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Sales email templates

Cold Email Templates

A good cold email names one problem the reader has, offers one concrete fix and asks for the meeting, all in under 80 words. Below are 8 cold email templates built that way, plus Ken's 3-email timing and 3 filled-in examples.

Template 1 as a Ken Sequence Step

Ken sequence step

Query

Sequence step 1 - Cold email

Subject
{company} [topic]
Body preview
{{First Line}} Which is why I'm writing. We [what you do] for {industry} teams, so [outcome]. Want me to show you how it would ...
Variables
{company}, {firstName}, {{First Line}}, {industry}, {sender_first_name}
You write
[topic], [what you do], [outcome]

Template 1 below, "The one-breath offer", set up as the first step of a Campaigns sequence.

Use this template in KenAI personalization: 300 credits per 1,000 contacts

When to Use

In short Use these for the first email to someone who has never heard of you.

  • You know who to email and why they might care, but you have no warm path in.
  • You can say the offer in one sentence: what they get, and who it's for.
  • You have one real reason to write this person now: a hire, a launch, a new office or a known problem in their industry.
  • You're starting a 3-email sequence: send one of these first, then the follow-ups in the same thread.

Templates

In short Copy any of the 8 templates below, replace each [bracketed] part and cut any line that isn't true for you. Ken fills the {firstName}-style variables.

Variables

The templates use Ken's editor syntax. Ken fills {firstName}, {company} and {industry} from each contact and {sender_first_name} from the sending inbox. {{First Line}} is an AI variable. Ken's AI personalization writes it for each contact from the prompt of that name. To cover an empty field, add a fallback after a pipe, such as {firstName|there}. Replace every word in [brackets] with your own before you paste.

Your signature

For cold and other commercial email, put your postal address and a one-line opt-out in the signature under {sender_first_name}, such as "Reply stop and I won't email again." The FTC's CAN-SPAM guide requires both, B2B email included.

Template 1: The one-breath offer
Subject: {company} [topic]

Hey {firstName},

{{First Line}}

Which is why I'm writing. We [what you do] for {industry} teams, so [outcome].

Want me to show you how it would run at {company}?

{sender_first_name}

Why it works: It follows Ken's gold-standard shape: a personal first line, the offer in one breath and a direct ask for the meeting.

Template 2: The problem and the fix
Subject: {company} [problem]

Hey {firstName},

Most {industry} teams only spot [problem] at month-end, when it's too late to fix.

We [fix], so your team sees it the same day. Want me to show you how?

{sender_first_name}

Why it works: One problem they recognize and one plain fix keep the email to a single idea.

Template 3: The trigger event
Subject: {company} [trigger topic]

Hey {firstName},

Saw the news about [trigger topic]. That usually means [consequence] in the first few months.

We [what you do], so [outcome]. Want me to walk you through it?

{sender_first_name}

Why it works: A recent event gives you a real reason to write now and proves the email was written for them.

Template 4: The peer result
Subject: idea from [peer company]

Hey {firstName},

[peer company] is a lot like {company}: [similarity]. They [result] after changing one thing in [area].

Want me to show you what they changed?

{sender_first_name}

Why it works: Proof from a company like theirs is the strongest body copy, and the ask offers to share it.

Template 5: The resource offer
Subject: [resource] for {company}

Hey {firstName},

I made [resource] for {industry} teams. It shows [what it shows].

Want me to send it over?

{sender_first_name}

Why it works: Something useful on the table makes the reply a one-word yes and starts the conversation.

Template 6: The pilot with a way out
Subject: pilot for {company}

Hey {firstName},

Here's the idea: we [deliverable] for {company} over [pilot length], and you don't pay anything unless [success metric].

If it doesn't work, you keep [what they keep].

Want to try it?

{sender_first_name}

Why it works: A specific pilot with a clear way out removes the risk in plain words, with nothing a spam filter flags.

Template 7: The honest guess
Subject: guess about {company}

Hey {firstName},

Not sure if this fits {company}, but teams with [situation] usually struggle with [problem].

We [what you do]. If that's on your list, want me to show you how it works?

{sender_first_name}

Why it works: Humility reads human, and the guess about their situation shows you did the homework.

Template 8: The one-line pitch
Subject: [topic] for {company}

Hey {firstName},

I built [product], which [what it does] for {industry} teams.

You can try it on {company} this week. Want me to set it up?

{sender_first_name}

Why it works: When the product explains itself, one sentence and a direct ask are all the email needs.

Timing

In short Ken's default is 3 emails in about 9 days, all in one thread, then stop.

Cold email cadence
DayStepGoal
Day 1First email (any template above)Make the offer and ask for the meeting
Day 4Follow-up in the same threadAdd one new reason to reply
Day 9Close in the same threadGive an easy yes or an easy out

Ken's sequence guide: 2-4 days between emails, up to 5 before the last one. Ken's copywriting skill adds a fourth email only when it carries a new idea. Every cold email needs your postal address and a plain opt-out line; your signature can carry both.

Examples

In short 3 filled-in versions for accounting firm, equipment rental and commercial landscaping, all with fictional companies.

Pellbrook Accounting is a fictional company. A rep selling a client document portal writes to the managing partner of a 25-person accounting firm.

Example: Accounting firm
Subject: Pellbrook month-end

Hey Hannah,

Most accounting firms your size only spot missing client receipts at month-end, when it's too late to chase them calmly.

Our portal texts clients for each missing receipt the day the transaction posts, so your team closes without the scramble. Want me to show you how?

Leo

Cindervale Equipment Rental is a fictional company. A rep selling booking software writes to the operations manager of a rental company that just opened a second yard.

Example: Equipment rental
Subject: Cindervale Reno yard

Hey Tom,

Saw the news about the new Reno yard. A second location usually means double-booked machines in the first few months.

Our scheduling board shows every machine across both yards in one view, so your counter staff stop promising the same excavator twice. Want me to walk you through it?

Ava

Fernhollow Grounds is a fictional company. A rep selling crew-routing software offers a 4-week pilot to the owner of a landscaping company with 12 crews.

Example: Commercial landscaping
Subject: pilot for Fernhollow

Hey Carla,

Here's the idea: we route your crews for the next 4 weeks, and you don't pay anything unless drive time drops by an hour a day per crew.

If it doesn't work, you keep the route maps.

Want to try it?

Ben

Mistakes to Avoid

  • Writing more than 80 words. Ken's rule caps the static body at 80 words; if the reader can't repeat your offer after one skim, cut.
  • Asking a soft question such as "Is this worth a look?" instead of asking for the meeting. Every first email should ask for the real offer, with no time length in the ask.
  • Talking about yourself. If most sentences start with "we", rewrite them around what the reader gets.
  • Skipping the CAN-SPAM basics. The FTC says the law makes no exception for business-to-business email: include your valid physical postal address and a clear way to opt out, and honor opt-outs within 10 business days.
  • Using "free" or a fake Re: in the subject. Ken's spam-word rules ban both outright and treat "guarantee" as a word to avoid.

FAQ

How long should a cold email be?

Ken's rule is 80 words or fewer for the static body, not counting the greeting, a personalized first line and the signature. Follow-ups should be shorter, around 50 words.

What should a cold email include?

One problem the reader has, one concrete fix, a reason you're writing now and one direct ask for the meeting. Add proof only when it comes from a company like theirs.

What does CAN-SPAM require for cold emails?

The FTC's guide says the law covers business-to-business email with no exception. The subject line must reflect the content, the email needs your valid physical postal address and a clear opt-out, and you must honor opt-outs within 10 business days.

How do I add an opt-out to a cold email?

A plain line works: "If this isn't relevant, just reply and I'll stop emailing." The FTC accepts a return email address as the opt-out method, and Ken's skills prefer that plain line to an unsubscribe link in cold email.

How many emails should a cold sequence have?

Three by default: the first email, one follow-up with a new angle and a short close, 2-4 days apart. Ken's copywriting skill adds a fourth only when it carries a new idea.

Do This in Ken

Send This Sequence in Ken

Run these templates as a Campaigns sequence in Ken. Campaigns finds and qualifies leads, writes personalized email and LinkedIn sequences, and sends them from your outbound inboxes. AI personalization, priced below, can fill the personal lines for each contact.

  1. Create a campaign and paste template 1 as the first email step.
  2. Add the next steps from this page on the days in the timing table.
  3. Replace every [bracketed] part, and add a fallback such as {firstName|there} where a field can be empty.
  4. Add your contacts and launch.
Module
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Cost
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Related

Sources

Every source, with the date we checked it
SourceChecked
FTC, CAN-SPAM Act: A Compliance Guide for Business
Ken cold email skills (MIT), email-copywriting and campaign-strategy

Changelog

  1. Page published.