How do you write a cold email that gets replies?

Lead with one specific, researched observation — something only a person who actually looked at the prospect could write, like a post they published or a recent hire. This earns the read and proves you are not running a mail-merge.

State the problem you solve in a single sentence, and offer a low-friction next step rather than a 60-minute demo. End with curiosity — a genuine question — instead of a calendar link.

Keep it short (50–125 words), avoid filler like "I hope this finds you well", and never reference a previous email with "just following up". Specificity is earned, not claimed.