don't write
“I hope this email finds you well.”
Write instead
“Saw your post about [specific thing] — the point you made about [detail] matched what we see.”
Open with proof you looked at them, not a greeting that could be addressed to anyone.
Don't write
“We're a leading provider of innovative solutions…”
Write instead
“We help [type of business] get [specific result]. Here's how it worked for one of them.”
Describe the outcome in their language. Save the company description for your website.
Don't write
“Do you have 15 minutes next week to discuss potential synergies?”
Write instead
“Worth a look? Reply yes and I'll send the breakdown.”
Ask for a reply before you ask for time. A calendar invite is a big ask from a stranger.
First-email templates
Anything in [square brackets] is yours to fill in. The {{fields}} are filled automatically by ReachScout.
Agency pitching a specific type of client
Marketing, creative and web agencies going after one vertical
Hi {{first_name}},
{{first_line}}
We work with [type of business] on [specific outcome — e.g. "booking more consultation calls from their existing website traffic"]. Most [type of business] we speak to have [common, honest problem], and it usually comes down to [one cause].
If that sounds familiar, I'll send over a short breakdown of how you'd approach it — no call needed first.
Worth a look?
[Your name]One specific outcome, one honest problem, and the ask is a reply rather than a 30-minute call. Low friction, and it respects that they're busy.
Adviser or accountant to a business owner
Financial advisers, accountants and bookkeepers contacting company directors
Hi {{first_name}},
{{first_line}}
I work with [type of business] owners on [specific area — e.g. "extracting more from their pension without touching cash flow"]. The reason I'm writing is that [one concrete, verifiable thing about their situation] often leaves [specific missed opportunity] on the table.
Happy to send a one-page note on how you'd think about it. If it's useful we can talk properly after.
[Your name]Adviser emails fail when they sound like a brochure. Naming one concrete situation and offering something useful before asking for time builds trust first.
Venue or supplier to planners and coordinators
Event venues, caterers, wedding and corporate suppliers
Hi {{first_name}},
{{first_line}}
I run [venue/supplier name], and we host a lot of [event type] for organisations like {{company}}. We've just opened [season] dates, and [one concrete detail — capacity, a new setup, a package] tends to suit [their kind of event] well.
If you're planning anything for [season], I'd rather hold you a date than lose it. Want me to send availability?
[Your name]Timed and concrete. Planners work on dates, so a real reason to reply now beats a general 'let us know if you need anything'.
Software to the person who'd own it
SaaS and tools selling into a specific team
Hi {{first_name}},
{{first_line}}
Most [role] I speak to deal with [specific annoying task] by [how they do it now — usually a spreadsheet or manual steps]. We built [tool] to take that specific job off their plate.
The honest test: if you showed it to your [role] they'd say "[the thing they complain about weekly]". If that's not your problem, ignore me.
Worth a look?
[Your name]Naming the exact painful task proves you understand their job. The 'if that's not your problem, ignore me' line earns more replies than a hard sell because it removes the pressure.
Local service business to nearby businesses
Trades, cleaning, security, IT support, recruitment — selling to businesses nearby
Hi {{first_name}},
{{first_line}}
We're a [service] business in [area], and we look after around [number] other [their kind of business] within a few miles of you. [One concrete differentiator — response time, a guarantee, a fixed price].
If your current setup is working, brilliant — keep this for when it isn't. If there's a gap, I'll quote in [timeframe].
[Your name]Proximity and specifics make it feel relevant rather than blasted out. 'If your current setup is working, keep this' lowers the temperature and reads like a human.
The honest, direct opener
Any industry, when you'd rather be plain than clever
Hi {{first_name}},
{{first_line}}
I'll be direct: this is a cold email. We help [type of business] with [specific outcome], and I thought {{company}} fit the profile for two reasons — [reason 1] and [reason 2].
If it's relevant, reply yes and I'll send a short note. If not, no reply needed and I won't follow up again.
[Your name]Calling out that it's a cold email disarms the reader, and promising not to pester them is itself a reason to reply. Only works if you actually honour it — ReachScout stops follow-ups the moment someone replies.
The follow-up sequence
Most replies come from the follow-up, not the first email. Send these in the same thread, spaced a few days apart, and stop after the third — ReachScout halts the sequence the second anyone replies anyway.
Follow-up 1 — three days later
Same thread, no new subject line
Hi {{first_name}},
Just adding to my last note rather than repeating it — one thing I should have said: [one new, concrete detail: a number, a name of a similar client, or the specific thing that makes this relevant to {{company}}].
Still happy to send that breakdown if you want it.
[Your name]A follow-up that adds nothing gets ignored. Bring one new fact and keep it shorter than the first email.
Follow-up 2 — a week later, give something
Same thread, value instead of a chase
Hi {{first_name}},
Rather than ask again, here's the thing I mentioned: [a genuinely useful item — a short guide, a checklist, a template, a benchmark for their industry]. No email gate, it's attached.
If it's useful and you fancy a chat about [specific outcome], my calendar is here: {{booking_link}}
[Your name]Giving something of real value changes the relationship from asking to helping. Your booking link goes in here, so an interested prospect can self-serve a call without an email exchange.
Follow-up 3 — the polite close
Last message, then stop
Hi {{first_name}},
I'll stop here — clearly not the right time, and I'd rather not fill your inbox.
If [specific outcome] becomes a priority, my details are below and there's no need to explain the delay. Good luck with [something real about {{company}}].
[Your name]The break-up email gets a higher reply rate than the second follow-up, because it's the first message that doesn't ask for anything. Then genuinely stop.
Making them personal without writing 200 emails
Every template above opens with a line about the recipient. That's the part people can't scale by hand, so ReachScout reads each business's own site and writes it for you. These are the only placeholders it fills:
{{first_name}}The contact's first name, from your lead list.{{company}}The business name, so you can refer to them properly.{{first_line}}A personal line about that business, written by AI from what's actually on their site.{{booking_link}}Your own booking page, where they pick a date, a time and phone or video.You can also write {Hi|Hello|Hey} anywhere in a message and each recipient gets one option at random, which keeps a large campaign from reading like a single mail-merge.
Sending these without landing in spam
Send from your own domain
Platform addresses inherit other people's reputation. ReachScout sends from your Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo, Zoho or iCloud account — up to three, rotating.
Space your sends out
Twenty emails in one minute looks automated because it is. Set a gap between sends and a daily cap, and keep to your mailbox's own limits.
Verify before you send
Bounces are what actually wreck a sender. Check addresses and remove anyone who has bounced or unsubscribed before you launch.
One clear ask per email
Don't ask them to reply, book, watch a video and forward it. One ask, and make the first one as small as a reply.
One thing to keep in mind: cold email to businesses is legal in the UK and US under legitimate-interest and B2B rules, but you still have to honour unsubscribes and keep your list accurate. ReachScout handles the suppression side automatically.
Put these to work on real prospects
Pick a template above, tell Scout who you're looking for, and send your first campaign from your own inbox. The first 30 leads are free.
No credit card required