Cold email templates organized by why you're writing

These templates are for SDRs, account executives, agency owners and founders writing to businesses that don't know them yet. Each one is a structure, not a script. The brackets are research tasks, and an email is ready to send only when every bracket is filled from a source you've opened. Plan on about ten minutes of research per account. The writing takes two.

The four lines every template uses

1. A checked fact about them. Recent (ideally under six months old), specific, and from a source you could share.
2. What it usually means for someone in their role. Phrase it as a hypothesis they can correct.
3. One line of relevance. How you've helped with that problem, with proof you have permission to use.
4. A question they can answer in a sentence. "Is this on your list for the quarter?" is easier to answer than "Do you have 30 minutes this week?"

Keep it under about 120 words, with no attachments and at most one link. If you could swap in another company's name and send it unchanged, it isn't finished.

Start from the research: signal, subject line, first line

The fact decides the template, the subject line and the first sentence. Examples from four different sellers:

Two facts that point the same way beat one. No signal? Use the no-trigger template and say so.

At volume, filling the brackets is the slow part. Bebop researches each account, builds a playbook with the trigger, people and angle, and drafts outreach you can edit. Check its facts as you'd check your own: Blackpearl Group's GTM-Bench study of AI prospecting agents (June 2026) found that failures stem from identity errors, unsupported claims and poor stopping decisions, and one wrong fact in an opening line costs you the account.

First-email templates by situation

The subject lines here are deliberately plain; the cold email subject lines guide has alternatives by situation, paired with openers.

Use when: a new site, plant or office was announced in the last six months. Fill from: the dated announcement and what a new site changes for this role.

Subject: the [city] [site]

Hi [first name],

Saw that [company] [opened / announced] [the site] in [city] ([source], [month]).

When [type of company] adds a site, [role]s often find [the problem it creates].

We helped [similar company] [result you have permission to share].

Is [problem] already handled for [city], or still being worked out?

[Your name]

Use when: someone started in the role within about three months. Fill from: the announcement or their profile, and priorities they've stated publicly.

Subject: [area] at [company]

Hi [first name],

Congratulations on the [role] role at [company].

New [role]s often spend their first months deciding what to keep and change in [area]. At [similar company], the new [role] started with [specific project] and [result].

If [area] is on your list, would a 15-minute comparison be useful in [month]?

[Your name]

Use when: several similar roles are open, or one has been open over a month. Fill from: the careers page, checked twice, a week or more apart.

Subject: the [role] openings

Hi [first name],

[Company] has [number] [role] roles open, and the [specific role] posting has been up since [date].

Roles open that long usually mean [what it suggests, e.g. work piling up on the team].

[One line on how you help, with proof.]

Worth comparing notes on how [similar company] handled it?

[Your name]

Use when: they closed an acquisition or merger in the last six months. Fill from: the press release or filing, and each side's process or system if public.

Subject: [acquired company] integration

Hi [first name],

Congratulations on closing [acquired company] in [month].

Integrations often leave [role] teams running two versions of [process], which tends to show up as [specific pain].

We [how you help], most recently for [similar company] after a similar deal.

Is [process] on the integration plan yet?

[Your name]

Use when: an outside date forces a decision. Fill from: the official source and date, plus one fact tying it to them. Never overstate the change.

Subject: [the change] and [company]

Hi [first name],

[The change] is due to take effect on [date] ([source]).

For [type of company] with [relevant attribute, e.g. large flat roofs in that utility's area], that usually means [concrete effect].

We help [type of company] [outcome], for example [proof].

Have you looked at what it means for [their site] yet?

[Your name]

Use when: you know how they do the job today. Fill from: a public source naming their tool or process, such as a job ad or case study. Say where you saw it.

Subject: question about [current approach]

Hi [first name],

I understand [company] handles [job] with [current tool or approach]. I saw it mentioned in [source].

A few [similar companies] moved away from it when [specific limitation] started costing them [impact]. Others are happy with it.

Which camp are you in?

[Your name]

Use when: someone they know suggested you write and agreed to be named. Fill from: exactly what the referrer said, without embellishment.

Subject: [referrer's first name] suggested I write

Hi [first name],

[Referrer's full name] at [their company] suggested I get in touch. They mentioned you look after [area] and that [specific thing they said].

[One line on what you did for the referrer.]

Would 15 minutes next week be useful? If not, no problem.

[Your name]

Use when: they asked a question at an event or downloaded something of yours. Fill from: what they actually said or took. Never imply you watched them browse.

Subject: your question at [event]

Hi [first name],

You asked [speaker] about [topic] at [event] on [date].

The short answer we've found: [one useful, specific point].

I can send [the resource or example] that covers it in more detail. Want it?

[Your name]

Use when: no recent event, but they resemble customers you've helped. Fill from: two facts that make them similar, and a customer you may name.

Subject: how [peer type]s handle [problem]

Hi [first name],

We work with [number] [peer type]s, including [customer you can name] in [region].

The common thread is [problem], which usually shows up as [symptom].

[Company] looks similar on [fact 1] and [fact 2]. Is that a problem for you too, or have you solved it?

[Your name]

Use when: they fit your customer profile but have no recent trigger. Fill from: the attribute that makes the problem likely. Confirm it rather than assume it.

Subject: [problem] at [type of company]

Hi [first name],

I don't have a news hook, so I'll be direct: [type of company]s with [attribute they have] often run into [problem], especially around [moment, e.g. month-end].

[One line on how you help.]

Am I wrong about [company]? A one-word answer is fine.

[Your name]

Follow-up sequence and timing

A sequence that suits most B2B sales:

Reply in the same thread, so the history is visible and "Re:" is honest. After the last note, stop. If they say "not now", record their reason and come back only when something has changed.

Hi [first name],

One more thought on [the original fact]: [new, useful detail, e.g. how a similar company handled it].

If it's not a priority, a quick "not now" is helpful too.

[Your name]

Hi [first name],

No need to reply. Here's [a checklist, short case or benchmark] on [topic], since it came up with [similar companies] after [the trigger].

[Link]

[Your name]

Hi [first name],

I won't keep filling your inbox. If [problem] becomes a priority after [the trigger], I'm easy to find, and happy to share what [similar company] did.

[Your name]

Subject: [the new fact] at [company]

Hi [first name],

When we spoke in [month], you said [their reason, e.g. the plant wasn't confirmed yet].

Since then, [what changed: at their company, or a result you can share].

Is it worth a fresh look, or is the timing still wrong?

[Your name]

Before and after: what personalization looks like

Illustrative example. An accounts-payable automation vendor writes to the controller of Pellham Foods (pellhamfoods.example), a fictional food distributor.

Before: Hi Dana, I hope this finds you well! I'm reaching out because we help finance teams automate accounts payable and save hours every week. We're trusted by hundreds of companies. Do you have 30 minutes for a demo?

After: Hi Dana, Pellham's June announcement said the three distributors you acquired last year will move onto one ERP by spring. When AP teams merge mid-migration, invoices often arrive in three formats and approvals get routed by email until the new system is live. We helped a food distributor in a similar position keep one approval queue through its ERP move. Is invoice intake part of the consolidation plan, or already handled?

What changed:

• The first line is about her company: a dated fact, not "I'm reaching out because".
• The promise became a hypothesis Dana can confirm or correct.
• The proof got specific: one similar customer, not "hundreds of companies". Use only stories you're allowed to tell.
• The ask got smaller: a five-word answer, not a 30-minute demo.

Three more first lines:

Worked example: a recruiting agency writes to a potential client

Illustrative example. The companies, people and facts are fictional, to show the method.

The seller: Corvane Talent, an agency placing controls and automation engineers. The account: Ridgefield Packaging (ridgefieldpackaging.example), a contract packaging manufacturer. The person: the VP of Operations, named on the leadership page.

Subject: the Greenville controls role

Hi Marcus,

Your controls engineer posting has been up since August 14, and you told the business journal that staffing the Greenville line is the critical path for a Q1 opening.

Engineers who have commissioned a packaging line rarely answer job ads; most move through referrals. That's the network we recruit from, and we placed two commissioning engineers at a food packaging plant this year.

Would it help if I sent three anonymized profiles this week, so you can judge fit before we talk?

Sam

What makes this good: two sourced facts point at one problem, one in Marcus's own words. The middle line explains why job ads are slow without criticizing his team. The ask is useful and needs no meeting. (In a real email, cite only placements you can document and may mention.)

The arithmetic. Corvane plans 60 such accounts this quarter: 10 hours of research at ten minutes each. With up to four emails per account, that's at most 240 emails over 13 weeks, a few a day. That's nowhere near the volumes the bulk-sender rules below target, but small volume cuts both ways: one spam complaint in 240 emails is a 0.4% rate.

The rules: US, UK and EU

General information, not legal advice. The UK regulator says its guidance is under review after the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025, so check with counsel before you scale.

United States (CAN-SPAM). The FTC says the law "makes no exception for business-to-business email". You don't need consent, but every commercial email must:

• use accurate sender and routing information, and a subject line that reflects the content;
• disclose clearly that it's an advertisement (the FTC says you have leeway in how);
• include a valid postal address: a street address or a registered PO box or private mailbox;
• explain how to opt out (a reply address works), honor requests within 10 business days, and keep the opt-out working for at least 30 days after sending.

You stay responsible if an agency sends for you, and penalties run up to $53,088 per email.

United Kingdom (PECR and UK GDPR).

• You can email a corporate body (a company, LLP, Scottish partnership or government body) without consent, but you must not hide who you are and must give a valid address for opting out. Keep a do-not-email list.
• Sole traders and some partnerships count as individuals: you need their consent, or the "soft opt-in" for existing customers.
• A named person's work email is personal data, so UK GDPR applies. Legitimate interests is often the lawful basis (UK GDPR lists direct marketing as an example), but you must pass the balancing test, say where you got their details by your first email, and tell them they can object. If they object, stop.

European Union. The ePrivacy Directive's consent rule covers individuals and leaves business addresses to national law; Germany, for example, requires prior express consent for email advertising, including to businesses. Under GDPR, the EDPB says a legitimate interest must be weighed against people's reasonable expectations, privacy information is due by your first message, and a marketing objection ends the processing.

[Your name], [title]
[Company], [street address or registered PO box]

I found your details on [source, e.g. your company's leadership page]. If you'd rather not hear from me, reply "no thanks" and I won't contact you again. How we handle your details, and your right to object: [privacy notice link]

Deliverability: the sender rules that changed in 2024

Google and Yahoo began enforcing new sender requirements in February 2024, and Microsoft followed for Outlook.com in May 2025. They're often overstated. They cover mail to consumer mailboxes (personal Gmail, Yahoo, and Outlook.com, Hotmail and Live addresses). Google says its guidelines don't apply to messages sent to Google Workspace accounts, where many business recipients are.

Google ramped up enforcement in November 2025, including rejecting non-compliant mail. Its best practices also say not to email people who didn't sign up or to buy lists, a tension cold email lives with; small, well-researched volume is the answer.

What a small B2B team should do anyway:

1. Set up SPF, DKIM and DMARC (p=none to start) on your sending domain, with the From domain aligned.
2. Count volume across the whole domain. If your newsletter sends thousands a day to Gmail from the same primary domain, your sales emails share its bulk-sender status.
3. Keep complaints rare. Target tightly, make opting out a one-word reply, and remove people the moment they ask.
4. Clean your list. Microsoft advises removing invalid addresses regularly to cut bounces and complaints. Verify addresses before the first send.
5. Send as a person. A From and Reply-To address someone reads, plain text, at most one link.

Quality checklist before you send

• The first line is about them, and it's true, recent and sourced.
• Every result you cite is documented, and you may use any customer name you mention.
• The subject line describes the email. No fake "Re:".
• Your signature has a postal address and a simple way to opt out.
• You know if the recipient is a company, a sole trader or in a consent-first country.
• You've read it aloud. If you wouldn't say it to their face, rewrite it.

Next step: pair each template with a subject line and opener from the cold email subject lines guide, which also shows how to test them without fooling yourself.