Why this exists
Most cold emails die in the first sentence because they could have been sent to anyone. "I appreciate your impressive work" is not an opening, it is a delete button. The emails that get replies prove the sender actually looked at the prospect's business and noticed something specific.
This is the prompt system behind my own prospecting workflow, packaged as a skill. It forces the structure that works: one real observation, one relevant proof point, one low-friction ask, hard ceiling of 180 words. And it refuses to do the things that make outreach feel gross: no fake urgency, no invented compliments, no mass batching, and it never sends anything itself. You read every draft before it goes anywhere.
How it works
- It loads your sender profile once Name, positioning title, website, two or three real proof points, and your portfolio examples by industry. Saved to a config file so every future email reuses it. It never invents numbers or client names.
- You give it a research block per prospect Company, decision maker, what their website says, the weaknesses you observed, growth signals. Thin research gets flagged, not papered over with guesses.
- It writes one email under 180 words Specific observation first, one relevant credibility line, value-framed offer, low-friction CTA. A banned-phrase list keeps out "I hope this email finds you well" and friends.
- You get the full package The email, three alternative subject lines, a LinkedIn connection note under 300 characters, and an 80-word follow-up for day 7.
Step by step (for first-time users)
- Open Claude Code anywhere No project setup needed. A notes folder works fine.
-
Type
/cold-outreach-writerFirst run, it asks for your profile: who you are, proof points, portfolio examples. It offers to save them tooutreach-profile.md. - Paste your research on the prospect What you found on their website, what looks weak, any growth signals. The better the research, the sharper the email.
- Review the draft like an editor Check the observation is true and the portfolio example fits. Adjust anything that does not sound like you.
- Send it yourself, from your own inbox The skill never touches your email account. That is a feature, not a limitation.
What you get per prospect
| Output | Limit | Job |
|---|---|---|
| Cold email | 180 words max | Earn a reply with one specific observation |
| 3 alternative subject lines | One line each | Test different angles without rewriting |
| LinkedIn connection note | 300 characters | Second channel, same observation |
| Follow-up email | 80 words | Day 7 nudge with one new angle, no guilt-trip |
Honest take
What it does well: Discipline. The 180-word ceiling, the banned-phrase list, and the "never fabricate" rule are the difference between outreach that reads like a peer wrote it and outreach that reads like a mail merge. The structure comes from emails that actually got replies in my own prospecting, not from a marketing blog. The follow-up draft is quietly the most useful part: most people never send one because writing it feels awkward.
What it does not do: The research. You still have to look at the prospect's website and notice something real, because the opening line is only as good as the observation behind it. It also will not batch 50 emails, on purpose. If you ask, it suggests writing 3 strong ones first. And it never sends anything: no SMTP, no integrations, no API keys.
When to use it: Freelancers and small studios doing targeted outreach to a shortlist of companies they genuinely want to work with. Ten researched prospects beat a thousand sprayed ones, and this skill is built for the ten.